I've always been drawn to the concept of the 'Patagonia Picnic Table Effect (PPTE). In fact, you could say I'm an ardent believer. The concept thrills me. It appeals to my sense of wonder in the mystique of the natural world and the unusual events that can lead to the discovery of rare birds.
For those who need a refresher, PPTE is the term given to the phenomenon in which the discovery of a rare bird at a specific location results in the discovery of more rare birds at the same site, with a potential snowballing effect. The concept was named after an Arizona State Route 82 rest area where the phenomenon was first noted (confusingly, nowhere near Patagonia). There are countless examples of this across the world, including in our subregion. It's a concept that frequently comes up in birding circle conversations and it's always at the back of my mind when I head out on a twitch. Because, surely, it just makes sense. It simply must be real anecdotal or not, there are just too many excellent examples.
However, my good friend Matthew Orolowitz (a key protagonist in this tale, who also happens to be a scientist and is brilliant) is far from convinced. Apparently, the 'science' and 'statistics' behind it don't really work. Various studies have been conducted that showed no statistical differences in the likelihood of finding a rare bird (or even additional common species) when compared to baseline birding activities.
This story is from the March 2023 edition of African Birdlife.
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This story is from the March 2023 edition of African Birdlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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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.
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.
