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The GBT Team PDF Print E-mail
Written by globalbirdtrekkers.org   
Saturday, 07 June 2008

Jackie During

me

My name is Jackie During (South African), my husband says I am a birding fanatic, and I don't think he means it as a compliment lol! I am busy studying for a degree in environmental management, learning to play golf and "playing" Winkwith this website...oh and yeah slowly but surely getting to grips with my EOS 400D.

 

Katja Soehngen.

Katja

I live in Germany in a City which fortunately has many green ''spots''. Most of the year I am a theatre nurse.
But sometimes I am a keen traveller, Africa lover, hobby twitcher and amateur photographer. These three hobbies really work very well together.
I fell in love with Africa (Southern Africa in particular) during a trip in 2002. Since then I am fortunate enough to return (most of the time) twice a year. Here another passion started, birding.
My Website

Jean Toucher

Jean

Having grown up in the North of Botswana and developed a love of verything bush I am now a Field Guide in Mkuze. I have a Btech: Nature conservation and am a level III FGASA guide. Living in this area I have eveloped a great interest in birding - no choice really the birding here is excellent. I'm the Safari Manager at Ghost Mountain Inn.

Ben Tupper
Ben

Currently working as a guide in Alaska where you will find me exploring mountains and passes or hiking ridge lines.  I really got into birding during my first trip to Namibia during University.  Since then I really tried to hone my skills during a year working at Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa.  South Africa provided a wonderful diversity of birds and got me excited about birding.  Now that I am back on the United States I need to start from scratch and begin learning some new birds!!  I am loving getting out in Alaska and exploring the mountains and ticking off new species as I encounter them! 

Laine
Laine

Ok..so i guess my name will stay Laine. i live in joburg and i bird as often as remotely possible. I am still learning although i have over 300 ticks .. but i guess every birder is still learning no?
anyhoo..thats me in a nutshell...

Candice

Candy
I am a typical teenager, born in 1993 in South Africa. I play my music loud, my room is always in a mess (according to my parents), my bed is never made etc. but I have a real passion for nature and photography. I hope to follow one of these fields when I have to start considering a career path. Although, Ornithology does sound great to me as a profession! School work is OK and my marks carry me on average much higher than the class/school average. I also love spending my time in the 'bush' when I'm not busy with school. Not to mention that I enjoy taking part in sports. Well, that is me in a nutshell.

Charlie

Charlie

Hi, my name is Charleen O’Donoghue, I live in Cape Town, South Africa and my family thinks I’m a bird addict... I have a recently found passion for birds and photography and love to spend any free moment in the wild or on this website! I am the ‘newbie birder and doppie’ on the site, but one day I hope to be a pro birder, like my fellow Trekkies. 

 Marcell

Marcell

Originally from South Africa, I now live in Ruhengeri (near the Volcanoes National Park), Rwanda where I’m project managing the construction of a tented camp and am part of the team in Rwanda developing birding as a new tourism product.  Between all this I’m also guiding birders and doing photography. I started my guiding career in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal in Tembe Elephant Park followed by bird guiding in the region and eventually guiding groups across Africa between Rwanda and South Africa.

Birding in Rwanda

 

Dirk

Dirk

My name is Dirk Human. I am turning 33 in September this year. I live in Pretoria and work in Johannesburg as IT consultant. I started birding in October 2003. My life list is currently on 510 and my favorite bird is the Pearl-spotted Owlet.

 

 Michel

Michel

My name is Michel Gutierrez, I live in Santiago, Chile. I´m a vet by profession, an amateur photographer and a birdwatching lover. I started with photography and birdwatching a couple of years ago. Once in a while I try to make the time to go out near my city to take pictures and watch birds, or travel to other countries of south america during the vacations...and maybe in the future, get to know other continents (southern africa is a dream and a goal to make)

 

Roelof 

Roelof

I grew up in Johannesburg during the time that my suburb was still surrounded by pristine Highveld grassland and rocky outcrops (and it was safe to play there). My parents also regularly took us on holidays to nature destinations like Kruger, and these two influences grew my love for nature and especially birds.

 

I am the geriatric birder on GBT, not due to my age, but to the fact that I have been birding for more than 23 years and have only seen just over 50% of Southern Africa’s species.

 

This is good news to me, as it means that based on average life expectancy I still have the other half of my life left to see the other 50%.

