Bokmakierie

Bokmakierie 

Newsletter of the Witwatersrand Bird Club 

December 2016 No 247 

WITWATERSRAND 

BIR D CLUB 

BirdLife 

SOUTH AFRICA 

Giving Conservation Wings

2016 Calendar Competition Entries 

Included on the inside front and back covers are a selection of photographs that were 

submitted but not selected for the calendar. They are however excellent photographs. 

Thank you again to all who took part. 

Natal Spurfowl - photos by Leslie Cornish 

Black-headed Heron - photos by Joan Maddern 

Secretarybird - photos by Karen Dixon 

African Fish Eagle - photos by Michelle Scott 

Lappet-faced Vulture - photos by Karin Mitton 

Gabar Goshawk - photos by Marcelle van Wyk

Bokmakierie 

Newsletter of the Witwatersrand Bird Club 

December 2016 No 247 

Witwatersrand Bird Club 

P O Box 641 Cresta 2118 

Tel: 011 782 7267 

Fax: 086 512 7696 

Email: witsbc@mweb.co.za 

Web: www.witsbirdclub.org.za 

2016 Committee: 

HON. PRESIDENT: 

CHAIRMAN: 

VICE-CHAIRMAN: 

TREASURER: 

COURSES: 

CONSERVATION: 

EVENING MEETINGS: 

WEBSITE: 

SALES & MARKETING: 

PROGRAMME: 

EAST RAND CHAIR: 

HENLEY-ON-KLIP CHAIR: 

WEST RAND CHAIR: 

CLUB SECRETARY: 

Lance Robinson 

Andy Featherstone 

Koos van Dÿk 

Sandy Goodall 

Janice Isom 


Lia Steen 

Thinie vd Merwe 

Dael Stojakovic 

Fiona van Zyl 

Awie Coetzee 

David Ludlow 

Koos van Dÿk 

Lauraine Leigh 

NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS 

Bokmakierie is published three times annually. Contributions 

may be in Afrikaans or English. English names of birds 

should be those used in Roberts VII. Views expressed are 

not necessarily those of the Editor, Club, the Committee, 

Members or those of BirdLife South Africa. The Editors 

reserve the right to edit articles as necessary. 

This issue of Bokmakierie has been produced and edited 

by Andy Featherstone and Lance Robinson. 

COVER PHOTO: Southern Carmine Bee-eater by 

Michelle Scott 

MAGAZINE LAYOUT: Andy Featherstone 

Inside this issue: 

4 Letter from the Chair 

5 Durban pelagic - October 2016 by 

Lesley Cornish 

7 Garden Observations by Mike Fullerton 

8 Bird ringing by Jim McLuskie 

12 Update on EWT Livestock Guardian 

Dog Project by Derek van der Merwe 

14 Marion’s Owl Award 

15 Bubo the Eagle Owl by Alf Craul 

16 Touring Botswana and the Caprivi Strip 

by Anthony Cavanagh 

20 Polokwane Nature Reserve: WBC trip 

16th – 18th September 2016 by Lesley 

Cornish 

24 The remarkable life of Darrel Charles 

Herbert Plowes compiled by Lance Robinson 

and Andy Featherstone 

28 There are still some Eden’s left by 

Louise Barlow 

30 Mass bird fatality in Vanderbijlpark, 

Gauteng by Dane Paijmans 

32 Cruising on the Queen Mary 2 by Anthony 

Cavanagh 

38 Two septuagenarian twitchers by Jim 

McLuskie 

40 Common Swifts Fly For 10 Months 

Without A Break - BirdGuides 

42 Birds’ beaks act as air conditioners - 

BirdGuides 

43 Rarities and unusual sightings report: 

15 November 2016 by André Marx 

Bokmakierie December 2016 No 247 | 3

Letter from the Chair 

Dear Members, 

The December edition of 

Bokmakierie is the final one 

for the year and Lance and 

I hope that you will enjoy it. 

As with the last edition, we 

have tried for a more attractive 

layout with a selection 

of diverse articles, some 

written by our members 

and others selected from 

external sources. 

In November the Committee 

held our annual Bosberaad 

at Wakkerstroom where we 

discussed the overall state 

of the Club and made several 

decisions that will impact 

the club in 2017. The biggest 

challenge that we face is 

a financial one; simply put, 

the cost of running our Club 

far exceeds the income we 

receive from membership 

subscriptions and from any 

proceeds of outings, sales 

and evening meetings. We 

are more fortunate than 

most clubs in that we have 

monies invested that were 

bequeathed to the Club. As 

with any investment, these 

increase in value during the 

course of the year and it is 

this additional income that 

has kept us afloat to date. 

We are making every effort 

to improve the financial 

situation without making 

too much of an impact on 

what we can provide for our 

members. Unfortunately, 

one of the biggest cost-saving 

reductions that we have 

had to make is to reduce 

Lauraine’s working week, 

from three days to just two, 

and the office will now be 

open on Tuesdays and 

Wednesdays only, as from 

Tuesday 10th January. 

Before leaving for our Bosberaad, 

I sent an email to 

a number of our members 

asking for their thoughts on 

the Club’s current activities 

and how they thought that 

we could improve them. 

Thank you to those who 

contributed, you gave us 

some valuable insights into 

areas where we can try and 

improve things. An area that 

received fair criticism was 

that of the evening meetings 

and we will act on many of 

the suggestions, particularly 

in respect of the themes of 

the talks and the state of the 

venue. We have also taken 

note of the ideas proposed 

for outings, so some of 

these suggestions will start 

to filter through in our new 

programme. If you were not 

asked to give feedback but 

would like to give us your 

thoughts, it’s not too late, 

email either Lauraine, Lance 

or myself with your ideas. 

The 2017 70th Anniversary 

plans are progressing well 

and we will kick-start our 

big year with a talk by Geoff 

Lockwood, who will share 

fond memories and give 

some insightful history of 

the Club. Another talk not to 

be missed: Trevor Hardaker 

will be giving us insights into 

his passion for rarities and 

twitching on Saturday 18th 

February. To accommodate 

Trevor’s special talk, we will 

hold our AGM in March next 

year. Later in the year, we 

will have a cocktail party 

on Saturday 10th June, the 

nearest weekend to the 

actual date of our founding. 

Also in the pipeline is 

a winter balloon trip in the 

Pilanesberg area, a waders 

event with Faansie Peacock, 

a bumper Birding Big Day 

event in November and a 

special trip to round off the 

year. 

As many of you know there 

is a little Robinson due to 

enter this world early in the 

New Year. On behalf of the 

Club, we wish Lance and 

Hanneline every happiness 

with their new family 

member and look forward 

to meeting her (most likely 

with mini binoculars in the 

pram) in due course. 

With the festive season 

upon us many of you will 

be heading for holiday 

destinations or to visit family, 

if you are travelling please 

travel safely and enjoy the 

time away. 


4 | Bokmakierie December 2016 No 247

Durban Pelagic - October 2016 

Text and Photos by Lesley Cornish 

The weekend was an exercise in cramming 

in as much as possible: special 

dinner with Errol on Friday, buying lots 

of goodies at the photographic show on 

Saturday morning, then driving down 

to Durban (me working in the back of 

the car on print-outs) to have another 

adventure trying to reach our accommodation 

due to the Halloween Street Party 

which had closed most of the streets in 

the area. Also, a wonderful supper on 

Saturday night with the best scampi in 

South Africa (which rivalled UK scampi), 

getting up at 4.30 am on Sunday for the 

pelagic trip, and finally driving back to 

Johannesburg immediately after lunch, 

but we managed! Work was a bit of a 

struggle on Monday though. 

The pelagic trip was rough on the 

way out, then it rained, but only a bit. 

There was not too much about, but we 

soon saw White-chinned Petrels, then 

Flesh-footed Shearwaters, Arctic Terns, 

and Great-winged Petrels. Someone 

called Green Turtle, but I did not get onto 

it. Then, a scream of “Barau’s Petrel”, and 

there it was, about 600m off out starboard 

side. It was quite far, but recognisable 

because it was pale underneath, 

with a black carpal stripe and a dark 

back. I felt like shouting “Liferrr”, because 

I had missed it last year! 

Then it was back to clinging on, which 

I did not do very well, and I fell on the 

braai (giving me some interesting bruises 

to explain to Errol the following week) 

which had fallen off with a large wave, 

but been deftly rescued by the crew. 

The most common bird out at sea: White-chinned Petrel 


One special sighting was 

a large school of Indian 

Bottle-nosed Dolphins 

which were making their 

way towards us. There 

were well over 50, and I 

had never seen so many 

dolphins together, and so it 

was a real thrill for me. We 

also saw two albatrosses: 

Indian Yellow-nosed and 

Shy, and a couple of Sooty 

Shearwaters (showing off 

their diagnostic silvery 

underwings). 

Barau’s Petrel: note the diagnostic black carpal joint on wing 

After what seemed like 

hours of being thrown around (with several people “down”), we stopped and threw out 

the chum. This was much better because now we were not beating our way forward. 

There were birds too. Not so many, and I was surprised that there were no storm 

petrels, but the White-chinned Petrels came in nice and close, and we also had some 

good close sightings Great-winged Petrels, including the possible Australian sub-species 

gouldi which has a paler face. We hung around quite a while drifting down the 

chum slick, and then repeatedly made our way back to the “top end” to drift down 

again. At one stage, there were about six petrels around us, and then another Barau’s 

Petrel came in close, so now I had some photographs of my lifer! 

