As birders, we often look for species such as the White-fronted Plover, African Black Oystercatcher and Kelp Gull when we visit the magnificent beaches along our coastline.
If we enjoy taking photographs during a beach holiday, the oystercatcher is often high on our hit-list. The problem is that we share the beaches with other people and with their dogs, which are often beloved family members. Many of us have experienced or encountered the conflict when these three elements – birds, people and dogs – come into too close contact. We have seen stressed birds, rampant dogs and seemingly oblivious or uncaring owners. Some people may even think such scenarios are not an issue and wonder what the fuss is about.
As discussed in this column in the March/April 2018 issue, the effect of disturbance by dogs on ground-nesting birds on beaches can be great. It can lead to high nest failure due to the eggs and chicks overheating or to increased predation as a result of the adults deserting their nests and leaving their eggs exposed and unattended more frequently than if they were not disturbed.
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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.
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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.