 

Tobie

Tobie

 

My name is Tobie Muller, nickname Moegaai, or thanks to GBT it has mutated and evolved to Moggy, or The Mogster! Not sure why that’s my nickname, was given to me by friends! I live in Johannesburg, South Africa and I am self-employed. I have always loved nature, but became a true birder in 2003. My world list now exceeds 800 species and my target for my Southern African list is to crack 700 lifers in 2010. I thankfully still have a lot to learn about “all things bird”, so despite a fairly handsome life list, I classify myself as a “passionate novice”.

 

Daan

Daan

 

I am very new to birding and I only started about 8 months ago, but in that time I have been very fortunate to have made good friends with some of the top birders in Gauteng and they have helped me a great deal with knowledge and experience.
Birding was always going to become a reality for me as I have a very big passion of nature and wildlife, and birding only brings me closer to that passion. I love the adventure element behind chasing and twitching, but will also just spend hours enjoying whatever I get to see.

On the forum people know me as DD, also other names I am known as: The King, Hero, Wonder Man, Birder 1000 and so on. LOL

 

Myron Tay

 Me with view coming out from Homer's Tunnel 2

Born and raised in Singapore, I have always had a fascination for animals. Growing up, I was always intrigued by the insects I find around our rainforests and captivated by nature documentaries. The latest manifestation of this passion, uncovered in Nov 07, has been nature (primarily with birds) photography in this part of the world (Southeast Asia and Australia). I am still new into this new hobby and there is still so much more birds to photograph! Do drop by my flickr photostream ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/28786551@N04/) and let me know what you think!

 

Clement Tang 

Clement Tang

I live in a suburb near Melbourne in Australia. I started bird photography about a year ago. Mebourne is famous for having 4 seasons in 1 day and I am used to bad / fine weather days. In the last year I have experienced frustrations as well as excitements - depending on the outcome of the day. I have made a few good contacts through Flickr - most of us know when to express our encouragements when needed... When the going is tough for birding, I shoot butterflies instead.

Flickr photostream

 

Michele Nel

 Michele Nel

My name is Michele and I have lived in Cape Town for the past 34 years. I love travelling and I am passionate about all aspects of outdoor photography. I love birding and enjoy the challenge of capturing birds on camera. I think my most awesome birding experience to date must be that of my trip to Kenya in Feb this year. My list is well over 400 now.....my ticks having been collected in Botswana, Namibia, Kenya and South Africa.

 

Jason Anderson

 Jason

I'm a very enthusiastic birder, currently living in Rwanda, but
previously in Eritrea, Italy and UK, where I started birding at 9
years and 4 months (I still remember my first Nuthatch). I'm a bit
older now, but still find birds continually fascinating.

 




 
 
An interview with Muis PDF Print E-mail
Written by Dirk Human   
Tuesday, 04 August 2009
What Makes You Tick?

Nature, the ocean, pizza, pasta, Windhoek draught & the Springboks winning. But my SO doesn’t think I tick normally.

1.    What attracted you to birding in the first place?

Have always loved all animals, but my SO’s compulsion forced me to take a closer look at birds.

2.    Are you a twitcher or a birder?

Uuum….birder.

3. Do you know the difference LOL?

Until a year ago I would have said a birder is someone with big eyes on Clifton beach & a twitcher was someone like me being on a 2hr flight & not allowed a cigarette.
After being on this site, I now know the other meanings of these words.
 
4. When was the last time you went birding and where did you go?

We are fortunate to be able to bird in our garden & surrounding areas every day.
The last time I climbed in a car to go birding, was last Thursday, to the Berg river in Veldrift, West Coast, South Africa.

5. Where is your all time favourite birding spot?

Kruger National Park for its diversity & total contrast to home.

6. Is your family/ friends as keen on birding, or do they collectively groan when ever the conversation may lead to a birding topic?

My SO is a bedonnered twitcher, so I am normally the one groaning first for a toilet.

7. How many bird books do you own?

Only one (a present from a friend), but if I bat my eyelashes enough, I am usually allowed to use my SO’s 27 books.

8. Are you a member of a club? Or do you prefer birding on your own?

No – prefer birding with family or good friends.

9. Do you keep a bird list, or have you forgotten the names of the birds by the time you get home LOL?

I have a Sasol tick list but it never ends up with when going on a trip & SO always has to “remind” me of a lot of the names when we get home.
Am actually like that with peoples' names as well.

 
An Interview with a Birder - Boetie PDF Print E-mail
Written by Dirk Human   
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
What Makes You Tick?

Being in nature, the outdoors and photograph all forms of wildlife in their natural environment, birds which I think is most difficult but the most rewarding when you get it right.

1. What attracted you to birding in the first place?
Went on a trip with a friend about five years ago that really knew his birds and he got me interested. And then of course my wife bought me the Roberts software just to fuel the fire, now I am hooked.

