January 2024 Newsletter

Recommended avitourism service provider

Bosch Luys Kloof has joined BirdLife South Africa’s network of recommended accommodation establishments. At this private nature reserve, situated near Seweweekspoort on the cusp of the Little Karoo and Great Karoo, dramatic vistas of mountains, valleys and karooveld await you.

The reserve offers guided nature drives, hiking trails, 4×4 routes, mountain biking, star-gazing and, of course, plenty of opportunities for birding. The area around the lodge is particularly productive, as are the acacia thickets, and the Gamkapoort Dam on the eastern boundary. Some of the special sightings likely are Verreaux’s Eagle, Black-headed Canary, Fairy Flycatcher, Southern Tchagra, Layard’s Tit-babbler and, for the very lucky, even Cape Eagle-Owl.

Luxury accommodation options for couple, families and groups are available to suit various needs and budgets, and on a full-board or self-catering basis. Bosch Luys Kloof is child-friendly and can accommodate up to 36 guests.

Day visitors are not permitted into the lodge and reserve, although the main road through it is a servitude road and can be traversed by the general public. It is advised that you stay at least a few nights to make the most of the wonderful birding and Karoo experience on offer.

To make enquiries, please e-mail reservations@boschluyskloof.co.za. Remember to mention that you found Bosch Luys Kloof via the BirdLife South Africa newsletter, as newsletter subscribers who make a direct booking will enjoy a discounted rate. To read more about the reserve, head to the GoBirding accommodation page and the birding site page.

Romario’s New Year appeal for Mouse-Free Marion

Romario Valentine is a 12-year-old environmental campaigner from Durban who received BirdLife South Africa’s Owlet Award in 2022. Via BackaBuddy, he now aims to raise R50 000 to help the Mouse-Free Marion Project to eradicate the invasive house mice on Marion Island that are killing albatrosses. So far Romario has raised R44 746. Please help him to reach – or even exceed – his target by the end of January by donating at backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/romarios-seabirds-christmas-gift?

When making your donation, please click on ‘Fees Covered’ so that the Mouse-Free Marion Project will receive the full amount you have chosen.

Romario, the whole Mouse-Free Marion Project team and the island’s beleaguered albatrosses all thank you!

JOHN COOPER, NEWS CORRESPONDENT, MOUSE-FREE MARION PROJECT

A plethora of point counts

On Christmas Day, Eric Herrmann and I embarked on an ambitious birding quest: to see how many point counts can be done in one day. We chose the traverse through the Baviaanskloof as our route, and our objective was not only to conduct an intensive bird survey, contributing to BirdLife South Africa’s Point Counts project, but also to enjoy the day in nature. And we chose Christmas Day as it was forecast to be cool and cloudy, conditions in which the birds would be active for longer.

Before dawn at 04h30 our day of non-stop birding began. Armed with binoculars and BirdLasser, we dodged kudus and riverine rabbits as we raced to our start location deep in the kloof. Time was of the essence, so we multitasked: I navigated the rugged trails and we alternated between spotting, measuring distances and recording data.

Our methodology was systematic yet flexible. Conducting 10-minute point counts every one to two kilometres, we traversed the reserve’s diverse landscapes, occasionally adjusting our distance to bypass local rain showers. This rigorous schedule continued until 17h00.

The birding was good, with interesting species in all locations and the bird community changing as we crossed from one habitat to the next. The cloudy sky graced us with several Booted Eagles – one harassed by a pair of feisty Rock Kestrels – a majestic Verreaux’s Eagle and an African Harrier Hawk. A Black Cuckoo made a notable appearance, and a particular highlight was recording three honeyguide species.

As the day waned with 50 counts under the belt, we faced a new challenge: to reach the reserve gate by closing time at 18h00. Racing against the setting sun was a thrilling conclusion to our intensive survey. Our day concluded at the tranquil Komdomo campsite, where nature offered us a nocturnal encore: the calls of a Buff-spotted Flufftail and a Wood Owl, seeming like a reward for our day’s efforts.

Reflecting on our adventure, an intriguing question arises: what is the maximum number of point counts that can be achieved in a day? With 14 hours of daylight in high summer, dedicating 10 minutes per count and allowing two minutes for travel between locations, the theoretical maximum is 70 – an enticing challenge.

