Courses and talks that can be ordered

The contents of the ‘Flight for Birders’, ‘Flight Higher’ and ‘The Secret Life of Raptors’ courses by Dr Anton Odendal have been adapted for shorter courses. These are pre-recorded and forwarded to participants via WeTransfer. It can therefore be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home and in one’s own time. 

the ‘flying higher’ bird identification courses assist birders to become involved in bird-watching as a hobby and to hopefully join a birdlife South Africa affiliated club. Heavy emphasis is placed on a variety of conservation actions and notes are forwarded to participants electronically. These are pre-recorded and forwarded to participants via WeTransfer. It can therefore be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home and in one’s own time. All these courses or individual talks can be ordered from Anton at birding@overberg.co.za or WhatsApp at 082 550 3347. Each course costs R 750.00 and individual talks cost R 250.00. See the description of the various available courses and talks below.

The ‘Flying Higher’ Bird Identification Courses

1. Basic identification course for garden birds (two day course) 
   • Session 1: Introduction on getting the most out of birding – How does one start flying with these beautiful creatures?
   • Session 2: For the love of one’s garden birds – Getting to know the birds that one will see most often.
   • Session 3: Gardening for birds – Attracting birds and other wildlife to one’s garden.
   • Session 4: Masters of the skies – The birds of prey of the region
   • Session 5: Owls and Nightjars of the Western Cape
   • Session 6: The art of deception – celebrating the brood parasites and their hosts. (On the tricks that cuckoos, whydahs and honeyguides are up to). 
   • Session 7: Are “Little Brown Jobs” of the Western Cape Province really that bad? What they lack in colour they gain in brilliant display flights and resilient behaviour. 
   • Session 8: Basic keys on the identification of Swallows, Swifts and Martins in this area
   • Session 9: Resident birds associated with water: The easiest stuff 
   • Session 10: How to prepare when planning to bird in a new area – a case-study of birding in the Kruger National Park or A celebration of the endemic terrestrial bird species of seven South African regions. (Participants can decide on the talk to be presented)
   • Session 11: The 101 Game – Getting to know the different families of birds.
2. The secret worlds of birds of prey (two day course) 
   • Session 1: Introduction and focus on the Secretarybird and several conservation issues facing our raptors
   • Session 2: Introduction and focus on Vultures
   • Session 3: Eagles and Snake-Eagles
   • Session 4: Buzzards, Falcons, Kestrels, Harriers & Kites
   • Session 5: Goshawks, Sparrowhawks And Related Species
   • Session 6: Identifying Birds Of Prey In Flight
   • Session 7: Owls & Nightjars
   • Session 8: Seventeen rare & vagrant raptors of Southern Africa
   • Session 9: How to prepare when planning to bird in a new area – A case-study of mostly raptors of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
   • Session 10: How to prepare when planning to bird in a new area – A case-study of mostly raptors of Zululand
3. Birds Of Wide And Open Spaces – Mostly Little Brown Jobs and other Terrestrial Species (One Day Workshop) 
   • Session 1: A celebration of the endemic terrestrial bird species of eight South African regions. 
   • Session 2: Are “Little Brown Jobs” really that bad? Part 1: Larks, Pipits & Brown Canaries. 
   • Session 3: Are “Little Brown Jobs” really that bad? Part 2: Warblers, Cisticolas & Chats. 
   • Session 4: “Inglorious Bustards – The Crazy Gang in Trouble”: Conservation challenges faced by our bustards and korhaans.
   • Session 5: Case-study on the best of birding in the Tankwa Karoo
4. Summer Migrants (One Day Workshop) 
   • Session 1: “The Art of Deception” – Celebrating Cuckoos and some other Brood Parasitic families.
   • Session 2: The epic migratory flight of Amur Falcons and basic keys to the identification of the Migratory Birds Of Prey.
   • Session 3: Basic keys on the identification of Swallows, Swifts And Martins in one’s area / Basic keys on the identification of Terns in one’s area.
   • Session 4: Basic keys on the identification of the waders in one’s area.
   • Session 5: Other rare or vagrants migrants to southern Africa