It disappeared, but another 

Indian Bottle-nosed Dolphins 


came in later (although 

not so close) from another 

direction, making at least 

three Barau’s Petrels! We 

threw out the second 

chum bucket at more-orless 

the same place, but 

who knows how far we had 

drifted (hopefully, the skipper 

did), and that brought 

in more petrels but nothing 

new. But who can complain 

about at least three 

Barau’s Petrels? 

Great-winged Petrel 

Eventually, we decided to call it a day and headed back to port. It was a smoother 

and quicker journey back because the wind was pushing us, and I even plucked up 

enough courage to have a beer to celebrate my lifer! Fairly close to the Durban, we 

saw a Humpback Whale. So thanks to Janice Isom for pushing me to join the trip. 

What an outcome: a lifer and I got all my work done in the car! 

Garden Observations 

Mike Fullerton 

submitted this 

photograph and 

reported that 

between 8 and 

10 African Green 

Pigeons were 

feeding on the 

new shoots of 

a Plane tree in 

Honeydew in 

August 


Bird Ringing 

By Jim McLuskie 

HISTORY 

Man has been marking, or ringing birds, for over 2000 years, originally not for scientific 

reasons but for ownership purposes. In the Middle Ages, falconers fitted metal bands 

to the legs of their birds to indicate ownership. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, 

ducks and swans were marked with metal collars by landowners. Later, marks 

were placed on pigeons, both carrier and racing pigeons. There is evidence that by 

1653, young salmon had ribbons attached to their tails to establish that, after their 

migration out to sea, they returned to their natal streams to breed. 

The marking of birds for scientific purposes was started in 1899 by a Danish school 

teacher. He placed rings on European starlings and the rings bore a return address 

and a date. Within a year he had accumulated a substantial number of recoveries. The 

first national ringing scheme was established on the Baltic coast in Germany in 1903. 

This was followed by many other countries before the First World War. 

The first ringing of birds in southern Africa was undertaken by the Witwatersrand Bird 

Club (WBC) in 1948. Members of the WBC scaled the cliffs of Skeerpoort to ring nestling 

Cape Vultures. One of those birds was later recovered in Zimbabwe. 

White-winged Flufftail in hand 

WHY BIRD RINGING? 

The recovery of the vulture illustrates 

one of the reasons that birds are ringed. 

Ornithology would still be in the Dark 

Ages were it not for bird ringing or 

marking. It has been described as the 

research tool that produced the most 

important results in ornithology during 

the 20th century. Much of our insight 

into bird movements and migration and 

our knowledge of population dynamics 

exists because individual birds have 

been uniquely marked and subsequently 

found either at the place of original capture 

or elsewhere. 

It is only by making a bird individually 

identifiable that we can learn about the 

individual’s movement, longevity, and 

social associations. 


In this way aspects of the life histories of many bird species have gradually been 

unravelled, giving a new understanding of the movement of birds as well as raising a 

whole new set of questions relating to causes and factors contributing to population 

movement, dynamics and behaviour. 

In the 21st century, bird ringing remains the most cost-effective method of studying 

many aspects of the biology of most common bird species. That data, after analysis 

and collation, are found in the texts of many bird guides such as Roberts, as well as 

forming the foundation for many scientific studies. 

Measuring a Pied Kingfisher 

HOW ARE BIRDS RINGED OR MARKED? 

Birds are caught for ringing in a variety of ways. The method used most frequently 

to catch fully-grown birds is by mist-net. This is a fine net erected vertically between 

poles. It is designed so that when a bird flies into the net it drops down into a pocket. It 

is taken out of the pocket by an experienced ringer and put into a dry permeable bag. 

This is to keep the bird warm, dry and calm. Nets are visited frequently and the birds 

in the bags are processed quickly and gently. 

Birds are then taken to a ringing station, where they are kept in the shade until processed. 

The station is situated as near as possible to the nets without spooking the 

birds. Each bird is fitted with a light ring on its leg. Each ring has a unique number and 

the name of the ringing authority (University of Cape Town in the RSA). The ring is 

sized to fit the leg of the bird so that it does not chafe it. Various measurements are 

taken and age and gender are assessed. The bird is then released after checking its 

condition. The ring number, date, and location, as well as the measurements, are all 

recorded for subsequent sending to SAFRING in Cape Town. 


QUALIFICATIONS AND CONTROL 

SAFRING is part of the Animal Demography 

Unit at the University of Cape Town 

and it controls bird ringing in South Africa. 

It also assists other southern African 

countries. 

A potential ringer is trained by experienced 

ringers and has to reach a high 

level of competence before being tested 

by one of the country’s top ornithologists. 

This apprenticeship period usually 

lasts several years. If the test is successful, 

SAFRING is notified and it issues a 

numbered ringer licence. No ringer may 

operate independently without such a 

licence. In addition, the ringer requires a 

written permit from each province within 

which he plans to ring. Lastly, ringers 

must have the permission of the landholder 

where the ringing is to take place. 

SAFRING is the sole procurer and 

controller of rings in South Africa; it sells 

rings only to licenced, competent ringers. 

It is empowered to censure any ringer 

who brings bird ringing into disrepute. 

This may include withdrawal of license 

and letters to provincial nature conservation 

authorities, as well as no longer 

supplying rings. 

ETHICS of BIRD RINGING 

An open mist net at Waterfall Estate 

- The well-being of any bird caught and 

handled is the paramount consideration 

- A ringer may not operate more equipment than he or she can properly manage 

- A ringer may not allow unqualified persons to use his equipment to capture and 

handle birds or fit rings except under close supervision. 

- Catching birds should not be attempted under conditions that may result in birds 

becoming severely stressed or injured. 


CONCLUSION 

Catching birds with mist 

nets or traps is an extremely 

important way 

to obtain scientific data. 

Several specialist working 

groups exist in South 

Africa and most of them 

include ringing as part of 

their activities. Examples 

are the South African 

Crane Working Group, 

the Raptor Conservation 

Group, the Vulture Study 

Group and the Western 

Cape Wader Study Group. 

Jim at the ringing station 

Most bird clubs have 

their own ringing groups and support ringing as an important source of ornithological 

knowledge, as does Birdlife South Africa and Birdlife International. 

All bird lovers are encouraged to support bird ringing and to take an interest in local 

activities. If anyone should find a live bird with a ring they should make a note of the 

ring number and the species before letting the bird go. They should also note the 

date and place of finding 

as well as the condition 

of the bird. These notes 

should be communicated 

to SAFRING. 

South African Bird 

Ringing Unit 

021 650 3434 

e-mail: 

safring@adu.org.za 

www.safring.adu.org.za 

Local enquiries: 

Male Fiery-necked Nightjar showing diagnostic markings 

on wing and tail 

Jim McLuskie 011 517 2597 

or 083 308 0093, who 

rings on the Waterfall estates 

and who welcomes 

interested visitors. 


Update on EWT Livestock Guardian 

Dog Project 

By Derek van der Merwe 

Carnivore Conservation Programme: Conflict Mitigation Field Officer 

Endangered Wildlife Trust 

We have had a very busy time as of late. 

We managed to place three new puppies 

as well as 4 alpacas, unfortunately 

one of the puppies has since passed 

away. This was very bad news as it was 

our first venture with a community. Unfortunately 

it was too late to perform an 

autopsy on the body, therefore we can 

only speculate as to the cause of death. 

We do believe that is was either a tick 

borne disease or a snake bite. We are 

very saddened by the loss as we have 

not lost a dog in a long time. Nonetheless 

we are not giving up as the community 

has had terrible losses to leopard in 

recent months and have poisoned two 

leopards since losing calves. Therefore 

it is imperative to educate and work with 

the community to reduce the conflict 

between the community and predators. 

Our other dogs are doing very well and 

are continuing to conserve predators on 

farmland and community land outside of 

protected areas. Our alpacas have been 

a huge hit with farmers in the Northern 

Cape, one of the reasons we are trialling 

alpacas is because we have struggled 

to successfully place Livestock Guardian 

Dogs with dorper sheep in the Upington 

area. Our biggest challenge was to bond 

the dogs to the sheep, because dorper 

sheep don’t have a herding instinct it was 

extremely difficult for the dogs to bond 

with the sheep and eventually one of the 

dogs sat at the water most of the day 

and wouldn’t allow the sheep to drink. 

12 | Bokmakierie December 2016 No 247 

The dogs have become rather large 

and the sheep remained intimidated by 

the dogs and because of the size of the 

camps it was very difficult to bond the 

dogs with the sheep. Two of the dogs in 

the Northern Cape are working successfully 

with goats and one is still working 

with a combination of sheep and goats. 

Because of this we spoke to a number of 

farmers in the area and one suggested 

we trial alpacas as he knew of a fellow 

farmer who was having a lot of success 

with alpacas as Livestock Guardian animals. 

So I went to meet him and decided 

to trial alpacas on these farms. We 

managed to source 4 male alpacas from 

a farm in the Western Cape. Females are 

just too expensive. We managed to place 

the four alpacas last month and recently 

split them up once we were happy with 

their condition as the veld in the Northern 

Cape is very different to the lush 

green Western Cape. My initial thoughts 

on the alpacas as well as the farmers is 

very positive. We have already witnessed 

guardian behaviour in the alpacas and I 

hope this continues. We will be collecting 

data and hopefully publishing the 

effectiveness of alpacas as Guardian 

animals. 

Bull was a very large male puppy and 

we were hoping he would be a huge 

success. He was going to protect cattle 

against leopard conflict in the area. Unfortunately 

he died unexpectedly. We are 

not sure of the reason for his death..

Diana has been placed on a farm with 

sheep and goats in the Waterberg. 

The third puppy has not received a name as of 

yet. However she is doing very well. 


