July 24, 2015: Cape Town, South Africa 鈥&苍产蝉辫;Adam Riley and I went 鈥渟hopping鈥 this morning for a few remaining birds near Pietermaritzburg, the names of which Adam had written on a scrap of paper like a grocery list. We tracked down a dozen more new sightings before the clock ran out, and I headed for the Durban airport and an afternoon flight to Cape Town.
This completes my 11 days in eastern South Africa, a productive stretch thanks to Adam and the Rockjumper tour. Besides birds, I also saw more than 50 species of mammals this week, including 25 lions, three leopards, four cheetahs, two aardvarks, and two wild dogs!
A local birder named Callan Cohen picked me up in Cape Town, and we headed straight for a friend鈥檚 house in a suburb. Mike and Jean Buckham welcomed us for dinner with two of their sons, Tommy and Adam, each keen birders. When I arrived, the neighbors, a guy named Bob and his wife and kids, were over for drinks; and later another birder named Dave dropped by. Adam handed me a wonderful handmade card that read:
鈥淒ear Noah, Birds are the best. I really have been excited for you to come and stay at our house. I hope you see a few of our special endemics like rockjumpers, both the rock-thrush, sugarbird, orange-breasted sunbird and siskin. I hope you get a beautiful sunset and sunrise. You should see a nice view of Cape Town鈥檚 treasure, Table Mountain. Good luck. Love Adam Buckham.鈥
The neighbors wandered back home before dinner, and, after they left, Jean said something like, 鈥溾nd the best part is that Noah doesn鈥檛 even know who Bob is!鈥 She explained that I鈥檇 just been chatting with Bobby Skinstad, a recently retired rugby player who, several years ago, was captain of the Springboks, South Africa鈥檚 national rugby team. Callan added that virtually every person in South Africa knows who Bob is鈥captaining the Springboks is like being God in this country. Of course, I had no idea. Jean thought this was deliciously funny. 鈥淲e told him this famous birder was coming, and he popped over for drinks,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 heard him tell his daughter to get a picture with you!鈥
New birds today: 12
Year list: 3,704
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