I would like to share some of my thought processes while atlassing with you. I was totally prepared for a pentad that would need lots of work to get a decent species count. And not much hope for any decent photos. It is after all the middle of winter with a freezing wind blowing. And mainly old maize lands as habitat. So sparrows, doves, mynas, pipits and larks were my main hope. Then as always, the unexpected. I hear a call like a raptor - a long drawn out sort of squeal. There are no trees in sight, only flat maize stubble. I look up and amazingly through my binoculars there are two raptors way overhead. But too far away to ID, perhaps Greater Kestrels. But what of the call? I listen some more and they are emanating from the mielie stronke...Moving closer I hear rustling in the field. I clap once and three birds fly into the air and away. Too small for Guinea fowl and too quiet for Swainsons Spur fowl. That only leaves Orange River Francolins around here but I am not sure. And I have never heard them making tht sound. So I try a call - sometimes they reply. But this time nothing so I dip on the ID. Driving 50 meters t the edge of the pentad, I turn around and start back. The road is covered in little francolins - Orange River! At last a good one for today. Then there is small patch of acacia thorn trees along a dry river bed. A Karoo Thrush, Chestnut-vented Titbabbler, Acacia Pied barbet and Cape Robin-chat get recorded. All of a sudden I am on 40 birds! One cannot stop at that - must hit 50 at least. But it is getting late, the kwaai red-head has been alone all Sunday afternoon and I know I am pushing the boundaries a bit here! Then I remember a small dam right at the opposite side of this pentad that sometimes holds water during winter. I rush off and there is some water. The little stream hat feeds it is dribbling, not running. But I get Red-knobbed Coot, Common Moorhen, Little Grebe and Lesser Swamp Warbler plus a few others. Now on 47. I try a Back Crake call and they call from deep in the reeds. Then along come two extremely under the weather workers from the farm. As they get to the bakkie, a Red-chested Flufftail calls from the opposite side of the road! I ask the workers please to leave, I need to try for a photo to prove the sighting to André Marx, who has just let me know how much he appreciates me taking photos for the ORFs I get:) And any birder will understand about trying to just see a Flufftail , not to mention a photograph. So of course the Flufftail runs out of the reeds just as the two inebriated workers reach the bakkie.....and flees back immediately. I manage to get rid of the two who are so impressed by the person magically calling birds from the reeds. Now I train the camera on the spot in the reeds where the Flufftail showed and wait, and wait, and wait. And it my ETA gets later and later. At last a movement and I offer up a small prayer of thanks for digital and click away. Now I have 49 species. But it is too late, time has overtaken me and I start rushing back. A Marsh Owl suddenly swoops over the dam and 50 is in the bag - but then I remember Dawie Kleynhans telling me years ago no decent atlasser will finish on a round figure. The other atlassers will think he made up sightings if one does not end an uneven number! Sherbet Dawie, what now?! Then relief – A Crested barbet calls in the far distance and there is number 51. So of the 51 species, four were new for the sixth card and the Flufftail was an ORF.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 18:28:21 +0000
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