His canny observations and acute attention to bird behaviour have brought to light a wealth of insights into hitherto unknown courting, nesting and feeding activities. But it is his patience while wielding a camera that reflects his approach reminiscent of the old-school naturalists, who waited and waited for their ‘moment’ with birds. It’s an unhurried approach that these days is all too often disregarded. Here he shares some of his favourite images with us.
above A locally common resident and intra-African migrant, the Collared Pratincole is usually found at wetland margins and open areas near water. It breeds colonially and nesting pairs can number up to a hundred in an area. The eggs are laid in a shallow scrape and are cryptic, often closely matching the colour of the substrate.
right Large prey, such as small mammals and reptiles, will be needed to satisfy these three Black-headed Heron chicks and the adults will be kept busy from dawn till dusk provisioning their hungry offspring. This photograph was taken in mid-November at a heronry in Mpumalanga.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January/February 2023 من African Birdlife.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January/February 2023 من African Birdlife.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
footloose IN FYNBOS
The Walker Bay Diversity Trail is a leisurely hike with a multitude of flowers, feathers and flavours along the way.
water & WINGS
WATER IS LIFE. As wildlife photographer Greg du Toit knows better than most.
winter wanderer
as summer becomes a memory in the south, the skies are a little quieter as the migrants have returned to the warming north. But one bird endemic to the southern African region takes its own little winter journey.
when perfect isn't enough
Egg signatures and forgeries in the cuckoo-drongo arms race
Southern SIGHTINGS
The late summer period naturally started quietening down after the midsummer excitement, but there were still some classy rarities on offer for birders all over the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
prey for penguins
To stem the African Penguin's slide to extinction, government support for optimal no-take zones around South Africa's penguin colonies is critical.
agrochemicals and birds
By the year 2050, it is estimated that 171 million more hectares of agricultural land will be needed to feed a global population of 10 billion people.
arrivals and departures
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is committed to ensuring that breeding seabirds can return to a predator-free Marion Island.
MIDRAND marvel
Gauteng birders don't need to travel far to get their feathery fix. Midway between Johannesburg and Pretoria, Glen Austin Pan has become a favourite patch for this returnee expat.
a journey through the mysteries of moult
As a bird researcher in South Africa’s botanically diverse fynbos biome, I have come to regard bird ringing as part of my journey to understanding moult.
