Right now, all the garden birding “action” seems to be coming from Knysna/Plettenberg Bay after the disastrous fires. This must be at least partly due to Rozanne Fleet and her birding friends who are helping to feed wild birds in a food-deprived zone (and getting immense pleasure in the process). It made me want to write a blog about Knysna.
Contemplating the birds of the area, I believe that the most famous resident must be the Knysna Lourie. But for the sheer presence of the animal, my love is for the African (Black) Oystercatcher. For unknown reasons (has the name changed?) we always used to call it the Knysna Oystercatcher.
The real physical feature is the jet black plumage with that day-glo beak and eyes with pink legs. They stand out in their seaside environment, whether on sand or the rocks. And it is a devious bird; they are always trying to protect the nest/young by luring you away through their movements and squawking. When they are present on a beach you cannot keep your eyes off them. Watching them feed on shellfish in rocks is just as rewarding
And in a way it speaks to me of the fire recovery hopes in a different way; for quite a while these birds were on threatened lists, but in recent years they appear to have made a substantial recovery. We recently saw a large number of them in the Hermanus to Gansbaai region. The attached picture was taken in Walker Bay Nature Reserve – no more than 5m away from us!
