Autumn Atlassing

Winter is well on the way to catching up with us, and this is very evident when spending a bit of time bird-watching. Migration has begun in earnest, and migratory species numbers are steadily declining.

In my earlier birdwatching years, I have been aware of these birds leaving and arriving, but have never really focused on this. That is where SABAP2 has changed my view, as I am now constantly looking out for the moment these species pack their bags.

Most of the Barn Swallows have moved on, but a handful were still scouring the fields near my house (2525_2700) on Friday, 13 March. Black Cuckoo has still been calling, as well as Diedericks. The Willow Warblers have already started their journey, and haven't been seen for a few weeks in my area. A Spotted Flycatcher was still frantically busy this morning catching any insect that dared move in front of his beak, preparing for the long journey. Lesser Striped and Red-breasted Swallows have still been relatively common till this weekend, maybe the cold mornings made them make up their mind to move.

The Woodland Kingfisher's striking call was common in my garden up till mid January, and has been silent since then. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the call on 5th March while out with guests at the Predator Park not far from Sun City (2520_2710).

In an attempt to "map" the departure of birds, SABAP2 is running a project called LAMP, the Long Autumn Migration Project, running from 1 March 2009 to 31 May 2009. The idea is o go deep in pentads, as this will clearly show the departure of the migratory species. For more detailed info, visit the SABAP2 website and have a look.

Happy atlassing!

Pilanesberg Atlassing

Atlassing over Pilanesberg has been a bit slow in recent times, not surprising as everyone went back to work during January. Not to worry, weekends are still available to benefit from the great birding that is on offer as the seasons start changing.



For those following the coverage map, pentad 2510_2705 has finally turned BLUE, while 2515_2705 has joined the Sun City pentad (2520_2705) as RED. This now leaves only 3 pentads just short of turning BLUE.



For those visiting Pilanesberg soon, why not target some of the lesser known pentads, and lets see if we can get Pilanesberg thoroughly atlassed. If you are interested in the Pilanesberg map with the pentads overlaid, please contact me on stuartgroom@xsinet.co.za for a copy.