Meet our latest bodyguards a first for the Endangered Wildlife Trust. These four alpacas have been 

placed on farms in the Northern Cape to protect sheep from jackal, caracal and brown hyena conflict. 

Marion’s Owl Award 

Marion Mengell, synonymous with Friends of Nylsvley (FoN), was the worthy 

recipient of a BirdLife SA Owl Award in October 2016. Congratulations Marion, 

we are very proud to be associated with FoN. 


Bubo The Eagle Owl 

By Alf Craul 

Eyebrows rake upwards to end in tufted ears. 

A regal face belies savage intent, hidden in the gaze of round obsidian 

eyes. 

Night stealthily descends to rest on the gnarled branches of the Mamuti 

tree, standing sentinel on the river bank. 

Like a drug, the oppressive heat bonds with the pulsating sound of the 

Cicada bugs. 

The haunting call of a Rail splits the night air. 

Bubo replies, “Hok-Hok-Hok” …a warning grunt, as if to say…”I am here!” 

Pink eyelids, macabre in this setting, blink a warning signal. 

An indistinct sound from below causes his body to elongate, as he 

stretches in anticipation. 

Fearsome yellow-brown talons, in sharp contrast to white feathered legs, 

grip the branch a little tighter. 

Like a trapeze artist preparing to leap. 

Oblivious to the danger above, a mongoose hunts. 

A careless step, on a dry Mopane leaf, announces its presence and signals 

its death. 

Bubo’s head slowly turns , eyes and ears focused on the prey. 

A Nightjar calls, “Good Lord deliver us!” ….. 

On silent wings, with razor sharp talons 

spread wide, 

Bubo swiftly swoops in for the kill. 

In a beating of wings on Mopane scrub, a 

dust cloud rising from dry thirsty ground, the 

mongoose perishes without a sound. 

The bushveld is silent, nothing moves. 

Death has arrived! 

The Mamuti tree watches silently as a giant 

beak ferociously tears flesh from bone. 

Satiated, Bubo reverts to his motionless, 

sentry state. 

Ear tufts erect. 

Maybe tomorrow an errant guinea fowl 

will cross his path … 

Once again the nightjar sings! 

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl (Bubo lacteus) 

- photo by Warwick Tarboton 


Touring Botswana and the Caprivi 

Strip 

Text and Photos by Anthony Cavanagh 

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a jewel in the dry Kalahari and its life-giving 

waters create one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife. Summer rains in the 

Angolan highlands drain into the Okavango River, which flows 1 200 km south into the 

flat arid area of northern Botswana, eventually spreading out and covering an area 

up to 15 000 square kilometres during the peak flood between June and August. 

Although not the largest inland delta in Africa, the magnificence of the Okavango 

Delta helped in it being named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa and also a 

World Heritage site. 

One of the many elephants encountered 

Sue and Anthony together with friends Gavin and Joan 

In July Sue and I, together with friends Gavin and Joan, embarked on a tour of Botswana 

and after spending a few days in Gaborone and also visiting the Magadikgadi 

Pan we arrived in Maun situated on the edge of the Delta. We stayed at Audi Camp a 

few km north of the town and booked a boat trip for the following day. The floodwaters 

flowed strongly in the channel overlooked by the camp and once the four of us 

were aboard the boat, our pilot headed upstream towards the wide-open wetlands of 

the Delta. The birdlife is stunning and some of the species we saw included Swamp 

Boubou, African Golden Weaver, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Slaty Egret, African Openbill, 

African Pygmy Goose and Saddle-billed Stork. Elephants were plentiful as were the 

Lechwe. 


The waters stretched as far as one could see and the numerous channels created 

many small low-lying islands where basking crocodiles warmed themselves in the 

winter sun. Local residents fished from their traditional mokoros and tourists were 

Sable Antelope 

African Fish Eagle 

African Skimmers 

White-fronted Bee-eater 

being leisurely poled along in other mokoros. The Delta is indeed a watery paradise in 

a country covered mostly by semi-desert. 

After leaving Maun we drove southwestwards towards Lake Ngami, which at this 

time of year was benefitting from the seasonal floodwaters from the Delta, and then 

northwards adjacent to the Delta and on to Shakawe. En route we came across a few 

road-kill sites with dozens of vultures scrapping over cattle carcasses. Drotsky’s Cabins, 

10km south of Shakawe, was our next port of call and came well recommended. 

It didn’t disappoint, as the lodge facilities were excellent as were the large campsites, 

each being very private and having individual ablution blocks. Drotsky’s overlooks the 

Okavango River in an area known as the Okavango panhandle. Here the river is some 


600m wide and from where it enters Botswana, it flows southwards for 70km where 

it then fans out into the alluvial plain of the delta thus providing the Delta with its main 

source of water. 

On our boat trip, we had excellent sightings of Little Bittern, Long-toed Lapwing, 

White-browed Coucal and dozens of White-fronted Bee-eaters nesting in holes 

on the steep earthen riverbank. Our target bird was the Pel’s Fishing Owl, which is 

a mega sighting for any keen birder. Our guide saw the Pel’s about 50m inland and 

said he would talk to the owners of the property to ask if we could walk on their land 

and approach the Pel’s for viewing purpose. Permission was declined but our guide 

had thoughtfully then disturbed the bird, which flew towards the river and sportingly 

perched very visibly and long enough for us to take some fine close-up photos. Another 

excellent sighting from the river was that of the Western Banded Snake Eagle. 

Needless to say, we showed our great appreciation to our guide in the time honoured 

customary manner. 

Pel’s Fishing Owl 


Bradfield’s Hornbill 

The woodland areas around the campsite had an abundance of birdlife and notable 

sightings included, Brown and Red-billed Firefinches, Green-backed Honeybird, 

Black-faced and Hartlaub’s Babblers, African Yellow White-eye, Southern Whitefaced 

Owl and Greater Swamp Warbler. Cape Clawless Otters were seen in the 

stream below the campsite. 

The Caprivi Strip is a narrow protrusion of Namibia that extends some 450km eastwards 

north of Botswana and south of Angola and Zambia. It is named after German 

Chancellor Leo von Caprivi who in 1890 negotiated with Britain for the acquisition of

this land in exchange for the island of Zanzibar. Germany had wanted access from 

German South West Africa to the Zambezi River and a route to the German colony of 

Tanganyika on the east coast. 

We crossed the Botswana border into Namibia and drove along the Caprivi Strip to 

Katima Mulilo the largest town in the area, and then on to Island View Lodge some 

30km further east of the town and situated on the banks of the Zambezi River. Our 

campsite had superb views of the river and after setting up the tents we got the fire 

going and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the African bush while downing a few 

cold beverages. 

The next day on our boat 

trip on the Zambezi we 

had good sightings of 

Senegal Coucal, African 

Marsh Harrier, Whitecrowned 

Lapwing and 

African Skimmers. Around 

the camp, regional 

specials included Whitebrowed 

Robin-chat 

(Heuglin’s Robin), Whitebrowed 

Coucal and Schalow’s 

Turaco. 

Our final destination was 

Coppery-tailed Coucal 

Kasane back in Botswana, 

where we stayed in a 

lodge about 30km out of town. The area around Kasane abounds with game and as 

there are no fences. Elephants, jackals, bushbuck and other animals often halt traffic 

as they walk across the road. Kasane is very close to Africa’s Four Corners where the 

four countries of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet and kilometre long 

truck queues lined the road leading down to the Zambian border crossing at Kazungula. 

We took a small motor launch on the Chobe River and our guide showed us the 

breeding colonies of Yellow-billed Storks and White-breasted Cormorants. We followed 

the river upstream and entered the Chobe Game Reserve where we had to sign 

in, and then continued up the river to where herds of game could be seen on the flood 

plain and on low-lying islands. Lechwe, in particular, were plentiful as were hippo and 

crocodile. Elephant by the score could be seen in the park and we were also fortunate 

to see a male Sable Antelope. On the Namibian side of the river, a bushfire was raging 

and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters were having a field day catching fleeing insects. 

Other interesting sightings up river were Ringed Plover and Collared Pratincole, and 

Collared Palm-Thrush near the landing deck. 

Back at the lodge, there were dozens of Greater Blue-eared Starlings, Southern Red- 


Billed Hornbills, Bradfield’s Hornbill and a number of Pearl-spotted Owlets. Every 

evening elephant walked freely in front of the chalets and drank at the waterhole to 

the delight of the many tourists watching from the viewing deck. 

Alas, the time came for us to head back home and we drove down through Nata and 

Francistown and crossed into South Africa at Martin’s Drift. We did, however, manage 

to spot another Botswana special 62 km north of Francistown where we all saw the 

Boulder Chat, which has a very small range in Botswana. 

Botswana is a land of contrasting beauty, with vast areas being sparsely populated 

dry and dusty semi-desert, and then with oases of lush vegetation and abundant 

water supporting a magnificent diversity of people and wildlife. 

Sue and Anthony enjoying 

the river cruise 

Sunset over the Delta 


Polokwane Nature Reserve: WBC Trip 

16th – 18th September 2016 

Text and Photos by Lesley Cornish 

Much to my shame I had never heard of this reserve, and with so many friends going, I 

thought we should go too. So I booked a day’s leave, went to Wits, gave two lectures 

(well, 10.00am is a bit blatant to bunk, even on a Friday) and set off via the CSIR to 

collect samples for a student (the samples then were trapped at Wits because it was 

closed since the students were demonstrating - not my students – they are MUCH 

better behaved). Once in Polokwane, we go lost trying to find the place, so did a few 

other people. When we were ‘un-lost’ we were not allowed in, but luckily Lauraine had 

just arrived, so she could vouch for us and we were let in. That night, we were gently 

lulled to sleep by Fiery-necked Nightjars, and then rudely awakened by the peafowls 

calling, several times over. 

