IT’S a fact, our sea view from the Hide has grown wider over the years that we have been here. I sometimes facetiously put this down to global warming and rising sea levels, but it is an interesting point, is it not?
On that very point, a series of study papers released by the United States-based international scientific think tank, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), say that the level of the world’s oceans is rising faster now than it has ever done over the past 2,800 years.
Up to 1880, when industrialisation on a major scale spread around the world, sea levels rose by about 3-4cm a year on average, but the 20th century saw a rise of 14cm.
The PNAS says that by the end of this century, depending on the rate of global climate change, specifically global warming, the world’s oceans could rise by anything up to 130cm.
Mark off 1.3m against the wall or anything else and ponder how that’s going to look on your local beach. It’s quite scary.
The report has received a mixed reaction from other scientists, but then it is a truism to say that put 12 scientists in a room to discuss global climate change and you will get 12 different opinions.*
Never mind our expanding sea view, I have a couple of really good wildlife experiences to pass on to you.
Firstly, the other day I was making tea or something in the kitchen when movement on the verge outside caught my eye.
It was a pair of blue duiker enjoying what can only be described as a gambol.
They were running, ducking and diving and generally just quite clearly enjoying the morning.
One would roll on its back and the other rush over and (I’m sorry, but I have to say this) tickle its stomach and then they would gambol some more.
And then they were joined by a third diminutive duiker and all three of them put up a wonderful, lively performance that eventually passed out of view.
And just this morning we were drinking tea and there was a flurry in the now well-known red enamel dish in the Hide.
Now usually it is one noisy olive sunbird or bulbul that uses the dish, occasionally perhaps a Natal robin.
This time, however, there was positively a mob in the dish.
They turned out to be Cape white-eyes and as they always move in mobs it was as a mob that they descended on the water dish.
It was remarkable to see three or sometimes four of these tiny birds, not much bigger than my thumb, flapping around in the water and then sitting in a row on the balustrade flapping their wings and shaking their feathers. Wonderful stuff.
And finally a word of advice. When on any official quest, whether to the bank or to renew a driver’s licence or something like that, anything in fact, take along proof of residence.
It would seem to be the latest fad, your ID and proof of residence. Don’t question why, one should never question bureaucracy, just have it with you.
On that note, cheers.
*Daily Maverick and Care2 Causes.
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