For those inspired by our adventure and eager to contribute to BirdLife South Africa’s point counts project, we welcome your enthusiasm and participation, so please reach out to Ernst Retief (ernst.retief@birdlife.org.za) or me (alan.lee@birdlife.org.za). The information collected will be used to calculate bird population estimates as part of our Red Listing project.

Thanks to AFRIT, Ekapa Minerals, Eskom, Italtile and Ceramics Foundation, who contribute funding for my involvement in this project.

DR ALAN LEE, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION PROGRAMME MANAGER

Conservation Conversations is back!

 The Conservation Conversations team has been hard at work lining up a fantastic series of talks for the fifth season of the webinar series. We will have speakers from around the world, including other BirdLife International partners, local university students and, of course, updates from BirdLife South Africa staff.

As has become tradition, we started the year with a talk on the Bird of the Year, which in 2024 is the Bateleur. Dr Rick Watson from the Peregrine Fund completed his PhD on Bateleurs in the Kruger National Park and has since worked on raptors around the world. He highlighted Bateleur behaviour and natural history, and lessons learnt from saving rare and Endangered species from Madagascar to Mongolia and Pakistan to Panama.

If you missed it, you can find Rick’s fantastic talk on YouTube here and please register for the next webinar on 6 February with Dr Kyle Lloyd, who will share an update on his work on wetland and White-winged Flufftail conservation.

Join us for another amazing year of Conservation Conversations webinars by registering today!

CHRISTINA HAGEN, CONSERVATION CONVERSATIONS CO-HOST

Birding by luxury train

Here’s something we don’t think you’ll have tried before: birding by train, and a luxury train at that. BirdLife South Africa is offering you this opportunity of a once-in-a-lifetime five-night exclusive birding safari by chartering a Rovos Rail train.

The train will leave Pretoria on Friday, 29 November 2024 and will visit Dullstroom, Mbombela (Nelspruit), Hoedspruit and Tzaneen, returning to Pretoria via Polokwane on Wednesday, 4 December. This will be a truly world-class travel experience combined with five mornings of exceptional birding.

The train will traverse some of South Africa’s most beautiful habitats, including the northern escarpment, which is undeniably the centre of bird diversity in the country. Dramatic changes in altitude and many different habitats contribute to the impressive assemblage of sought-after birds found here. This one-of-a-kind journey will take us through golden grassland, lush forest, mopane woodland and acacia thornveld as we search for the region’s most desired birds.

To book your place, please visit birdlife.org.za/support-us/events/ or contact me at 011 789 1122 or clare.neall@birdlife.org.za

CLARE NEALL, EVENTS MANAGER

It’s a sell-out!

Thank you to all those who purchased our 2024 Birds of Southern Africa calendar – they are all sold out! This year the calendar featured stunning entries to BirdLife South Africa’s first photographic competition and we are grateful to these photographers, as well as all those who entered their images in support of our important conservation work.

SHIREEN GOULD, MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

First big milestone for Secretarybird study

In December 2023, PhD student Wesley Gush fitted GPS trackers to two Secretarybird nestlings near Calvinia in the Northern Cape, with the assistance of former BirdLife South Africa researcher Dr Melissa Whitecross and Secretarybird Project funder Francois van der Merwe. These first two birds will play a pivotal role in Wesley’s study to investigate the impacts of a warming climate on Secretarybird breeding. The two youngsters were carefully taken from their nest, fitted with the units and safely returned. Once they start flying around, the data collected will help us understand how the birds move in a landscape that experiences extreme temperatures. A total of 10 tracking units will eventually be deployed as part of this study.

Do you know of any Secretarybird nests in your area? Please contact us at info@birdlife.org.za with any information.

CASSIE CARSTENS, SECRETARYBIRD PROJECT MANAGER

All things Bateleur…

Available at Shop for the Birds! at BirdLife South Africa’s head office, Isdell House in Gauteng, or online, merchandise featuring the Bateleur is now in stock. It includes the 2024 Checklist of Birds in South Africa, pin badges, T-shirts for adults and children, socks, fluffy toys and magnetic fridge notepads and car signs. Go to shop.birdlife.org.za to find out more, and remember, your purchase will support our work to protect this Endangered species.

