16 January 2019: Larking it in Wakkerstroom

HMS Daai Dêng sailed majestically through a massive cloud-burst and unending sheets of water near Volksrust to reach port at the Birdlife campsite outside Wakkerstroom. I am rather impressed how waterproof my homemade camper is; since I had enough of sleeping in wet bedding during my army days. Later the afternoon I met some birders who said they had been searching for Rudd’s- and Botha’s Larks for three days, but with no success. I hoped this was not an omen for my larking in Wakkerstroom.

Picked up the Birdlife guide – Lucky- at 6 o’ clock in the morning. True to his name we soon had an impressive list of larks to our credit. There were several Rufous-naped-, Red-capped- and Spike-heeled larks along the roads, as well as a few Eastern Clapper larks making their wing-clapping displays over the grasslands. The highlights of the day were some Pink-billed larks and a single Rudd’s Lark near Fickland Pan, and some Botha’s larks amongst the shanties at Daggakraal. I quite enjoyed larking around in Wakkerstroom.

Botha's Lark, Daggakraal