The next day, there was a 

long convoy at the gate for 

6.00am for us to go into 

the park. Our target bird 

was Shelley’s Francolin, 

but it was not complying. 

However, we saw Marabou 

Storks by the pan, had lovely 

views of Short-clawed 

Lark doing its display: fly 

and call, then fold wings 

and plunge earthwards. 

We had a long debate 

about a pale-looking hornbill-shaped-thingy 

in a tree, 

Marabou Storks 

and Selwyn told me to 

a photo which revealed it 

to be a Spar bag (a lifer?). 

We drove around the 

reserve and saw a lot of 

dust, as well as Ant-eating 

Chats, Crimson-breasted 

Shrikes, Lesser Honeyguide, 

Long-billed Crombec, 

Yellow-bellied and 

Burnt-necked Eremomelas 

(three of the latter chasing Short-clawed Lark 


Welcome 

New 

Members 

Pied Avocets 

each other around), Scaly-feathered Finch, Red-breasted 

Swallows, many Northern Black Korhaans flying 

around, and both Speckled and Red-faced Mousebirds. 

There were also many more ostriches than I have seen 

for ages. We had good views of Long-billed Pipits and 

a White-browed Scrub Robin which even allowed us to 

take some photographs. 

At the picnic site, we saw a Brubru, African Hoopoe and 

Common Waxbills, then walked to the pan where there 

were Tawny-flanked Prinias, Cape Grassbird (and a dead 

Wildebeest). Then it was back for a very quick lunch. 

In the afternoon we went to the sewage works and 

ticked off a good number of waterbirds, as well as 

White-fronted Bee-eaters (well, they are often near 

water…) and Wattled Starlings. There were Comb 

Ducks, Black Crakes, African Jacanas, Wood Sandpipers, 

Black-crowned Night Herons and Ruffs. Next, 

we headed north, on the Alldays Road to a dam, and I 

began to worry that we were going to Kariba (and I had 

not brought my passport). We finally arrived, and Selwyn 

negotiated with security to let us in, and it was well 

worth it: a flock of Pied Avocets, White-faced Ducks, 

Red-billed Teal, Little Stints, Three-banded Plovers, 

Egyptian and Spur-winged Geese, White-winged Tern 

and a small herd of Nyala. On leaving, there was some 

confusion, and some went off to successfully bag a 

Shelley’s Francolin, and some did not. 

Judith Cornish 

- Boksburg 

Hester & Eugene 

Dann - Cresta 

Jane Doherty 

- Auckland Park 

Dave Douglas 

- Braamfontein 

Gavin Ford 

- Lonehill 

Ian Gericke 

- Randburg 

Sue Goodman 

- Kyalami 

Haroldina Jonker 

- Pine Park 

Liesel Jonkheid 

- Craighal 

Amanda & Dion 

Koekemoer 

- Horison 

Gerda & Gerhard 

Schoombie 

- Helderkruin 

Stephen & Shelley 

Sherwood 

- Bedfordview 

Annie Sugrue 

- Greenside 

Lieben & Denise 

Swanevelder 

- Strubens Vallay 

Kobus Theunissen 

- Noordheuwel 

Paul van Beek 

- Sandton 


It got quite chilly and rained that night, 

not much, but enough to make the tents 

and vehicles grubby, and to shut the 

peafowls up! 

The next day most went off to Tzaneen 

in the drizzle, but we went looking for 

the Shelley’s Francolin, where it had 

been seen the previous evening. Alas, 

we had no luck, but we did have much 

better sightings of the previous day’s 

birds: Common Scimitarbill, Crested and 

Black-collared Barbets, Magpie Shrike, 

Common Fiscal, and our first Darkcapped 

Bulbul. We also saw Whitewinged 

Widowbird (not yet in breeding 

plumage), White-crested Helmet-Shrikes 

and a Yellow-throated Petronia. Near the 

pan we saw a large bird party and that 

kept us entertained. There was also a 

Bennett’s Woodpecker. I heard an Acacia 

Pied Barbet calling in camp, and am 

now curious to know if the Australians 

will let us still call it that. 

Polokwane Nature Reserve is well 

recommended, just remember that the 

turn-off is near the large, new stadium, 

White-browed Sparrow-weaver 

White-browed Scrub Robin 

and on the other side of the road. I want 

to go back once there has been some 

(proper) rain. 

Thank You for Your Donation 

Anthony & Sue Cavanagh 

John Farrant 


Barbi Forsyth 

Gillian Preston 


Koos van Dÿk 


The Remarkable Life of Darrel 

Charles Herbert Plowes 

Compiled by Lance Robinson and Andy Featherstone 

We were saddened to hear of the passing 

of one of the Club’s Honorary Members, 

Darrel Plowes. Born in Estcourt, 

KwaZulu-Natal, on 4th April 1925, he 

died in Mutare, Zimbabwe, on 19 October 

2016. Darrel was one of the founder 

members of Wits Bird Club. He attended 

the 60th Anniversary celebrations 

of the club in 2007. At that celebration 

lunch, John Freer, then Honorary President 

welcomed him, amongst others. 

Darrel’s curriculum vitae is nothing short 

of impressive. We have taken some excerpts 

from this to have a better understanding 

of Darrel’s massive contribution 

to natural science. 

Darrel’s interests included photography, 

birds, succulent plants, botany, butterflies, 

orchids, mammals, fish, reptiles, 

archaeology and palaeontology, prehistoric 

rock art, insects, etc., together 

with a deep and lifelong concern for 

ecological and environmental matters. 

He helped found the Mutare Museum 

and was a member of the Board of 

Trustees. He was the study leader on 

several Rhodesian Schools Exploration 

Society and Outward Bound natural 

history expeditions. His collection of 

30,000 35mm colour slides has been 

used by leading publishers in many 

countries for textbooks, prestige books, 

travel guides, and museum displays. 

These slides have now been digitised 

and appropriate topics will be donated 

to relevant institutions. Darrel was a very 

busy pensioner; he undertook numerous 

The late Darrel Plowes 

environmental impact studies, all over 

Africa. He published numerous scientific 

papers over an astounding 72 years, 

from 1943 to 2015. 

In particular, Darrel dedicated a major 

effort to securing the legacy of Sir 

Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld, 

through their bequest of the La 

Rochelle property to the National Trust 

of Zimbabwe. His early professional 

association with the Courtaulds led to 

the establishment of the Kukwanisa 

agricultural training centre at Watsomba, 

and subsequenty he became a personal 


Darrel at work 

friend of the Courtaulds with shared 

interests in orchids and natural history. 

Natural History Activities 

Darrel collected birds, reptiles, and 

insects for the Transvaal Museum in 

1942 while at Oranjemund, Namibia, 

and discovered a new legless lizard, 

Typhlosaurus plowesii, and a new race 

of mole-rat, Bathyergus janetta plowesii. 

He commenced botanical collecting, 

whilst at university, and discovered a 

new succulent, Euphorbia clivicola. In 

the Chimamimani Mountains on the 

Zimbabwe/Mozambique border, Darrel 

collected Aloe plowesii, two new flowers, 

Dierama plowesii and Dissotis pulchra, 

and a new genus of grass, Gazachloa 

chimanimaniensis. He collected over 

6000 herbarium specimens, lodged 

mainly at Harare, Pretoria, and Kew Herbaria, 

many were new records. 

His comprehensive collection of birds’ 

eggs is housed in the National Museum, 

Bulawayo. He provided eggs to Dr Hugh 

Cott at Cambridge, and Dr Charles Sibley 

at Cornell, for palatability and electrophoresis 

studies respectively. He also 

assisted Dr Herbert Friedmann of the US 

Museum of Natural History with studies 

on parasitic birds in Zimbabwe. Darrel 

discovered two new races of the Cape 

Bunting (Fringillaria capensis plowesii, 

and F. capensis smithersii – and was 

author of the latter). He commenced 

collecting butterflies in 1955 and collected 

Aloeides plowesii at Nyanga. 

Furthermore, he collected, studied and 

photographed stapeliads (succulent 


Afro-Indian members of the Apocynaceae 

family) for 70 years in 18 countries 

and grew 6000 of these plants for study 

and world-wide distribution to botanical 

institutions, nurseries, and hobbyists. 

Darrel described several new genera 

and many species of stapeliads and also 

a new aloe (A. inconspicua). He discovered 

Huernia plowesii and several other 

new stapeliads. 

Botanical specimens are lodged at 

SRGH, Harare, Zimbabwe, and at PRE, 

Pretoria and Kew. 

He was honoured in the names of several 

species and this will form part of his 

enduring legacy: 

• Typhlosaurus plowesii A. Roberts 

(legless lizard) 

• Janetta bathyergus plowesii A. Roberts 

(mole rat) 

• Aloe plowesii Reynolds (Aloe) 

• Fringillaria capensis plowesii Vincent 

(bird) 

• Aloeides plowesii Tite & Dickson 

(butterfly) 

• Dierama plowesii Burtt Davy & Hilliard 

(flower) 

• Huernia plowesii LC Leach (succulent: 

stapeliad) 

• Echidnopsis plowesianum G. Orlando 

(succulent: stapeliad). 

• He made the award-winning film 

‘Black Eagle Fly Free’ (1975). 

Affiliations 

• Fellow of both the American and 

the Zimbabwe Cactus and Succulent 

Societies. 

