I enjoy identifying each species’ call as more and more join the growing cacophony. This is especially so in our ‘urban countryside’ gated community of Kyalami Estates, where it is still quiet enough to enjoy this daily symphony.
Gated communities or ‘lifestyle estates’ have seen significant growth in South Africa, especially in the major metropolitan areas. The thinking behind them is to strike the ideal balance between work and play. In recent years, many people have embraced the concept of ‘eco estates’ that provide access to natural spaces within their boundaries. Some offer equestrian activities, golf and nature trails, some have fishing dams and mountain bike trails.
Large wildlife estates, developed in areas rich in natural beauty to provide a sustainable lifestyle under the umbrella of nature conservation, are also becoming popular. Eco estates strive to embody a ‘green’ ethos and to reduce the impact on our natural resources. Many have energy-efficient homes that reduce the homeowners’ carbon footprint while developing around our environmental assets. Like any option, there are advantages and disadvantages, but for my family the advantages far outweigh the perceived drawbacks of estate living.
Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2023 de African Birdlife.
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Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2023 de African Birdlife.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS
Keith Barnes, co-author of the new Field Guide to Birds of Greater Southern Africa, chats about the long-neglected birding regions just north of the Kunene and Zambezi, getting back to watching birds and the vulture that changed his life.
footloose IN FYNBOS
The Walker Bay Diversity Trail is a leisurely hike with a multitude of flowers, feathers and flavours along the way.
Living forwards
How photographing birds helps me face adversity
CAPE crusade
The Cape Bird Club/City of Cape Town Birding Big Year Challenge
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.
flood impact on wetland birds
One of the features of a warming planet is increasingly erratic rainfall; years of drought followed by devastating floods. Fortunately, many waterbirds are pre-adapted to cope with such extremes, especially in southern Africa where they have evolved to exploit episodic rainfall events in semi-arid and arid regions. But how do waterbirds respond to floods in areas where rainfall - and access to water - is more predictable? Peter Ryan explores the consequences of recent floods on the birds of the Western Cape's Olifants River valley.
a star is born
It’s every producer’s dream to plan a wildlife television series and pick the right characters before filming.
