Alex van

by Rupert Watson, Struik Nature

R220 in bookstores

Rupert Watson grew up in England and qualified as a lawyer. But his love for birdlife, thanks to his father’s encouragement since his schooldays, soon made him look for work in Kenya. He has lived in East Africa for the last 40 years, where he has worked as a lawyer, mediator and naturalist.

This book is a celebration of Africa’s diverse birdlife, written by someone who humbly describes himself as an “enthusiastic amateur”. Watson relies on history (his research is excellent), science and personal experience. The book consists of short and detailed essays about 40 species of endemic birds, as well as birds that are quintessentially African.

From the common ostrich, guineafowl and hamerkop to rare species like the white-necked picathartes and Congo peacock, Watson’s informative and entertaining observations should appeal to a broad audience. Wildlife artist Peter Blackwell’s wonderful illustrations help bring the essays to life.

Watson’s description of a mousebird is delightful:

“There is nothing quite like a mousebird, and at the risk of anthropomorphising again, no birds give more of an impression of the sheer enjoyment of being what they are. They truly seem to get pleasure out of their activities, and most of all out of each other’s company.”

The final two chapters focus on conservation and a fascinating account of ornithology in Africa that will encourage further exploration. by Benguela

US$12 at benguela.bandcamp. com (also on streaming services)

This Cape Town instrumental trio has been my favourite band since

I first heard them in the late 1990s. Their new album clocks in at 76 minutes but it never labours. When you listen to it on repeat, time starts playing tricks on you. How long have you been driving? An hour? Three hours? Seven?

They surprise at every turn, changing gears from their go-to whale call to meandering soundscapes, to delicate drum patterns flicked at by stabs of sound that soon grow into a forest in full cry. Remember that time when you were four years old and you drank too much Oros at a party and watched an imaginary slow-motion laser sword fight for an hour before your mom rescued you from your reverie? That’s the Benguela beat: They provide the outlines, you colour in.