• British Cactus & Succulent Society 

• International Asclepiad Society 

• BirdLife South Africa 

• BirdLife Zimbabwe 

• Witwatersrand Bird Club 

• Botanical Society of South Africa 

• Wildlife & Environment Society of 

Zimbabwe 

• Zimbabwe Orchid Society 

• National Trust of Zimbabwe 

• Honours and Awards 

Darrel was awarded the Bronze Medal 

First Prize South African Documentary 

Film Festival for film ‘Black Eagle Fly 

Free’. He was selected to photograph the 

first day of the new millennium in Zimbabwe 

for the project ‘Daybreak 2000’. 


A message from John Freer: 

Darrel Plowes was one of several of the original team, including Dr 

Wilhelm Gilges and family, Hugh Ashton and later Dick Harwin who left us 

to move north to Rhodesia. We gave Darrel Honorary Life Membership on 

the occasion of our 50th anniversary. We invited him to our 60th birthday 

celebration lunch which he attended from Zimbabwe. It was great to have 

him with us. Our condolences to his family and friends in his passing in 

the course of the Club’s 70th year. 


There are still some Eden’s left 

By Louise Barlow 

There is nothing better than cruising 

down the river on a sunny afternoon 

with an abundance of nature and wildlife 

flourishing to the left and right, animals 

roaming around freely and a cool breeze 

blowing in your hair. 

This we found on both the Zambezi and 

Chobe rivers recently. Our cruise on the 

Zambezi was thrilling, with many African 

Darters sunning their wings, many 

egrets and African Skimmers noted for 

their freshly painted pretty red beaks. 

Also, Egyptian Geese, Reed Cormorants, 

Water Thick-knee, Helmeted Guineafowl, 

Goliath Heron, African Jacana and African 

Sacred Ibis all feeding peacefully on 

the islands and along the river bank, Of 

course the overseas guests were excited 

to see crocs lazing on the banks and the 

hippos bobbing up and down in unexpected 

places, one opened its mouth as 

wide as possible. It was from the balcony 

of the amazing Kingdom Hotel that I 

had my first sighting (ever) of the fabulous 

Trumpeter Hornbill in a faraway tree, 

making terrible noises. This hotel has a 

small natural stream flowing through it 

where a Pied Kingfisher found great joy 

diving again and again for small fish and 

an African Pied Wagtail bobbing around 

on the rocks, the Red-winged Starlings 

were acting up all over the place as 

usual. Wild animals and even some deer 

come up to fences. 

The Chobe River was just as magical, 

more African Darters, Spur-winged 

Geese, a Bateleur on a distant tree, Grey 

Herons, Long-toed Lapwing, pratincoles, 

African Spoonbills, Yellow-billed 

Stork, White-crowned Lapwing, African 

Wattled Lapwing, Common Sandpipers, 

it wouldn’t be Africa without the African 

Fish Eagle giving forth its plaintive cry, 

Grey-headed Gulls, Squacco Heron, 

Black-crowned Night-Heron, more 

African Skimmers, White-faced Ducks 

and African Openbill Storks. There were 

many elephants, buffalo, the giraffe were 

further away and the rhinos had been 

spirited away for safe-keeping. I just 

loved that the Baobab trees had planted 

themselves in the strangest places all 

over the country. 

At Nata Lodge, in a lovely little-wooded 

area, a couple of the Arrow-marked 

Babblers fussed about and a wonderful 

Coppery-tailed Coucal whose call first 

caught my attention early one morning, 

many Grey Go-away birds, African Redeyed 

Bulbuls and Southern Yellow-billed 

Hornbills. Driving across the vast Makgadikgadi 

salt pans, we saw about twenty 

to thirty Lesser and Greater Flamingos, 

Blacksmith Lapwing, Pied Avocet, Blackwinged 

Stilt, Red-billed Teal, Southern 

Pied Babblers and Egyptian Geese. 

When we arrived at the lake, which 

spanned 6 x 32 km, there was a Great 

White Pelican in the far corner and a 

Goliath Heron flying across the sky into a 

magnificent sunset. Almost everywhere 

we saw Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills 

and Lilac-breasted Rollers perched on 

tips of the trees along the road. 

On a morning at the Chobe Bush Lodge, 

I was lazing on a deck chair on the banks 


Bushbuck 

of the river when a lovely shy Bushbuck 

came meandering past eyeing me carefully 

both enjoying the serenity of the 

place, the river gently lapping on a small 

beach while an egret moseyed around 

the river bank. 

An incident that thrilled us all was watching 

a mum elephant standing patiently 

in the water while a male teenager tried 

coaxing a baby across a shallow part 

of the river. This fussy little thing just 

would not budge, over and over again 

the brother used his trunk to gentle him 

forward. Perhaps there was a language 

going on there but the mum came back 

and allowed him to have a good suckle 

of milk after which he tossed his little 

trunk around in the water, drank some 

and then with another nudge from his 

brother, was ready to move forward. All 

three river boats cheered as the baby 

swaying his little trunk around followed 

mum across the shallow waters with 

brother behind. 

I picked up 13 lifers, with the grand total 

of 224 birds seen. All the above information 

was reported to us by experienced 

birders, while I, with binoculars in hand, 

pen and paper in the other furiously 

made notes. 


Mass Bird Fatality in Vanderbijlpark, 

Gauteng 

Dane Paijmans, SAFRING - safring@adu.org.za 

THE 

SOUTH 

AFRICAN 

BIRD 

RINGING 

UNIT 

With the heavy storms occurring 

throughout South Africa, we have received 

some interesting ring recoveries 

and resightings from the public. Some 

have been more disturbing than others, 

and one such report came from Citizen 

Scientist, Gert Voges, from Vanderbijlpark, 

Gauteng. After a particularly heavy 

rainstorm on November 12, 2016 we 

received the recovery of a Red-headed 

Finch (ring number: FB09672; see 

http://safring.adu.org.za/ring_info. 

php?ring=FB09672). What was disturbing 

about this recovery was not only 

the mysterious cause of this individual’s 

death, but also the fact that another 45 

birds were found dead in the same yard 

(35 Red-headed Finches, 5 Laughing 

Doves, 2 Cape Turtle Doves, 1 Karoo 

Thrush, 1 Crested Barbet and 1 Speckled 

Pigeon). Some of the birds can be seen 

in the photo, but a cause could not be 

confirmed as the Dachshunds of the 

reporters discovered the bodies first. 

From the details given the deaths do 

appear to be storm-related. The birds 


were scattered throughout the yard, 

with additional birds being found in a 

neighbour’s yard. They were all in close 

proximity to a large cork tree that had 

being used by many species for nesting. 

Although Gert noted no hail had fallen 

that night and lightning hadn’t struck 

the tree, there had been very strong 

winds (which damaged many trees in the 

neighbourhood) and a short but heavy 

downpour. This wind and rain may have 

caused the deaths and if hail had fallen 

while the birds were sheltering in the tree 

they may have been killed on impact by 

larger stones. Similar mass deaths are 

documented where flocks of birds are 

drawn up into the atmosphere by strong 

winds and as a result of exhaustion and 

turbulence may die. The focus of these 

bodies around the tree and the mix of 

species imply something more directed 

was likely the cause. As all these species 

are seed eaters there is also the possibility 

of poisoning, but as the storm had 

just occurred, it would be too much of a 

coincidence. 

Many mass bird death reports are documented 

throughout the world. These 

reports range from tens, to thousands of 

bodies being discovered, with numerous 

causes (such as starvation, disease, 

weather, toxins, collisions and in some 

cases no cause can be identified). Within 

our database, only a few records can be 

found as SAFRING reports focus on the 

ringed individual and usually ignore other 

birds found at the scene.

One such report involved 200 dead 

Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) at the 

mouth of Kleinriviersvlei, Hermanus, 

Western Cape in 2016. Only 6 of the birds 

were ringed and no confirmed cause 

was found, although it is believed that 

something made the birds so sick (possibly 

Red Tide) that they were all unable 

to flee a predator/s that later killed them. 

A similar report was made where 40 to 

50 Cape Gannets washed up along the 

same beach in 2013 with one ringed 

individual (ring: 9A61969). Similar reports 

are most welcome (even where ringed 

birds are not present) as we will direct 

the queries to conservation groups in 

the area, that are sure to be interested in 

identifying the causes. 

We at SAFRING really appreciate all the 

effort of ringers and the general public 

(the latter in reporting recoveries) and 

would like to thank everyone that has 

taken part in ringing and resighting in 

Southern Africa. If you have any unreported 

resightings/recoveries please 

contact us at SAFRING with the details. 

Mass bird fatality - Photo by Gert Voges 


Cruising on the Queen Mary 2 

Text & photos by Anthony Cavanagh 

Launched in 2004, the Queen Mary 2 is the 

flagship of the Cunard Line, which has a 

proud maritime history dating back over a 

hundred years. The ship was named Queen 

Mary 2 (QM2) by Queen Elizabeth II and 

named after the 1936 namesake ship Queen 

Mary, which in turn was named after Mary of 

Teck the consort of King George V. 

Estate, now living in Singapore, and who had 

very kindly offered to show us some of the 

local sights. Nadine duly arrived at our hotel 

and guided us around this fascinating and 

very cosmopolitan city showing us Little 

India, Chinatown and Arab Street areas as 

well as the bustling and very modern waterfront, 

popular with the young set with 

Entrance to the Lobby of QM2 

In April Sue and I flew to Singapore where 

we were due to board the QM2 for the 

Singapore to Dubai leg of its 2016 world 

voyage. Having a free day in Singapore prior 

to boarding, we had made arrangements 

to meet up with Nadine Benger, a former 

member of Sue’s walking group on the 

its many bars and restaurants. We travelled 

around on the buses, which are so similar to 

the London buses, and also on the extremely 

clean and very efficient air-conditioned 

underground rail system. 


