After 8 months of living and birding in Malawi I do have a few thousand bird pictures. Don't ask how many exactly, I'm not going to count them. To give you a impression of the birds flying around here I decided to post a few of
them. Some of these photos are taking in the national parks, but a lot of them just around my house or on the road. I'm no photographer, not all pictures are top-quality. And a real photographer could probably do a way better job. Bit still I like watching birds and I like taking pictures of them. Sometimes with a little bit more success then other times. In this blog I posted a few of these photographs. Some because I like the photo, but some photo's just because I like the bird. But first a short story on my experiences in birdwatching in Malawi.
Birding in Malawi is a quite different experience than back home in the Netherlands. It is a bit more challenging and way more exciting. During birdwatching in the National Parks you also have to keep an eye out for elephants, buffalos, hippo’s, crocodiles and smaller animals like snakes, especially pofadder. The most likely time to encounter those are early morning and early evening. The same time you want to go out and watch birds. And believe me looking for a bird and at the same time keeping an eye on your surroundings to be sure you don’t walk into an elephant or hippo is quite distracting. In Nkhotakota National Park I had such an encounter. I was standing
on a low platform over an almost dry river. In the bush next to the platform was a small bird, which I did not recognize. But, as small birds often do, it just would not sit still so I could get a proper look at it. While trying to get the bird properly into my view through my binoculars I forgot looking around me. And, to be honest, standing on a
platform I did feel quite safe, until I heard some rustling of leaves next to me. But, being occupied by the bird, I did not respond immediately. But the noise was not stopping, it came closer. The moment I looked aside I saw a full grown angry elephant, flapping ears and slapping trunk and all, coming at me! And he was just 25 meters away from me! My first thought? Stupid elephant, my bird!!! But after a very short moment of thinking I did
decided to get out of the platform and find refugee behind the bushes on safe ground. I never found the bird again. Which still makes me cranky, because I think it was a lovely bird and I never saw it again.
Not only animals make birding a bit challenging. Also the Malawian people can seriously drive me crazy. Here is a
‘normal’ encounter with a Malawian when I go birding in my home town Nsanje. I’m standing at a bush, trying to find the bird in the leaves. A man comes to me.
“hello Madam, How are you, madam?”
“Fine, how are you?”
“Fine madam, thank you madam”
“What are you doing madam?”
“I’m watching birds”
“Why madam”
“Because I like birds”
“Why do you like birds madam”
“I think they are beautiful animals, I like watching them”
“Oh. What is that madam?”
“A binocular”
“Oh. You make pictures with that madam?”
“No I can see the birds more close”
“Oh. Where are you from madam”
“To be honest I don’t want to have a conversation right know, I really want to look at the birds.”
“I’m sorry madam, I didn’t want to offend you madam, really sorry madam, forgive me madam”
“It’s oke, have a nice day”
“Oke madam, but I know good place with birds madam, you come with me madam”
“No, I’m fine here”
“No madam, come with me madam”
“Could you please leave” (getting annoyed)
“I’m sorry madam, I didn’t want to offend you madam, really sorry madam, forgive me madam”
“….”
“Oke, I’m leaving now madam”
“…..”
“Can I have your phone number madam”
“No”
“Why not, madam?”
“Just go”
“Oh. Where do you live madam”
“….”
“Are you married madam?”
“Just go away now please!!!!”
“Oke… Good day madam”
“I’m looking for a wife madam….”
“Go away now!!!!”
By now, the bird decided to go somewhere else.
10 minutes later I thought to find peace again, but 1 kid saw me walking and started yelling: “Hello, good morning,
how-are-you!!!!” I tried to keep it off with just a simple wave (ignoring only makes it worse). But other kids heard it and come running at me. Yelling: “Give me my money/bottle/sweet!” By now I give up and go home. Followed by a herd of noisy kids. Good morning. Nice morning of bird watching….
Not every time I go out it is this way. Sometimes the people do leave me alone and I can relatively walk around in peace. To be honest, by now I do know the places where I can be, without being bothered too much. And you would think that after 8 months people would get used to me walking around. But seriously, every time they act like it’s the first time they see me. Sometimes it is funny. You have great conversations or encounter a Malawian who is truly interested in what you are doing. But at other times you just want to be left at peace and Malawian people really do not understand that. Things like privacy and alone time they are not familiar with it. Well, this is Malawi and after all, the birds in Malawi are beautiful and there are quite a lot of them! And I have the pictures to proof that.
them. Some of these photos are taking in the national parks, but a lot of them just around my house or on the road. I'm no photographer, not all pictures are top-quality. And a real photographer could probably do a way better job. Bit still I like watching birds and I like taking pictures of them. Sometimes with a little bit more success then other times. In this blog I posted a few of these photographs. Some because I like the photo, but some photo's just because I like the bird. But first a short story on my experiences in birdwatching in Malawi.
