Specials Overload

Photographing birds between Zaagkuildrift and Kgomo-Kgomo

- Richard Flack

When I started my journey into bird photography over a decade ago, I focused most of my weekly efforts in Gauteng and the neighbouring provinces. The best thing I did in those early days was to buy a copy of Birding Gauteng by Marais and Peacock. This book gave me the knowledge and confidence to explore new areas and find many of the exciting birds on offer.

What gripped me immediately was the chapter on Zaagkuildriftto KgomoKgomo. I had never heard of Dwarf Bitterns, Lesser Moorhens, Allen’s Gallinules or Striped, African, Spotted and Baillon’s crakes and the many other specials that arrive in this area when it is in flood. I was so excited about the prospect of the route that I started to explore it well before the conditions were ideal. Even without the flooded grassland/ wetland ‘specials’, this location soon became one of my favourite weekend birding outings. After a couple of years, I finally got to experience the location at its best and, without a doubt, it was worth the wait.

Eleven years later and I can comfortably say that I know the route extremely well and have learnt not only where to find the special bird species, but also how to approach the area from a photographic perspective.