Since leaving the Malayan 

Federation in 1965 Singapore 

has grown exponentially into 

an Asian economic tiger, 

which is reflected in the 

modern tall buildings, the 

rapid transit system as well 

as the busy harbour and 

Sentosa Island, a popular 

tourist spot connected to 

the main island by cable car. 

Singapore is a fine place to 

visit and many a tee-shirt 

has this slogan along with 

“fine” examples including 

jaywalking, spitting, chewing 

gum, littering and smoking 

in public. Consequently, the 

city is very orderly, very tidy 

and very safe. Nadine and 

Sean graciously invited us 

to dinner at their apartment 

where we spent a good few 

hours while sampling the 

local beers and partaking of 

a number of good wines. 

Britannia Restaurant 

The next day we took a taxi 

from our hotel to the cruise 

centre where we had our first 

sighting of the QM2 moored 

in the harbour. At the time of 

construction, the QM2 was 

the longest passenger ship 

ever built and with a gross Poling along the Kerala backwaters 

tonnage of 150,000 also the 

largest. After the customs formalities were completed we joined some 1300 other new passengers 

and boarded the vessel and were escorted to our stateroom (cabin on most other 

ships), which was on the starboard side of deck six. Our stateroom was spacious and very 

comfortable with furniture and fittings in keeping with the overall elegance of the ship and 

the private balcony was perfect for having a sundowner and watching the ocean drift by. After 

perusing the handy fold up layout of the ship, we decided to look around and see some 

of the facilities on board which included fifteen restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a 

casino, ballroom, theatre and the first planetarium at sea. We then dressed for dinner, which 

was informal that evening meaning that, although for gentlemen jackets were obligatory, 

ties were optional while ladies could wear a cocktail dress or stylish separates. The Britannia 


estaurant, the main dining room was in the 

centre of the ship on decks two and three 

and stretched from the port side to the starboard 

side of the vessel giving commanding 

all round sea views. At our designated table 

we met our dining companions, two couples 

from England one of which had boarded at 

Bangkok and the other at Singapore. 

The three-course dinners were superb 

although wines (not included in the tariff) 

tended to be expensive for South Africans 

with the least expensive wine being USD30 

per bottle, and the average price being 

around USD60 per bottle. 

After leaving Singapore the QM2 sailed to 

Port Kelang in Malaysia, which is the port 

serving the capital city Kuala Lumpur 41 

km inland. We had booked a tour of Kuala 

Lumpur and boarded one of the numerous 

coaches parked at the quayside. Our very 

informative tour guide gave us a history of 

Malaysia as we drove through to the city 

centre, stopping at the Merdeka Square 

where, on 31 August 1957, the Union Flag 

was lowered and the Malaysian flag was 

raised. The surrounding buildings in this area 

are fine examples of Edwardian architecture 

and the elite Selangor Club, in replica 

Tudor style cladding, was in colonial times 

a venue for cricket and rugby matches. The 

highlight of our tour around Kuala Lumpur 

was our visit to the Petronas Towers, one 

of the world’s tallest buildings. Our guide 

informed us that the Koreans built one tower 

and the Japanese built the other- with the 

Korean tower being completed just three 

days before the Japanese built tower was 

completed. We took a lift to the observation 

deck on the 86th floor and looked down 

over the many high-rise buildings in this 

very modern city. 


The QM2 sailed overnight 

to Langkawi, an island in the 

northern part of Malaysia 

and the country’s leading 

holiday destination. Sue and 

I had chosen to see some of 

the island’s wildlife and while 

waiting for the motor launch 

to take us up river, we noted 

mudskippers on the mud 

flats and Scaly-breasted Munias 

in the surrounding trees. 

The launch took us to the 

Kilim Geoforest Park where 

our first stop was to see the Brahminy Kite, Langkawi 

local bat species in a 

series of caves. The mangrove forests in the vicinity of 

the caves are home to Long-tailed Macaques and a 

number of these inquisitive primates approached close 

to the tourists, allowing some memorable photos to be 

taken. Our launch then took us further up the river to 

an area where Brahminy Kites by the dozen swooped 

low over the river accompanied by the occasional 

White-bellied Sea Eagle. Our final destination was to a 

fish farm situated close to the mouth of the river where 

we were shown some of the local fish species. 

The QM2 set sail later that evening and headed across 

the Bay of Bengal, the largest bay in the world our captain 

advised us in his daily midday communiqué. 

The next two days were sea 

days and dinner on the first 

of these was our first formal 

dinner evening where gents 

were expected to wear a 

dinner jacket, tuxedo or dark 

suit with tie and ladies wore 

evening or cocktail dress. It 

was also the evening when 

the captain welcomed 

guests who had boarded at 

Singapore. At this function, 

the captain introduced key 

members of his crew and 

also gave some statistics of 

the nationalities of the 2000 Re-boarding at Cochin, India 

Long-tailed Macaque, Langkawi 


ird sightings included White Pelican and 

Black-hooded Oriole, as well as the very 

familiar House Crow, House Sparrow and 

Common Myna. 

HMS Defender 

passengers on board. Over half were British, 

with South Africans well represented at 190. 

Over 300 passengers were participating in 

the 120 day round the world voyage from 

and back to Southampton, and this particular 

day was the 81st day of the QM2’s 

circumnavigation of the globe. 

Each evening there was a show at the 

theatre, with the ship’s resident band supporting 

singers and dancers, while other 

acts included comedians, magicians and 

jugglers. A daily events programme was left 

in one’s stateroom each evening advising 

passengers of the following day’s events 

as well as time changes, the ship’s position, 

and the operating times of the many pubs 

and restaurants. We watched “Passport to 

the Universe” narrated by Tom Hanks at the 

planetarium where the seats recline so that 

one can watch the display projected onto 

the hemisphere shaped screen directly 

above the seats. Sue made regular use of 

the gym while I was happy to jog a few laps 

of the open 7th deck where each lap was 

approx 600mtr. The ship’s well-stocked 

library was at the bow of the ship on deck 8 

and gave readers and browsers a panoramic 

view of the clear blue ocean ahead. There 

were also daily lectures in the auditorium 

given by experts in their field. 

Colombo in Sri Lanka was hot and humid as 

expected and after a short bus tour of the 

city we headed back to the ship. Interesting 

After another day at sea, the QM2 arrived at 

the port of Cochin in the state of Kerala in 

southwestern India. On the quayside there 

were a number of local tour operators and 

we joined two other S.A. couples and an 

Australian couple on a tour of the backwaters 

of Kerala. Travelling by car in India is not 

for the fainthearted and our driver overtook 

tuk-tuks and other slow moving vehicles 

in the face of oncoming traffic which we 

missed by a hairsbreadth every time. After 

an hour we reached the river where we 

boarded a local punt that had obviously 

seen much service and sat in cane chairs 

with a wickerwork cover overhead, offering 

some protection from the hot sun. 

Two rather elderly local gentlemen poled 

the craft slowly along the still waterways 

that had dense tropical vegetation on either 

side. People living on the banks of the waterways 

looked desperately poor and their 

livestock were not in the best condition. Bird 

life was quite varied and we saw Blue-tailed 

Bee-eater, Indian Cormorant, Indian Pond 

Heron, White-throated Kingfisher, Racket-tailed 

Drongo and Brahminy Kite among 

others. We stopped at one of the villages 

where coir making was the main activity and 

also sampled some rather spicy homemade 

vegetable crisps that were delicious and we 

all bought a few packets each. What really 

impressed us was that these people lived in 

very modest houses and didn’t have many 

possessions, but they always had a smile 

and seemed content with their lives. 

Back on board the next day, the captain 

announced at his midday communiqué that 

we were now sailing across the Arabian Sea, 

which was a known pirate operating area. 

Consequently, there was to be a drill later 


given a warm round of applause by the 

passengers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner 

throughout the voyage were superb and 

the crew went the extra mile to oblige the 

passengers. We exchanged email addresses 

with our dining companions all of whom 

were disembarking in Dubai and said our 

farewells. 

The amazing twisted building, Dubai marina 

that day where, when the alarm sounded, 

all passengers had to stand outside their 

staterooms until the all clear was sounded. 

Also, the open 7th deck (the running track) 

was to be closed off from 6pm to 6am. The 

ship’s speed was increased to 18 knots as 

pirates had great difficulty boarding a fast 

moving ship. We also noticed later that 

water cannons were set up on deck 7 to 

repel any would-be pirates. On our second 

day sailing through the Arabian Sea, we had 

a visit from a Royal Navy destroyer, HMS 

Defender, which came very close and gave 

us a display of its speed circling round the 

QM2 with ease. The helicopter took off from 

the deck of the destroyer and flew off a few 

miles before landing effortlessly back on the 

landing pad. 

Alas, the end of our cruise approached and 

at our final dinner all the chefs paraded 

through the Britannia restaurant and were 

We left the QM2 the next morning with just 

a tinge of sadness and, as our taxi drove out 

of the harbour area, we looked back fondly 

at this magnificent ship on which we had 

spent the past eleven days. We then had 

two full days in Dubai and visited the old 

city by the creek, the very modern marina, 

the Dubai Mall with its ice rink and aquarium 

tunnel, the Atlantis complex on Palm Island, 

and also the flamingos at the Ras-al-Koor 

bird hide. 