Birding in Malawi is a quite different experience than back home in the Netherlands. It is a bit more challenging and way more exciting. During birdwatching in the National Parks you also have to keep an eye out for elephants, buffalos, hippo’s, crocodiles and smaller animals like snakes, especially pofadder. The most likely time to encounter those are early morning and early evening. The same time you want to go out and watch birds. And believe me looking for a bird and at the same time keeping an eye on your surroundings to be sure you don’t walk into an elephant or hippo is quite distracting. In Nkhotakota National Park I had such an encounter. I was standing
on a low platform over an almost dry river. In the bush next to the platform was a small bird, which I did not recognize. But, as small birds often do, it just would not sit still so I could get a proper look at it. While trying to get the bird properly into my view through my binoculars I forgot looking around me. And, to be honest, standing on a
platform I did feel quite safe, until I heard some rustling of leaves next to me. But, being occupied by the bird, I did not respond immediately. But the noise was not stopping, it came closer. The moment I looked aside I saw a full grown angry elephant, flapping ears and slapping trunk and all, coming at me! And he was just 25 meters away from me! My first thought? Stupid elephant, my bird!!! But after a very short moment of thinking I did
decided to get out of the platform and find refugee behind the bushes on safe ground. I never found the bird again. Which still makes me cranky, because I think it was a lovely bird and I never saw it again.
Not only animals make birding a bit challenging. Also the Malawian people can seriously drive me crazy. Here is a
‘normal’ encounter with a Malawian when I go birding in my home town Nsanje. I’m standing at a bush, trying to find the bird in the leaves. A man comes to me.
“hello Madam, How are you, madam?”
“Fine, how are you?”
“Fine madam, thank you madam”
“What are you doing madam?”
“I’m watching birds”
“Why madam”
“Because I like birds”
“Why do you like birds madam”
“I think they are beautiful animals, I like watching them”
“Oh. What is that madam?”
“A binocular”
“Oh. You make pictures with that madam?”
“No I can see the birds more close”
“Oh. Where are you from madam”
“To be honest I don’t want to have a conversation right know, I really want to look at the birds.”
“I’m sorry madam, I didn’t want to offend you madam, really sorry madam, forgive me madam”
“It’s oke, have a nice day”
“Oke madam, but I know good place with birds madam, you come with me madam”
“No, I’m fine here”
“No madam, come with me madam”
“Could you please leave” (getting annoyed)
“I’m sorry madam, I didn’t want to offend you madam, really sorry madam, forgive me madam”
“….”
“Oke, I’m leaving now madam”
“…..”
“Can I have your phone number madam”
“No”
“Why not, madam?”
“Just go”
“Oh. Where do you live madam”
“….”
“Are you married madam?”
“Just go away now please!!!!”
“Oke… Good day madam”
“I’m looking for a wife madam….”
“Go away now!!!!”
By now, the bird decided to go somewhere else.
10 minutes later I thought to find peace again, but 1 kid saw me walking and started yelling: “Hello, good morning,
how-are-you!!!!” I tried to keep it off with just a simple wave (ignoring only makes it worse). But other kids heard it and come running at me. Yelling: “Give me my money/bottle/sweet!” By now I give up and go home. Followed by a herd of noisy kids. Good morning. Nice morning of bird watching….
Not every time I go out it is this way. Sometimes the people do leave me alone and I can relatively walk around in peace. To be honest, by now I do know the places where I can be, without being bothered too much. And you would think that after 8 months people would get used to me walking around. But seriously, every time they act like it’s the first time they see me. Sometimes it is funny. You have great conversations or encounter a Malawian who is truly interested in what you are doing. But at other times you just want to be left at peace and Malawian people really do not understand that. Things like privacy and alone time they are not familiar with it. Well, this is Malawi and after all, the birds in Malawi are beautiful and there are quite a lot of them! And I have the pictures to proof that.
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