Enjoy the video of about 30 minutes (watch below, hosted on the BDI youtube channel)! Read more below.
It is difficult to single out all the amazing bird ringing (bird banding) experiences over 3 decades of ringing. Nevertheless I have chosen some sites and also talk about some groups of birds and species that have provided wonderful experiences. Weaverbirds are my main passion but I have deliberately not spoken too much about weavers.
Outline of the talk
In this 30 minute talk, I start with Fynbos Estate, probably my favourite ringing site near Cape Town. Briefly I mention my favourite garden for ringing, tucked away in a Zululand forest. Then I showcase some of the seabirds of the Seychelles – a tropical ringing paradise with incredible endemic birds and seabirds. I have been on many ringing expeditions in various African countries, including two river expeditions (Orange River on the Namibian side, Zambesi River near Livingstone in Zambia). Catching raptors in mistnets is rare, but is a special treat every now and again. One of the more unusual catches in my nets was … watch the video to see! While ringing there may be a wide variety of challenges, and I mention sleepless nights while on a weekend camping trip on a diary farm. Finally, an invitation to join a Birds4Africa ringing trip!