Cruising on the Queen Mary 2 was a 

wonderful experience. We met lots of 

interesting people from all over the world, 

visited some exotic places, experienced 

different cultures, enjoyed fine dining, and 

all from the comfort and elegance of one of 

the finest vessels that ever sailed the seven 

seas. 

Dubai marina 


Two Septuagenarian Twitchers 

Text & photos by Jim McLuskie 

September 2016. I have just finished a birding 

trip with my friend of more than 40 years 

and birding buddy, Laurence Fenn. The area 

we went to was a roughly triangular area 

from Upington in the western central, to Port 

Nolloth in the northwest and Calvinia in the 

south. We had seven target species in mind; 

some were lifers for Laurence and some for 

me. 

We left Jo’burg at 0600 on a Monday and 

completed the 1000 km journey through 

Upington to Pofadder (Afrikaans for puffadder, 

a very venomous snake), we made 

good progress, stopping only when we saw 

a Temminck’s Courser and for a sandwich. 

Arrived at 1700, very content, only to be told 

by a fellow parker that our back left tyre was 

flat! Laurence took off for the garage where 

the tyre repair part was already closed. However, 

the owner arrived at that moment and 

reopened the repair shop. 

We left early next morning in good shape, 

heading north for the Orange River at Onseepkans. 

Our target birds were Red Lark 

and Sclater’s Lark. We saw neither but lots 

of other nice birds. We retreated to Pofadder 

and struck out southwest towards the red 

dunes at Koa, the best place in the world to 

see Red Larks. Unfortunately, the Red Larks 

had not read the same book! So we reached 

Springbok, late, tired and larkless. We stayed 

3 nights on a very comfortable guest farm. 

Wednesday morning, after a great breakfast, 

we started down through the hills towards 

Port Nolloth, the targets being Karoo Lark 

and Barlow’s Lark. The guide says: start 

looking 5 km from the port, at the start of 

the coastal plain. So we did and it was not 

long before we saw several Karoo Larks. One 

down and six to go. We then moved to an 

Barlow’s Lark 

area just north of Port Nolloth, adjacent to 

the sea. It was an area where I had previously 

seen Barlow’s Lark. After several hours of 

traipsing up and down, we were on a track 

back to exit the area when we saw one! It 

was a great view and I even got some photos 

(not National Geographic standard but recognisable 

at least). After fish and chips in the 

port and a look at the De Beers ship facilities 

there, we returned in leisurely fashion to 

Springbok. Two down and five to go! 

The guest farm was very comfortable and 

did an excellent breakfast, so the next day 

we were early at the entrance to a local 

reserve (Goegap) that is well known for its 

wildflowers. Though the season had passed 

a week earlier, there were still some lovely 

examples to be seen: gold, yellow, purple, 

white and red clumps. After a briefing by an 

enthusiastic reserve manager, we set off on 

a 4x4 trail. At each good area indicated, dry 

river bed with reeds, we hunted the elusive 

Karoo Eremomela. I used my phone birding 

app calls with a blue tooth loudspeaker and 

we walked and called, listened and walked, 

walked and called and listened again! At site 

number 4, I was walking along the high bank 

of a dry ravine calling and listening. 


Rock Kestrel 

I was standing still listening when, suddenly, 

a small bird came and landed on a bush 

only two metres in front of me! I called to 

Laurence and he came to see his first Karoo 

Eremomela. We then watched the female arrive 

and the male proceeded to move around 

his territory singing at the corner points from 

atop a bush. It was a wonderful sight and a 

great experience. 

Friday morning saw us leave the guest house 

for Calvinia, via the desert route away from 

the tarred roads. We headed straight for 

Aardvark Kloof (antbear ravine) where the 

Cinnamon- breasted Warbler was supposed 

to be. Its preferred habitat is boulder strewn 

hillslopes with sparse vegetation. So we 

parked and commenced walking with me 

playing the calls intermittently. After about 

2 hours we had heard no response when 

a small dark bird flew in front of us and 

disappeared among some large boulders. It 

made no sound. After waiting a while I heard 

a high-pitched slow whistle. I had not heard 

that call before and although not part of the 

call I had been playing, it was reminiscent of 

it. Some minutes later I heard the same call 

high up to my left on top of a cliff. I called 

to Laurence to come and tell what bird is it, 

hoping it was the one. He arrived, said yes, 

and despatched me for my telescope. The 

scope, when set up showed the little warbler 

in all its glory, singing its heart out from the 

top of a 50-metre cliff! 

The day ended with a second puncture but 

even that could not detract from the 4 down, 

3 to go! 

Saturday was a hard day. We spent hours 

combing the veld on the way to and around 

Brandvlei, some 150 km north of Calvinia. 

Lots of walking and calling but no luck with 

two main targets: Sclater’s Lark and Red 

Lark. On Sunday we left before sun-up and 

without breakfast to bird the same area 

earlier as on Saturday At 11h00 we had our 

third puncture! Having changed wheels we 

returned to Brandvlei to get the tyre fixed. 

Lo-and-behold, on the way back we had 

a great view of a Red Lark. The day ended 

without the tyre being fixed [on a Sunday?] 

but 5 down and 2 to go! 

The guest house we stayed was very 

comfortable and great value for money. On 

Monday we left as soon as the tyre was fixed, 

at about 8 o-clock. Since we had birded the 

area around Brandvlei and between there 

and Calvinia, we quickly went until we were 

north of Brandvlei, on the way to Kenhardt. At 

every farm wind pump that was working and 

had water, we stopped but no luck. 

Eventually, we turned east off the tarred road 

a bit south of Kenhardt. Same story: stop at 

likely habitat, call, and watch. After about 20 

Sociable Weaver’s nest 


km of this, it was 11h00 and we resolved to 

turn back at 11h30. At 11h15 we spotted another 

little bird on the fence top, white outer 

tail, streaked breast, upside-down bill. It flew 

nearer to us and perched so that Laurence 

could see the “teardrop”; Sclater’s lark at 

last! We watched its mate arrive and the two 

began to feed on a bit of stony plain. I went to 

look for a nest but no luck. Still, 6 out of 7 on 

our last day! 

The missing species, Black-eared Sparrow-lark, 

is the easiest of all to identify so it 

will keep for another day. We had done the 

difficult ones, including 4 lark species so we 

were well pleased with our trip and arrived 

back in Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon, 

tired but content 

Common Swifts Fly 

For 10 Months Without A Break 

A new study has confirmed that Common 

Swifts can spend up to 10 months in the air 

without landing. 

The research, published in Current Biology, 

involved attaching tiny geolocators to swifts 

in southern Sweden. The tiny logging devices, 

weighing just a matter of grams, are part 

of a revolution in miniature electronics that 

are enabling scientists to track smaller and 

smaller birds. 

The loggers include an accelerometer, to record 

movement, and a light sensor. Given the 

duration of the day and night and the time 

of year, scientists can determine the north/ 

south position. Noting when the sun is at the 

midday position gives an east/west location. 

In 2014 and 2015, the team recaptured 19 

swifts carrying these data loggers and found 

that, as expected, the birds were spending 

their winters in West Africa. 

Dr Anders Hedenström, a biologist at the 

University of Lund, and his team reported 

that three of the 19 birds never rested. Some 

did rest occasionally at night for brief periods, 

but the data loggers showed that all the birds 

stayed in the air for over 99 per cent of the 

time when they weren’t nesting. 

The data confirms what has long been predicted 

— that the birds stayed aloft when not 

nesting. It also endorses the use of geolocators 

as an invaluable tool for monitoring birds’ 

movements — to put it into context, around 

50,000 Common Swifts have been ringed in 

Sweden over the past century, but only one 

ringed individual had ever been recovered 

south of the Sahara. 

The recordings also showed that long ascents 

by swifts, observed during the summer, 

happen throughout the year. During these 

ascents, often at twilight, the birds climb up 

to almost three kilometres in altitude. 

Dr Hedenström speculated that the birds 

may ascend to such heights to sleep safely. 

How birds cope with the need to sleep 

remains a mystery. A recent study showed 

that frigatebirds can sleep on the wing, albeit 

for much shorter periods than they do when 

on land. Currently the recording devices that 

observe brain activity weigh too much to fit to 

swifts, but this may well change in the future. 


The new study confirms the suspicions that Common Swifts can spend up to 10 months in the air 

without landing (Photo: Mike Trew) 

“I can get by on just 2 hours of sleep every day, as long as I nap for 14 hours.” 


Birds’ Beaks Act As Air Conditioners 

Birds’ beaks come in an incredible range of 

shapes and sizes, adapted for survival in environments 

around the world. But, as a new 

study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances 

reveals, there’s even more to bird beaks than 

meets the eye — the insides of birds’ bills are 

filled with complex structures that help them 

meet the demands of hot climates. 

Nasal conchae are complex structures inside 

bird bills that moderate the temperature of 

air being inhaled and reclaim water from 

air being exhaled. Raymond Danner of the 

University of North Carolina Wilmington 

and his colleagues from Cornell University 

and the National Museum of Natural History 

used computed tomography (CT) scans to 

examine the conchae of two Song Sparrow 

subspecies — one that lives in warm, dry 

sand dunes and one that lives in moister habitats 

further inland. 

In this first comparison of conchae structure 

from birds living along a moisture gradient, 

the conchae of the dune-dwelling sparrows 

had a larger surface area and were situated 

farther out in the bill than those of their inland 

relatives, hypothetically increasing their 

beaks’ ability to cool air and recapture water. 

