Sidestepping Covid-19... Part 3 - Morocco

To date, the 2017 winter tour of Morocco is the last Rockjumper tour that I worked on as a Tour Leader (I co-led with Mark Beevers). Since then, I have remained firmly ensconced behind a desk - a mostly self-inflicted predicament. Poor Meg and Kai only got a vicarious look at this fascinating, culturally rich country that abounds with cool larks, the critical endangered Northern Bald Ibis and large flocks of various sandgrouse.

I spent a night pre-tour in the High Atlas enjoying the falling snow, only to come seriously close to getting stuck in Oukaimeden in my little rental and missing the start of the tour... As it happened, Mark and I spent 11 days hoovering up nearly every possible bird special, nailing stunning views of Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) and consuming a good deal of Tagine and Couscous.

Sorry my lovely ladies - I'll take you both to Morocco one day...

Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Merzouga, Morocco. 2017.

A high resolution version of this image is available on my Shutterstock page.

Sidestepping Covid-19... Part 2 - Paraguay

Having skipped Paraguay and the grand chaco traverse into Bolivia during my cycling tour of South America - I had always been very keen to head back and tick the 'other' landlocked country of the continent. A few weeks before setting off, I had become acquainted with Rockjumper's newest recruit (Meg). To say that Meg was a birding neophyte at the time would have been an understatement, but she entertained my bird focused ramblings - even though I neglected to consider the time zone differences. Chaco Owl kept me awake for a number of nights, with only the odd road side flushed sighting. After yet another night without much luck, I arrived at the lodge late with all the intention of some sleep - only to have that thought dashed with the distinctive sound of a Chaco Owl calling nearby. A very accommodating individual gave me prolonged views and numerous photo opportunities, something I was very keen to share with Meg - who had also waited up late to share in a vicarious sighting.

Chaco Owl. Filadelfia, Paraguay. 2014.

Sidestepping Covid-19... Part 1 - Hong Kong

I work in travel, specifically global birding. This profession requires a few things - people with a desire to see birds, a team of professionals to ensure good logistics, tour leaders to find the birds and show off the attributes of each destination and a team of agents, local guides and drivers. We're awfully good at doing all this, and yet we're all stuck at home because the one thing that allows for this global synergy - the capacity to travel freely, is nigh near locked down by the latest coronavirus epidemic. At the moment, Meg and I do nothing else but deal with the effect of COVID-19 on our company, our guests and our amazing team every day, sometimes we even consider the impact it may have on our own family, but mostly we cannot wait for global pandemic to dissipate quickly enough. Not only would we prefer the world not to suffer too much more, but we'd also like to regain the freedom that has been lost. Unlike many of our guests, friends and family, we don't have a holiday in jeopardy, our flights haven't been cancelled, our visa applications denied - nor are we suddenly going to jet off anywhere when this is done - but just knowing that it were possible is enough.

Thinking about this one thing for so many hours every day is draining, so we are making a conscious effort to ignore the 'news and updates', even if only for a few hours a day. Rather we shall reminisce about the great travels we have had - some to the remoter corners of the globe, some in our own neck of the woods. In so doing, we hope to create a few spaces for 'other stories' on our social media streams, aside from the continuous scroll of doom, gloom and make believe - we encourage you to do the same!

Today's image is from Hong Kong, China. I am quite keen on waders - they aren't on the same level as my two favourite birding families - Antpittas and Larks, but they share some of the same attractive features. They require patience, careful study, an understanding of habitat and lots of perseverance.

I've been trying to find Black-faced Spoonbill for quite a while now, but have never been to one of its core wintering sites on my trips through southeast Asia. With Meg and Kaily keen to maximise their flight mileage en route to India on our last trip - I was quite happy to divert via Hong Hong and give us the best chance of finding this scarce species. Indeed, aside from finally seeing this bogey bird, it was also my most recent lifer of 2020. 

Black-faced Spoonbill - Nam Sang Wai, Hong Kong. January 2020

A high resolution version of a similar image is available on my Shutterstock page.

Help us save the White-winged Flufftail

The Rockjumper staff are dedicating our year end function efforts to raise some cash for the Critically Endangered White-winged Flufftail. We have divvied ourselves into teams to add a competitive edge to the drive and hopefully raise a good amount of money for the Middelpunt Wetland Trust which plays a massive role in habitat awareness and education. Any donations to my crowdfunding setup would be most appreciated, alternatively, please do share this link widely!

Click here to donate to the White-winged Fufftail crowd fund

Established in 1994, the Middelpunt Wetland Trust has done exceptional and groundbreaking work on the critically endangered White-winged Flufftail. The trust’s main objective entails securing and rehabilitating the Middelpunt Wetland between Dullstroom and Belfast in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The very mysterious White-winged Flufftail’s highly fragmented habitat is severely threatened by continued destruction and it is therefore of utmost importance that their extremely commendable efforts to conserve these specific areas are well supported.

The Middelpunt Wetland Trust is also actively involved in monitoring, conservation and awareness programs in Ethiopia, the only known breeding area for this enigmatic species. The Trust has also decided to proceed with a captive breeding program, and discussions with the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria are far-advanced. Furthermore, a school has already been built for a community that adjoins one of the breeding sites in Ethiopia.

By enabling a wider circle of birders to be aware of the plight of the White-winged Flufftail and generating a greater sense of publicity of this secretive bird’s existence, the Middelpunt Wetlands Trust is playing a major role in its conservation.