10 Mar 2019: Whistling up a Bird

Warning – unsavoury content!! Not for the tweed and straw-hat birding brigade!

I have developed a new birding technique, genteelly called “whistling up a bird” as it sounds more esteemed than “peeing up a bird”. At my age, and with my bladder, every birding stop also becomes a peeing stop. Inevitably, when one’s hands are thus occupied with important things, the bird you are looking for will pop up, look at you in utter amazement, and then fly off before you can zip your fly.

I was struggling to find the Protea Canary in Kransvleipoort when nature called – I lie, it was more a situation where nature insisted. As I was aiming downwind – there is a certain skill involved – the offending bird appeared right in front of me. It was so impressed by what it saw that it forgot to fly away. I was so impressed by what I saw that I forgot to zip my fly.

Protea Canary, Kransvleipoort

Perhaps this new birding technique should be named “unzipping a bird”, but that opens the door for serious misinterpretation. Some female birding friends may even have significant concerns when birding with me. All I know is that this technique works. When all else fails – unzip! You, and everyone nearby, might just be amazed at what you see!