BIRDING
I’m sat writing this in the garden of my parents house in the UK. I got stuck here due to the COVID-19 lockdown. But I’m not too sad about it. There are a lot worse times that I could be stuck in the UK. Summer is well on its way, the trees are blooming, plants are flowering and there are birds. Lots of them, for good reason. My parents have made a particular effort to create some sort of bird ‘food court’ in their garden. From where I am sat I can see 7 different bird feeders with many different kinds of feed to suit many different kinds of bird. There’s also bird houses and water baths. If I was a bird, I’d never leave.
While I sat down to write this, a bullfinch, in my opinion one of the most stunning British birds, came hopping past, feeding on the seeds on the ground. There are goldfinches, nuthatches, woodpeckers and baby bluetits demanding food from their overworked parents. These little creatures bring me and my family so much joy. There’s excitement every time the bullfinch arrives, coos of ‘how sweet’ when the baby bluetits line up for feeding time and gasps of awe when the resident sparrowhawk does a fly-by. They’re a glimpse into a wild world, right in our garden.
My birding beginnings
It took me a long time to get into birding. When I first trained to be a field guide I knew nothing….literally nothing, so birds were far down my list of things to learn. I had to start with the big things first. But once I’d figured out impalas and elephants, my brain opened up space for a few other little critters and birding filled the gap. I don’t make lists and have no idea what my ‘number’ is, but if I see a bird I will try to identify it so I can recognise it in the future. More than anything I just love watching birds. From a secretary bird trying to catch a snake in Etosha National Park, to a violet backed starling in the Makuleke Concession, all the way through to the little bullfinch hopping around in front of me right now.
Birding at home
Being passionate about wildlife and trying to spend as much time as possible out in nature to observe this wildlife is one of life’s great struggles. If I could, I would live the rest of my life in Kruger National Park and I would never get bored. But unfortunately, life gets in the way and we have to, you know, earn money and things. And I think it’s in these times away from the bush when birding really comes into its own. We won’t always be surrounded by spectacular mammals but there are very few places in the world that we aren’t surrounded by birds. Birding offers the opportunity to pursue your passion for wildlife, anywhere. Be it in your garden, on your way to work or on the weekend in local parks and wild spaces - top tip, the sewage works in Cape Town is one of the best spots for birding around. Everywhere you go there are species to identify and calls to match. Due to their lesser demand for resources than large mammals, birds will quite happily flock to a feeder if its got the right food in and there are many birds which already call towns and cities their home. You just have to keep an eye out for them. For example, I was sat on our balcony in Cape Town a couple of years ago when I hear a short, sharp call - those classic ones which only a raptor can make. I grab my binoculars and sure enough on the roof of the building over the road from our apartment I find a peregrine falcon!! Species like this have adapted so well to cities and are probably more common than you think. This bird brought us bush folks so much joy while living in a city.
Birding away
But birding doesn’t just have to be opportunistic. Birding can also form a key part of nature based tourism. In fact, it is extremely powerful for encouraging people to visit places which aren’t on your traditional ‘Big 5 tourist route’. In our most recent podcast episode, we spoke to Andrew de Blocq, Birdlife South Africa’s Avitourism Project Manager. He’s a keen birder and recounted stories of how a chance trip to Kruger National Park got him into birding and how his research showed the effect of boat based tourism on certain bird species in De Hoop Nature Reserve in South Africa. He highlighted the fact that there are many areas which don’t have the Big 5 or much megafauna, but they may have some spectacular bird sightings. Encouraging tourists and locals alike to search out and visit less well known protected areas has both socio-economic and ecological benefits. It offers an opportunity to teach a wide range of people about the ecological diversity of southern Africa and the power of entire ecosystem conservation. And as a result, income from nature based tourism is spread further afield than just the lowveld. But it’s not always as easy as heading to these places and seeing the species. Sometimes you need some help pointing your binoculars in the right direction. In cases like this, there is nothing more powerful than local knowledge. Birdlife’s community bird guides can open up otherwise easily missable worlds of birding across the whole of South Africa.
I fear that a great rift between humans and nature is being caused by urbanisation. I struggle with the concept of over developed cities where nature is not welcomed and is actively eradicated, separating people of all ages from the simplest wildlife interactions. So I believe that for those who live in cities, it’s more important than ever to search out species, welcome them into our worlds and embrace their presence for their ability to ignite a love for biodiversity and keep that flame burning when we can’t be surrounded by megafauna. For, if nothing else, birding might help you get outside, turn away from your tv and engage with nature. And through engaging with nature we can begin to develop a connection with it, which is the basis of all protection.