The ‘Getting more out of birding’ lecture series focussing on birding opportunities at specific sites

This is aimed at celebrating bird-watching opportunities at some of South Africa’s top birding destinations. Several National Parks and public and private nature reserves are being featured. The rationale behind this series is to enjoy many brilliant species to be found in these areas in the comfort of one’s home and to give guidelines on how to prepare for day-visits and extended visits when these areas are visited. All of these individual talks can be ordered from Anton at birding@overberg.co.za or WhatsApp at 082 550 3347. Each individual talk costs R 250.00. See the description of the various available talks below.

1. Kruger National Park 
   • Session 1: Extended Session: Birding opportunities in the north of the Kruger National Park – Shingwedzi, Punda Maria, the Pafuri region and more.
   • Session 2: Birding in the southern section of the Kruger National Park
   • Session 3: How to prepare when planning to bird in a new area during summer – A case-study of the summer migrants of the Kruger National Park
   • Session 4: Birding during winter months 1: The Southern Section Of The Kruger National Park
   • Session 5: Birding during winter months 2: Punda Maria
   • Session 6: Birding during winter months 3: The Pafuri Region
   • Session 7: Discovering the Mapungupwe National Park
2. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park And Augrabies National Park 
   • Session 1: Birding in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Part 1) – Raptors
   • Session 2: Birding in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Part 2) – Much more than just birds of prey
   • Session 3: Birding during winter months: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
   • Session 4: Birding in the Augrabies National Park
   • Session 5: Birding during winter months: Augrabies National Park
3. The Broader Karoo And Klein Karoo (Route 62) 
   • Session 1: How to prepare to go birding in the Karoo National Park 
   • Session 2: Birding during winter months: Karoo National Park 
   • Session 3: Birding opportunities in the greater Karoo region (Part 1) – Birding around homesteads and thickets along water 
   • Session 4: Birding opportunities in the greater Karoo region (Part 2) – Birding in the open veld and in mountainous areas
   • Session 5: Birding opportunities along Route 62 – The hugely underrated Klein Karoo
   • Session 6: Birding opportunities in the Langeberg local municipal region – McGregor, Robertson, Bonnievale, Ashton and Montagu
4. Overberg Region 
   • Session 1: Birding in the Overstrand Local Municipal region – The Cape Whale Coast 
   • Session 2: Birding along the Overstrand Coastline
   • Session 3: Birding along the Cape Overberg Wheatbelt
   • Session 4: Winter birding along the Cape Overberg Wheatbelt highlighting the Agulhas And Bontebok National Parks 
   • Session 5: Birding in the greater Swellendam region that includes the De Hoop Nature Reserve 
   • Session 6: Birding opportunities in the Agulhas National Park 
   • Session 7: Birding opportunities at the De Mond Nature Reserve
   • Session 8: Birding at the famous ROOIELS site, the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens and the Fernkloof Nature Reserve
5. The Garden Route 
   • Session 1: Birding in the Tsitsikamma National Park and at Nature’s Valley
   • Session 2: Winter birding at the Tsitsikamma National Park and at Nature’s Valley
   • Session 3: Birding opportunities at the Wilderness National Park focusing on Ebb & Flow
   • Session 4: Birding opportunities at the Wilderness National Park focusing on the lakes system
6. Cape West Coast And The Tankwa Karoo 
   • Session 1: The West Coast National Park in winter and spring – much more than just waders
   • Session 2: Birding opportunities at Velddrif And Environs – The Berg River Estuary
   • Session 3: Birding opportunities in the Cederberg Wilderness Area  
   • Session 4: How to prepare when planning to bird in a new area – Case-study on Birding in the Tankwa Karoo National Park
   • Session 5: Birding in the Tankwa Karoo – Birding along the R355 and the P2250 gravel roads
   • Session 6: Birding during winter months: Travelling through the Tankwa Karoo