Hi Traci. Oh yes, those lifers, how can we forget, the special ones that always stick out in our memory. In the twitching community it can become so competitive though.

You got some wonderful birds here, I've never visited your part of the world so all of these are new to me and I really enjoyed seeing them and learning about them.

There are two of mine that really stick out to me.

In 2005 I went on a bird ringing course in Port Elizabeth, a place I had never been before.

I was the absolute novice beginner bird ringer (I've actually since then sold all of my ringing equipment), and it was a rather bitter-sweet experience. Under the guidance of a "pro ringer", I was expected to be a lacky really and after I overslept the 5am alarm, was in the dog box with my trainer. So when I saw a Nerina Trogan which is a very rare and secretive bird, I was scoffed at and only one person believed me. He took my word for it and played the bird call seeing if we could lure it out and it worked! We were all treated to a a gorgeous pair of courting Nerina Trogans and their bird calls. That was a lifer for a few of us that day and in a small way I redeemed my morning blunder. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos though.

The other one was not a sighting but a "holding" lifer when I was able to hold a Steppe Buzzard and help ring it after using a balchatri. I'm really grateful for these wonderful experiences and they always bring a smile. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the gent that took this photo, but it's one of my most prized memories.

Thank you so much for this post 🌸