Sure Travel Journey 5.4 Spring 2019 | Page 43

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(Left and above) If it’s pelagic birds you’re after, head to Cape Town then strike out south.
“
There was a
sudden stampede
towards the prow
of the boat as a
small feathery cloud
appeared ahead
“
into the Karoo, field guides and lists at the
ready. Nick reckoned he’d already spotted
about 2 000 of the world’s 9 702 known
bird species, and he was about to add some
southern ocean specials to his list.
On the boat that day were experts from
the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, linked to
the University of Cape Town. These chaps
could positively identify a Wilson’s storm
petrel at 500 metres or more, no problem.
They were there to ensure that the birders
didn’t confuse their shearwaters with their
skuas (imagination is a powerful thing)
but also to provide the expert knowledge
required by twitching tourists. This is
invaluable when surrounded by unknown
species; it’s not like one can pop back the
following day.
There was a sudden stampede towards
the prow of the boat as a small feathery
cloud appeared ahead, following a modest
fishing vessel. The twitchers were now
in full cry: “Shy albatross – pintado
petrel – Sabine’s gull – southern giant
petrel – sooty shearwater!” they carolled.
“Subantarctic skua – white-chinned
petrel – Arctic tern!” The birds themselves
skimmed nonchalantly overhead, bobbed
on the waves or gorged on fresh kingklip
ripped from the fishing lines by seals.
We floated there for an hour or two,
chugging in circles, birders spinning like
tops, absorbed in the hunt. At the far end
of the boat, a lone twitcher dropped his
binoculars and vomited quietly into the sea,
felled by seasickness. About 10 percent of
people succumb, poor things.
Watching the pelagics (and birders) was
far from the only entertainment available.
Seabird lives seemed as full of drama and
intrigue as a classic soapie. Did you know
that a solitary Australian gannet once found
its way to Malgas Island and had its wicked
way with the local Cape gannet girls? And
young wandering albatross wing their way
westward around the world for up to five
years after leaving the nest, only tempted
to set foot on dry (is)land again to breed.
The villains in this world are skuas, bulky
swaggering birds partial to smaller gulls and
terns if they can catch them; or the hefty
house mice on Gough Island, which attack
Tristan albatross chicks and eat them alive.
(Happier news: the mice are to be routed
in 2020 in a massive campaign that will
save up to two million seabird chicks a year
and allow populations to rebuild.) Seabirds
are also at risk from long-line fishing,
which drops kilometres of line with baited
hooks into the sea, all too easy to swallow.
Luckily, it’s easy to prevent these deaths
– all that’s needed is some inexpensive
equipment and the necessary legislation.
Tour operator Cape Town Pelagics, for one,
contributes part of its profits to various
efforts to save seabirds.
Much, much later that afternoon, the
twitchers rolled back on shore, satisfied that
they had laid eyes on some of the world’s
rarer birds; my list had just begun.
WITH SURE
Q TWITCHING
Local or abroad, Sure Travel can
customise any itinerary for your next
twitching adventure. Contact your
nearest Sure Travel agency or call 0861
47 48 49/visit www.suretravel.co.za.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 43