Reflecting

Cape Parrot

Amur Falcon

This morning I am sitting at the swimming pool reflecting on some of the missed opportunities to be with the birds. At the water feature there is a Yellow-fronted Canary having an awesome time in the running water, who can blame it when the temperature is at 34 degrees Celsius. There is a Cape Turtle dove and dark-capped Bulbul drinking water and in the trees, waiting, are some Spectacled Weavers, Cape Whiteyes and Yellow throated Petronia. A pair of Amethyst Sunbirds is chasing each other around in the Hibiscus tree while a Greater Double-collared sunbird is busily stealing the nectar for which they are competing. Around me I can hear Neddicky, Red-eyed dove, Black Cuckoo and Black-headed Oriole enjoying the summer's day. Overhead a few Lesser-striped Swallow, Greater –striped swallow, Barn swallow and White-rumped Swift are doing aerobatics that would put any World War ll air dog-fight to shame. In the distance there are calls of Helmeted Guineafowl, Black-crowned Tchagra and a Laughing dove is mournfully calling from the tree above my head.

Of course when I went to senior school there was no longer time for me to cultivate my interest in birds, especially since there were many other exciting beings to follow around; darn puberty and all that accompanies that frustrating and confusing stage of one's life. After senior school, sadly, there were once again too many other exciting interests to pursue with friends and no time for 'wasting' on birds. I met George who had suffered Polio at a young age and had no use of his legs. We had a common interest in Classical music and I spent many Sunday mornings with him listening to concerts, operas and - just music. One day during conversation he mentioned that he would love to go camping. I did not need a second invitation and we immediately set about preparing for a camping weekend. The following weekend took us to a beautiful remote campsite about 2 hours drive from home. It had all one could ever wish for, most exciting were the amazing rock pool at the bottom of a waterfall and the abundance of birds. Yes, you have it right, I was in my element and we visited this campsite many more times. Sadly, it was soon discovered by others and became commercialized to the extent that all the charm was lost. It was just the catalyst I needed to renew my interest in birds and I spent hours looking for birds in the veld, bush and vleis while George made himself comfortable around the pool.

My parents moved to a farm in the Natal Midlands and while visiting them I became aware of the abundance of birdlife in the Drakensberg foothills. The neighbouring farm was a Catholic retreat for nuns and was entirely run by these most beautiful, gentle people. There, I found my very first 'bird book'. It was a 4^th Impression of the 1940 publication of "Roberts Birds of South Africa" printed in 1944 and when the nuns saw my interest in it, they insisted that I have it. Such were their giving natures. I spent many hours with this, highly treasured, book and started identifying the birds on the farm and the more I identified the more others I found. I decided that this could be a most interesting lifetime hobby, which could occupy many idle hours.