Wonderful Wakkerstroom and Banded Martins return.

A little positive news for all you. Today BirdLife South Africa with the superb expertise of Linda McClure from JASA, the Junior Achievement South Africa NGO launched the first day of the tourism entrepreneur training programme, helping to bridge the gap in basic business and entrepreneur skill development for our local bird guides. Guides from both the Southern KZN and Zululand Birding Routes travelled up to Wakkerstroom over the course of the weekend. From far afield as Bulwer and the famous Marutswa Board Walk with its well-established Cape Parrots to the famous Ongoye Forest team championing the Green Barbet and Zululand.

Their first day involved engaging pressing debates centred around responsible tourism, bird conservation and community issues such as traditional medicinal harvesting. Quite a rich and interactive first day one might say. Our varied sessions were often interrupted by the antics of the foraging Bokmakierie’s around the training room, the diverting chatter of the Pied Starlings and the various birds that caught our interest as we delved into such key issues.

The guides popped off to research and do some ground work on what kind of tourism ventures are operating in the town for their business planning and market research activities as part of their programme. In order to ensure they received a warm and hospitable reception we caught up with various business owners to prepare them for the visits by our learners tomorrow. It was lovely to see that both André and Kristi who manage the centre have been true ambassadors for BirdLife South Africa and its centre. Townsfolk were friendly and engaging and it seems that old Wakkerstroom charm is still there and thriving.

We ended our afternoon with a wetland birding walk. As usual we were not disappointed. A pair of Grey-Crowned Crane flew in, calling ponderously before they landed delighting us with their proximity and their natural grace. A male Black-bellied Bustard joined the party declaring his availability far-and-wide with much gusto, with his little pop at the end of his call bringing much mirth and enjoyment. A juvenile Black Stork was grooming itself rather nonchalantly towards the Oude Stasie road and we had a terribly humourous view of a pair of Yellow Mongoose searching for nesting birds, only to be collectively pummelled by a flock of Pied Starlings who then promptly handed over their duties to a pair of very accurate Pied Kingfishers who seemed to be quite fearless and finally an African Marsh Harrier adult which the Yellow Mongooses seem to take rather more seriously. On recognising the more threatening harrier they literally turned tail, quickly raised their tails and put on some speed, which even a Cheetah might have been proud of and made as much distance as possible between them and the rather relaxed harrier. That was definitely a first for me in mammal-bird interactions.

On the migratory note, there are a few Barn Swallows lurking around, mainly skimming over the wetland in the late afternoon. Our biggest highlight though undoubtedly was seeing the arrival of a fairly large number of Banded Martins whose plumage was lustrously lit by the late afternoon sun as they flew directly westwards. It’s good to have them back and no doubts the migrants are coming in rapidly. Enjoy the late Spring all.