12 Apr 2019: Voyeurism at its best - Birding with a Leg-man

I have high regard for a man who appreciates a fine leg. A well-shaped leg, with or without rings being worn, remains a thing of beauty. Swakopmund birder, Mark Boorman, is a leg connoisseur! He spends an inordinate amount of time looking at legs, and becomes overly excited if the bird he is checking out does wear a ring.

I contacted Mark at very short notice and asked him if he could show me the Walvis Bay/Swakopmund specials. The very next morning found Mark and myself inspecting the legs of some beautiful birds (terns) through his telescope. Mark was able to read the ring numbers of five terns, and by the prefixes determined that four of them were ringed in the Netherlands, while the fifth was ringed in Ireland. He then contacts the relevant researchers directly with the information.

Mark Boorman looking at legs

In this manner Mark has reported on a Sanderling, originally ringed in Greenland, that has returned to Walvis Bay for eleven consecutive seasons. Finding one specific Sanderling amongst the thousands present is remarkable; finding the same Sanderling for eleven consecutive seasons is a testimony to the dedication of this leg-man!

Amongst the numerous Common Terns, Swift Terns and Sandwich Terns in the roost was a single Black Tern, showing distinctive side patches on the upper breast. This was a new tick for the African Year list and I was fortunate to find it before it also migrated to its northern breeding grounds.

Another new tick was the Gray’s Lark, a near-endemic usually found on white Namib gravel plains. Two Damara Terns, found at the Walvis Bay salt pans, rounded off an excellent day of birding.

Gray's Lark, Swakopmund