This week’s guest is Roger Machin, the product marketing manager at Canon South Africa. This is a fun, relaxed chat about bird photography – the highs, the lows, and the equipment that makes it a lot more enjoyable. We chat about cameras, lenses, editing software, and photographers that make us green with envy, and we settle the raw vs jpg debate. This is a ‘lekker episode’. Oh, and in case you are wondering, this episode isn’t sponsored by Canon, so no matter what brand you use, you are going to love this chat!

Visit our online store to get your birding-related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from the show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

Flack's Photography Mentorship Programme https://theflacks.co.za/courses/mentorship-programme/

Flack's Photography Workshops https://theflacks.co.za/courses/workshops/

This week Saturday is a day that lots of South African birders look forward to – the annual BirdLife South Africa 'African Bird Fair'.

I find out all about what you can expect at this year’s Bird Fair from Andrew Wassung, BirdLife South Africa’s Communications Manager. He tells us what workshops, walks, and talks you can expect at this year's Bird Fair. All the links for the event can be found in the notes of the show.

Visit our online store to get your birding-related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from show:

Links from the show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

Bird Fair 2023 Website https://www.birdlife.org.za/african-bird-fair-2023/

Just imagine you post one of your photos on Facebook, and a few days later you look at that post, and it has more than 5 million views!

We shared a photo from this week’s guest on Facebook and Instagram – and it went viral – just over 5.3 million views! So today I chat with the photographer behind the photo – Clint Ralph. He tells us all about the photo and some of the other photos that he has taken. This is a fantastic insight into the journey of one of the countries, if not one of the world’s, leading wildlife photographers. And best of all, even though this guy’s photos reach millions of people, he is one of the nicest people around.

Visit our online store to get your birding-related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from the show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

Clint Ralph - Email [email protected] Website https://clintralphphotography.co.za

YWP Antares Visit https://www.ywpofsa.co.za/post/a-memorable-escape-to-antares-bush-camp-and-umgede-hide

Antares Bush Camp https://www.thebirdinglife.com/antares-bush-camp-safaris

This episode is the ultimate guide to birding in Northern Kruger! I chat with one of the best Kruger bird guides, Marc Cronje from Nature Travel Birding. We find out all about where to find all the sought-after species in this section of the park, including routes to travel, camps to stay at, where to get food, and even some hints on the SANPARKS rangers to do game drives with. This episode has everything you need to plan your next Kruger escape and add lots of birds to your life list.  

Visit our online store to get your birding-related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from the show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

Nature Travel Birding www.naturetravelbirding.com

Rhino Post Safari Lodge www.rhinopostsafarilodge.co.za/

In this episode, I chat with one of the best birders that I know, Joshua Olszewski. In a previous episode, Joshua smashed a scientific bird name challenge, in this episode I challenge him with a bird information challenge – so let’s see how he does. We also hear about his guiding experiences and a recent trip to Israel. As always with Joshua, we tap into his encyclopedic knowledge of birds and intricate ID features.

Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from the show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

In this week’s episode, I chat with Zimbabwe birder Jean-Michael Blake, who recently saw his 700 species for the region. We chat about his birding journey, guiding guests, snakes, and Zimbabwe birding, and get some tips on how to see the sought-after African Pitta.

Visit our online store to get your birding-related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from the show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

Jean-Michael Blake Instagram

John Kinghorn (Untamed Birding) Instagram

This week we explore the magical birding that the beautiful Zululand town St. Lucia offers. We get all the inside information from an experienced guide, Ian Ferreira, who runs St Lucia Birding Tours. This is the perfect episode to help you find all the specials that the area has to offer. If you want to book a bird guide for St Lucia, be sure to send Ian a message – all the links are in the notes to the show.  

Visit our online store to get your birding-related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

St Lucia Birding Tours https://www.stluciabirdingtours.co.za/

This week’s guest is one of the coolest people that I have had the opportunity to meet. I am pleased to welcome Bart Fokkens to the show. In this episode we chat about music, Splashy Fen, and of course birds. Bart is a fantastic storyteller who will draw you in with his warm personality!

In this episode Bart talks about a trip that he did for Namibia last year. After hearing about this amazing birding destination, I am sure you will want to plan a trip the country. If you are looking for the best accommodation that caters for the unique demands of birders, head on over to the Namibia page on our Accommodation directory on our website. You will be spoilt with choice with fantastic destinations such as Sandfontein Lodge & Nature Reserve, OraBo River Lodge, Aloegrove Safari Lodge, Daan Viljoen Lodge, and Shametu River Lodge on the edge of the Okavango River in the Caprivi Strip. Wherever you decide to head in Namibia, we have you covered!

Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

Namibia Accommodation Directory https://www.thebirdinglife.com/namibia

In this episode I chat to return guest, Keanu Canto. Keanu tells us all how he keeps his passion for his local patch strong, he creates both a Tinder profile and a car music playlist, and as with his last episode, gives lots of practical advice to help birders improve their field skills.

Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/

Narina Trogan, Eastern Nicator, Spotted-Ground Thrush, African Broadbill, and Wood Owl are just a few of the special species that can be found in and around the small Zululand town of Eshowe.

Tristan Naude is a young birder whose love for birds started many years before he called this magical town home. In this episode, we will not only hear all about birding in and around Eshowe, but we will also discover what makes Tristan tick! We will hear about his bogey bird, his favourite birding books, and get tips on how you can improve your own birding.

Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store

Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

Links from show:

Westerman's https://valemount.co.za/westermans/