Parting shots Birds
SEABIRDS AND SEASICKNESS
Itried my best to stare at the horizon. The only problem was the horizon was moving up and down. I was trying to chew an apple, I had a patch behind my ear and an Avomine tablet in my stomach, and I was standing as far away from the engine’s diesel fumes as I could possibly get on the small boat.
But there was nothing I could do. Out came my breakfast. That’s the thing about seasickness: First you fear that you’re going to die, then you wish you would.
Eventually the ordeal subsided, and I was able to add a few ticks to my life list – my first albatross, petrel and skua. I had finally made a dent in the section of the field guide that I normally just paged past wistfully. I have braved many more pelagic birding trips since that initiation. The memory of seasickness is always in the back of my mind, but it’s trumped by the exhilaration of seeing such magnificent birds gliding effortlessly over the swells. My birthday present to myself when I turned 19 was a wandering albatross. I watched it from the helipad of the polar research vessel SA Agulhas. The moment the albatross’s 3 m wingspan (the widest of any bird) filled my vision, all thoughts of seasickness vanished. What makes open ocean birding so addictive is that only a handful of species are guaranteed. The list of possibles keeps your eyes glued to your binoculars despite long days of pitching, swaying and bobbing. The best option for a landlubber would be a day trip from Cape Town in winter. This is when birds that breed on sub-Antarctic islands occur in our waters. The skipper will try to intersect with the path of a fishing trawler. When the nets are raised, the sheer number of birds is mind-blowing. Telling pelagic birds apart is incredibly difficult, but expert guides are usually at hand to share some of their subtle ID insights.
Pelagic trips off the east coast are generally quieter, both in terms of numbers of birds and diversity. However, the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean do have their own suite of subtropical specials. In the Mozambique Channel, I’ve seen red-footed boobies pursue flying fish; I’ve lain on my back and enjoyed flocks of frigatebirds and tropicbirds soaring among the clouds; and I’ve watched hundreds of sooty terns flying around the ship’s lights at night.
Several companies offer oneday pelagic birding trips aboard small, speedy vessels. Typically, you depart just after dawn and return, smiling, in the mid-afternoon. At around R2 000 per person for the day, such a trip isn’t cheap. But if you divide that amount by the number of potential lifers, the value for money becomes obvious! Bear in mind that inclement weather might prompt the skipper to cancel the trip at short notice. If you’ve booked for a Saturday, keep Sunday open as an alternative option.
Here’s how it works: After you leave the shallows and the various gulls, terns and cormorants, the birding starts in earnest. Some birds are ship-followers and will hang around for hours – they might even approach within touching distance. Others are ship-avoiders, and you’ll have to be on the ball to get a good view. If things get quiet, the guide will start “chumming” – dropping the stinkiest, nastiest fish-oil concoctions into the water. Pelagic seabirds have an incredible sense of smell and will arrive to investigate within minutes. Along with the birds, there are usually other interesting marine creatures like whales, dolphins, sharks, sunfish and turtles to be seen. If you’ve also always paged past the seabird section in the bird guide, treat yourself to a pelagic trip. Day trips are offered by companies like Zest for Birds, Cape Town Pelagics, Birding Ecotours and Bustards Birding Tours. Occasional multi-day expeditions are organised by BirdLife South Africa. Do some googling!