Off… On a Lark
My expert birding companion riffs the sky as we coast down a quiet country road. She identifies scores of birds but struggles to find all ten of her favourite Highveld birds. It’s no surprise Africa’s Secretarybird tops her list.
Dr Melissa Howes-Whitecross of BirdLife South Africa remains deeply entrenched in the study of Africa’s tallest raptor, but there are other birds to scratch off the list and, for now, her senses remain on high alert. Sometimes, she hears birds before spotting them.
“Did you hear that?” she asks, and jolts the bakkie to a sudden stop, raises binoculars and searches the landscape. Moments later, she spots one of two Red-winged Francolins (7 on checklist) calling back and forth. One stoops behind a
