13 Mar 2019: Hondeklipbaai

Daai Dêng headed further northwards into Namaqualand in search of the elusive Karoo-, Cape Clapper- and Cape Long-billed larks. Searching, scanning, using call-back, listening; and even my renowned whistling technique failed to produce any of the above. I felt like a stray dog marking his territory around every corner, but to no effect. It was with a severely depleted bladder that I approached the fishing village of Hondeklipbaai, only to hear the plaintive call of a Cape Long-billed Lark in the distance. This time the call-back worked, and I soon had two long-billed larks vying for my attention

Cape Long-billed Lark, Hondeklipbaai

A birding truism is that today’s rare bird becomes tomorrow’s trash bird. This was very true of the Cape Long-billed Lark. The next day, every few kilometres to Port Nolloth, there were long-billed larks gallivanting in the diamond diggings.