Danner and his colleagues used Song 

Sparrow specimens that were collected in 

Delaware and the District of Columbia and 

preserved in ethanol and iodine to help soft 

tissues show up in scans. The contrast-enhanced 

CT scans they used to visualize the 

insides of the sparrows’ bills is a relatively 

new technique that is letting researchers see 

the details of these soft, cartilaginous structures 

for the first time. 

“We had been studying the function of the 

bird bill as a heat radiator, with a focus on 

heat loss from the external surface and 

adaptation to local climates, when we began 

to wonder about the thermoregulatory processes 

that occur within the bill,” says Danner. 

“I remember the entire team assembled 

for the first time, huddled around a computer 

and looking in amazement at the first scans. 

The high resolution scans revealed many 

structures that we as experienced ornithologists 

had never seen or even imagined, and 

we were immediately struck by the beauty of 

the ornately structured anterior conchae and 

the neatly scrolled middle conchae.” 

“This study highlights the remarkable complexity 

of the rostral conchae in songbirds. 

This complexity has gone largely unnoticed 

due to the ways in which most birds are 

collected and preserved,” according to Jason 

Bourke, a researcher from the North Carolina 

Museum of Natural Sciences who was not 

involved in the research. “Thanks to the use 

of innovative techniques like diceCT, we are 

now able to really appreciate just how complicated 

bird noses are. 

3D rendering of the CT scans, showing internal 

structure of Song Sparrow’s beak 

(Photo: E Gulson-Castillo & E Sibbald). 


Rarities and Unusual Sightings 

Report: 15 November 2016 

Compiled by André Marx 

This period covers the onset of spring 

and early summer, the peak time for 

migrant arrivals. The usual haunts for 

waders such as Mkhombo Dam did 

not disappoint and several interesting 

records surfaced, with Roodeplaat Dam 

producing a few good birds as well. Bartailed 

Godwit is a notable and uncommon 

bird seen this year on passage to 

its wintering grounds on the coast. Two 

species that never feature in this report 

appear here for the first time; namely 

African Crowned Eagle and Bat Hawk, 

the latter a remarkable record from 

Delta Park in Johannesburg by Geoff 

Lockwood. Is this just a vagrant record 

as seems likely or could this species be 

colonising the province as the African 

Goshawk appears to be doing? Time will 

tell, and it is only through the continued 

efforts of keen-eyed local birders that we 

will know the answers. 

National Rarities/Nasionalerariteite 

Sandpiper, Green/Ruiter, Witgat- 

One bird was once again located at Rietvlei 

NR near Pretoria on 7 Oct 2016 (RW) 

and was still present on 20 Nov 2016. 

This is likely to be the same returning 

individual that has been seen the past 

few seasons. 

Another bird was reported from Roodeplaat 

Dam, 22 Oct 2016 (BdT). 

One bird was seen along the Jukskei 

River in Waterfall Estate in Midrand, 12 

Nov 2016 (RS). 

Regional Rarities/Streeksrariteite 

Eagle, Crowned/Arend, Kroon- 

A single bird was photographed in the 

Wilge River valley in north-eastern 

Gauteng, a very unusual record for the 

province, 20 Aug 2016 (MJ). An excellent 

record of a species that has not been 

recorded with certainty in the region. 

Crowned Eagle - photo by Michael Johnson 

Godwit, Bar-tailed. Griet, Bandstert- 

Two birds were at Mkhombo Dam on 2 

Oct 2016, a very uncommon bird for the 

region (LJ). 

Two more birds were reported from the 

northern end of the Blesbokspruit at 

Marievale, 14 Oct 2016 (SM & RC), and 

at least one bird was still present 25 Oct 

2016. 

These are likely to be birds stopping over 

while passing on their way south to their 

coastal wintering grounds. 


Goshawk, African/Sperwer, Afrikaanse 

One bird was seen displaying over Fairland, 

Johannesburg, again on 5 Aug 2016 

(LR), with a further record in this area on 

25 Oct 2016 (LR). 

Another bird was seen at Delta Park, 

Johannesburg on 2 Sep 2016 (AR). 

This is still a very rare species in Gauteng 

and any records should be carefully 

documented and reported. 

Hawk, Bat. Valk/Vlermuis- 

One bird seen flying over Delta Park, Johannesburg 

was a surprise sighting on 13 

Sep 2016 (GL), and in the weeks following 

what was presumably the same bird 

was seen on two more occasions. This is 

not a species that has been confirmed as 

occurring in Gauteng with any certainty 

and so this represents a very important 

record. 

Openbill, African/Ooievaar, Oopbek- 

A single bird was at Mkhombo Dam, 19 

Nov 2016 (LvD). 

Plover, Caspian/Strandkiewiet, Asiatiese 

One bird was at Mkhombo Dam, 10 Oct 

2016 (CvW & MJ). 

Pratincole, Collared/Sprinkaanvoël, 

Rooivlerk- 

A solitary bird was observed at Mkhombo 

Dam, 16 Oct 2016 (IW). 

Sanderling/Strandloper, Drietoon- 

One bird was seen at Mkhombo Dam, 17 

Nov 2016 (MJ). 

Skimmer, African/Waterploeër 

A single bird was present at Vaalkop 

Dam, 1 Nov 2016 (SvdW). This is an uncommon 

vagrant, with birds turning up 

occasionally at large dams in the region. 

Vulture, Palm-nut/Aasvoël, Wit- 

An immature bird was observed at Vul- 

Pro, Hartbeespoort, on 18 Nov 2016 (KW). 

This is probably the same individual seen 

there a few months ago. 

Whimbrel, Common/Wulp, Klein- 

One bird was at Roodeplaat Dam NR, 14 

Oct 2016 (CvW, MJ). 

At least one bird was at Mkhombo Dam, 

16 Oct 2016 (IW) 

Common Whimbrel - photo by Michael 

Johnson 

Other Interesting Observations/Ander 

Interessants Waarnemings 

Eagle, Ayres’ Hawk. Arend, Kleinjag- 

One bird was observed in a garden in 

Rustenburg where it caught and consumed 

a racing pigeon, 17 Sep 2106 (GF). 

Greenbul, Yellow-bellied. Willie, Geel- 

bors- 

A sighting of one bird in a garden in 

Wonderboom in Pretoria in pentad 


2540_2810 on 20 Aug 2016; the record 

was also confirmed with an audio recording 

(MB). This is a very interesting find as 

this is not a species known from suburban 

gardens in the city. 

Ibis, Southern Bald/Ibis, Kalkoen- 

An interesting sighting for the Johannesburg 

area was the occurrence of one bird 

at Northern Farm on 27 Aug 2016 (J&CH). 

This is a new record for the immediate 

area and somewhat out of range for this 

species. 

Turnstone, Ruddy/Steenloper 

One bird was located at Roodeplaat Dam 

NR in pentad 2535_2820, 9 Oct 2016 (PV). 

A single bird was at Mkhombo Dam on 

16 Oct 2016 (IW), with more individuals 

reported in the following weeks at this 

locality. 

Ruddy Turnstone - photo by Duane Fischer 

Observers/ Waarnemers: 

Southern Bald Ibis - photo by Duane Fischer 

Owl, Southern White-faced/Uil, Witwang- 

One bird was found at the Sandton Field 

and Study Centre on 3 Sep 2016, at the 

same locality that it was seen at last year. 

(KT). Several birders reported this bird at 

this site in the weeks following and it is 

possible that it is the same bird returning 

to the site one year later. 

Pelican, Pink-backed/Pelikaan, Klein- 

A single bird was at Roodeplaat Dam NR, 

14 Oct 2016 (MJ). 

Plover, Grey/Strandkiewiet, Grys- 

At least one bird was at Mkhombo Dam, 

22 Oct 2016 (HW). 

Allan Ridley (AR) 

Ben du Toit (BdT) 

BirdLife Northern Gauteng members 

(BLNG) 

Corrie van Wyk (CvW) 

Geoff Finney (GF) 

Geoff Lockwood (GL) 

Hennie Welman (HW) 

Ian White (IW) 

John & Celia Human (J&CH) 

Kerri Wolter (KW) 

Kevin Trinder-Smith (KT) 

Lance Robinson (LR) 

Lisl van Deventer (LvD) 

Luke Johnson (LJ) 

Marna Buys (MB) 

Michael Johnson (MJ) 


Pieter Verster (PV) 

Rob Crosby (RC) 

Rolf Wiesler (RW) 

Ron Searle (RS) 

Sarel van der Westhuizen (SvdW) 

Stan Madden (SM) 

This column is mainly concerned with 

observations of rarities and interesting 

sightings made in the Greater Gauteng 

region, defined as being 100km from 

the centre of both Johannesburg and 

Pretoria, however, observations made 

further afield are also welcome. While 

the majority of records are included it is 

sometimes necessary to exclude some 

depending on whether the subject 

matter has already been well reported. 

Occasionally records are sourced from 

the Internet and from SABAP2 records. 

Members are invited to submit details 

of sightings to André Marx at e-mail: 

turaco@telkomsa.net or 083 4117674. 

Year-end braai at Delta Park 

Nearly fifty members of the Witwatersrand Bird Club enjoyed the year-end 

braai at Delta Park on Sunday 4th December. This annual social event was 

well attended by both East and West Rand Satellite members 

- photo by Lia Steen 


2016 Calendar Competition Entries 

Lappet-faced Vulture - photos by Mike Fullerton 

Spotted Eagle-owl - photos by Peter Chivers 

African Swamphen and juvenile - photos by 

Dave Bentley 

Pied Kingfisher - photos by Anton Schultz 

Southern Red-billed Hornbill - photos by Bev 

Carstens 

Black-winged Stilt - photos by Elise Bailie

Bokmakierie

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