Member's Achievements

Justin and Mark soon became valued members of the Lakes Bird Club, helping to lead outings and contributing write-ups to the Malachite newsletter. They have assisted with CWAC counts on Knysna Lagoon and CAR counts in the Uniondale area of the Little Karoo. When Tim Carr started organising pelagic trips from Knysna in December, they were there to help with ‘chumming’. On Birding Big Day, they joined Tim on the Ludwig’s Bustards team, which attained second place in the Western Cape with 212 species. During the recent hard lockdown, the club organised a challenge for members to record birds from their own properties and Mark and Justin took top places. They performed similarly well in the 2020 Garden Route and Klein Karoo 150-kilometre Challenge. On the club’s WhatsApp group, they are usually the first to identify unknown birds correctly.
In mid-December last year, while they were identifying waders at Voëlvlei, an ephemeral wetland south of Mossel Bay, two birds in particular stood out. The boys took photos and sent them to Trevor Hardaker for confirmation that they had discovered a pair of Buff-breasted Sandpipers. Trevor concurred with this mega find, only the 18th record of the species in southern Africa and the first time that two birds together had been recorded here. More than 100 birders came to twitch the sandpipers – a dream come true for the youngsters.
Mark also has a talent for writing poetry and has produced some birding shirts with a charming Cape Batis logo, drawn by him. Justin takes excellent photos and for Christmas 2020 produced two calendars, of which he sold nearly 200 copies. He used the proceeds to purchase his own Vortex binoculars. These are two youngsters whose enthusiastic interest in the natural world, especially birds, is matched only by their determination to pursue that interest.