Seeing the various Herons and a breeding colony of White Breasted Cormorants recently gave ample opportunity for Feathers Bird Club members for observations and photographs during their first visit to the Parys Golf & Country Estate in February. Louis and Lynette showed club members around and hosted them afterwards. Fifty species were recorded on the estate for the day.

The February club meeting highlighted the diverse birds seen in the Kruger National Park, with an interesting presentation by Tertia Pretorius.

Feathers Bird Club is based in Parys and aims to bring together anyone who shares an interest in birds, whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or a serious twitcher.

The club meets every month on the last Thursday at Sally Martin Park for an opportunity to interact with other members and persons interested in birding. At these meetings, they look at presentations by members or guests.

On the Saturday following the meeting, the club arranges birding excursions to a location near Parys followed by a picnic. The club has visited various resorts, farms, and venues over the years, and kept records of sightings. The photographers among members use these outings as opportunities to share ideas and try new settings.

In summer months the outings start at 06:00, while they start between 06:30 and 07:00 in the winter months.

For more information contact Martin Wolmarans on 082 851 2121, Marisa Louw on 064 963 5386, or Tertia Pretorius on 083 287 7470.

The next meeting is on March 27 at 18:30, and the excursion will be to Savannah Africa.
As winter approach, we are losing some of our summer visitor species, but it is still a privilege to see birds in their natural environment.