2. Are you a twitcher or a birder?
I would say a birder!

3. Do you know the difference LOL?
Of course, a twitcher would travel any amount of km to get a tick and always have his/her binos and a bird book in the car wherever he/she goes, not like me that only needs to travel short distances if I should know of a bird in that area. LOL

4. When was the last time you went birding and where did you go?
Two weekends ago, went to Kaapschehoop to find the Gurney’s Sugarbird. Hey does that make me a twitcher?

5. Where is your all time favorite birding spot?
Being an amateur photographer, I would say Lake Panic Bird Hide in Kruger National Park, I can sit there for hours.

6. Is your family/ friends as keen on birding, or do they collectively groan when ever the conversation may lead to a birding topic?
My daughter must be the only one that doesn’t share in my passion, she recons they all taste like chicken, most of my friends are keen birders/twitchers.

7. How many bird books do you own?
Do you really want to know and should I name them all, won’t do that to you, I have +/- 10, just of Southern African Birds.

8. Are you a member of a club? Or do you prefer birding on your own?
Not a member of a club but do give feedback to the chairman of our local bird club should I have any special sightings.

9. Do you keep a bird list, or have you forgotten the names of the birds by the time you get home LOL?
Only been recording birds for the last five years or so and with my new toy, a PDA I got for Christmas last year, it makes it so much more fun and it’s easy.

 
An Interview with a Birder - Imax PDF Print E-mail
Written by Dirk Human   
Tuesday, 18 August 2009

What Makes You Tick?

1. What attracted you to birding in the first place?

A. I honestly don’t know, It such a long time ago. I became interested in birds in primary school. I think it was the differences in shapes, bills and colours that attracted me.

2. Are you a twitcher or a birder?

A Birder and a watcher. My friends have tried to change me into a twicher in the last year, but I resisted them and only occasionally go twitcing. But now they don’t invite me along anymore - I suppose they think i am too slow....LOL

3. Do you know the difference LOL?

 Yes, it’s the difference between me and my birding friends!

4. When was the last time you went birding and where did you go?

Just returned from a Kruger trip, and as proof of being a birder only added one tick for a weeks worth of birding.

5. Where is your all time favourite birding spot?

Geez louise! Which one to choose? Kruger and Northern KZN would be the two.

6. Is your family/ friends as keen on birding, or do they collectively groan when ever the conversation may lead to a birding topic?

My family groan, whine and complain. If you know how many birds I drove past in the last week. Well, I have converted most of my friends into birders, and then befriended some serious twichers.

7. How many bird books do you own?

I think last count was about 17, and I just bought Best Birding in Kruger, so make that 18.

8. Are you a member of a club? Or do you prefer birding on your own?

Clubs have politics, I prefer social birding with friends.

9. Do you keep a bird list, or have you forgotten the names of the birds by the time you get home LOL?

Uhm, what’s your name again? No use keeping a list as with my spelling, I would not know which birds I spotted anyway!
I keep a life list on a personal level. With atlassing for Sabap, of course there are many more lists, but that’s scientific, you know.
 
An Interview with a Birder - Jay PDF Print E-mail
Written by Dirk Human   
Thursday, 03 September 2009

What Makes You Tick?


1. What attracted you to birding in the first place?
birds ...serioulsy LOL!

2. Are you a twitcher or a birder?
ummmm...both, I enjoy watching my regular garden birds and make a point of doing so everyday, will head out for a rarity, but won't go to great lengths, maybe 'cos I still get excited when I spot a Steppe or jackal Buzzard down my road, so am getting my thrill regularly LOL!

3. Do you know the difference LOL?
jaaaaa! one is a chilled birder the other is a hardcore birder.

4. When was the last time you went birding and where did you go?
I bird at least 3 times a week, as I do so when going grocery shopping, playing golf and visiting my parents in Velddrif at the Berg River estuary.

5. Where is your all time favorite birding spot?
Sabie Park, I can lie in the pool, sit on the stoep at the house, or sit down at the river and watch countless birds and every time there is some sort of surprise sighting!

6. Is your family/ friends as keen on birding, or do they collectively groan when ever the conversation may lead to a birding topic?
nope, entire family has been converted, and my friends too, we may be the biggest twitching group around LMAO!

7. How many bird books do you own?
27

8. Are you a member of a club? Or do you prefer birding on your own?
I belong to the West Coast Bird Club, they are the sweetest bunch of people!

9. Do you keep a bird list, or have you forgotten the names of the birds by the time you get home LOL?

yup, have a bird list and also keep one for each trip I make.
 
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