A Conservation Officer for west coast estuaries

I was delighted to join BirdLife South Africa this month as the new West Coast Estuaries Conservation Officer. With a BSc (Hons) degree in zoology from Nelson Mandela University, I am currently completing my MSc on the ecology of the larval fishes of the Swartkops Estuary. Passionate about the natural environment and its conservation, I spend my spare time free-diving, spear-fishing and watching birds. As part of the Landscape Conservation Programme team and the Western Cape Estuaries Conservation Project, I will tackle conservation issues facing the Berg River and Verlorenvlei estuaries, with a specific focus on the restoration and safeguarding of sensitive estuarine habitats.

PHILIPP GRUNDLINGH, WEST COAST ESTUARIES CONSERVATION OFFICER

Call for Memorial Medal nominations

One of the highlights we look forward to this year is recognising deserving recipients of the Gill Memorial Medal and Austin Roberts Memorial Medal awards at the 2024 Annual General Meeting, which will take place in Durban on 18 May.

Please take note of the opportunity for BirdLife South Africa members to submit their nominations for these two prestigious awards. Nominations should be e-mailed to Dr Isabel Human at isabel.human@birdlife.org.za by no later than Friday, 23 February 2024. They should include a detailed motivation and a copy of the candidate’s CV.

For more information, please visit the web pages below or click on the images to open them in full screen.

Gill Memorial Medal: birdlife.org.za/who-we-are/awards/gill-memorial-medal-award

Austin Roberts Memorial Medal: birdlife.org.za/who-we-are/awards/austin-roberts-memorial-medal-award

Save the AGM date!

Please save the date for BirdLife South Africa’s 95th AGM, which will take place at 11h00 on Saturday, 18 May 2024 in Durban. Watch this space, as more details will follow soon.

Celebrate 40 years with BirdLife Wesvaal

BirdLife Wesvaal Bird Club has put together an exciting programme for celebrating its 40th anniversary at Elgro River Lodge from 21 to 24 March 2024. The line-up includes speakers, game drives and guided birding excursions along the Vaal River and in the Vredefort Dome.

The lodge, serving as the weekend’s hub and hosting all the activities, is offering weekend and day packages that provide a range of luxurious accommodation and delicious meals.

Situated along the Vaal River, a mere 25km from Potchefstroom and a convenient 173km from OR Tambo International Airport, this celebratory weekend presents an excellent opportunity for bird club members and other enthusiasts to observe some of the 253 bird species recorded in the area, according to SABAP2.

Highlight 21 to 24 March in your 2024 calendar and join BirdLife Wesvaal for an unforgettable experience. Browse the image to view the various packages and accommodation options, and for details about how to book.

PIETER LABUSCHAGNE, CHAIRPERSON, BIRDLIFE WESVAAL

Bird of the Year at Bateleur Lifestyle Estate

We always love hearing from BirdLife South Africa-affiliated bird clubs around the country, and this time was no different as BirdLife Lowveld and Bateleur Lifestyle Estate joined forces to celebrate (and share knowledge about) our 2024 Bird of the Year, the Bateleur. Don Williams, Chair of BirdLife Lowveld, and Francois Roux, Chair of Bateleur Lifestyle Estate Social Committee, sent us this report.

‘On behalf of the Bateleur Social Committee and members of BirdLife Lowveld, we thank BirdLife South Africa and BirdLife Lowveld for their support and contributions to a fantastic presentation on the Bird of the Year at the Bateleur Lifestyle Estate in Mbombela recently. We thank Shireen Gould, BirdLife South Africa’s Membership Programme Manager, for supplying a number of posters at short notice, which were displayed and then ‘fought for’ afterwards, as well as additional information about this species.

‘Almost 100 residents listened intently as our own resident, Zies van Zyl (also a member of BirdLife South Africa and BirdLife Lowveld), shared his knowledge about the Bird of the Year 2024, the Bateleur. Zies is a renowned wildlife photographer who focuses especially on birds and his talk was accompanied by many of his own stunning photos. He also spoke about BirdLife South Africa and its work, and then of the other raptor species that we are privileged to see and enjoy on our estate.

‘The evening concluded with a glass of wine and snacks as residents were able to chat or enquire about birding from our local birding experts. Finally, the residents left with a bookmark that included four of Zies’s photos and some were lucky to also take a Bird of the Year poster home.’

If your Bird Club has exciting recent news to share, please feel free to contact me at mpho.magidi@birdlife.org.za.

MPHO MAGIDI, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN