I spent a rather excellent morning yesterday (the 25th) at the Great Bustard Group’s (GBG) re-introduction project on Wiltshire’s Salisbury Plain (regular readers with good memories might remember that I volunteer with GBG and co-ordinate their blog), with Al Dawes, GBG’s Project Officer, and Mark Anderson, BirdLife South Africa’s Executive Director, who is over on the UK on an extended working holiday with his wife Tania Anderson (a noted botanist), and their daughter.

Mark Anderson, Executive Director BirdLife South Africa

Tania Anderson

Mark has been working on conservation issues in South Africa for many years, and his particular interests are flamingos (the remarkable story of Mark’s work on the artificial Lesser Flamingo breeding site at Kamfer’s Dam near Kimberley is inspirational), bustards (there are six species endemic to SA, several of which are now severely threatened by loss of habitat and by collisions with power-lines), and raptors - especially vultures, which are threatened across Africa by muti, or ‘traditional medicine’, whose practitioners believe that eating vulture brains will enable them to predict lottery and sporting results!

With David Waters, GBG Director, away surveying in Russia, the visitors were shown round by Al Dawes, GBG Project Officer) who so dazzled Mark - and me I’m more than happy to admit - with his knowledge of all things ‘Great Bustard’ over the three hour visit that it was suggested a reciprocal visit be set up to South Africa, with Al speaking about our bustards and the re-introduction project to a selection of (the often well-funded) bird clubs across the country - and perhaps even finding time to do a little birding as well! I’m hoping that while I’m not considered totally ’surplus to crew level requirements’ that I might be able to arrange some discounted tickets for Al (though I have to say I’d be more motivated if, say, room could be found for a - *ahem* - dedicated blogger to come along and cover the trip too)…

The real stars of the day (Al aside, of course) - and the main reason for Mark and Tania’s visit - were the beautiful (and very wary) juvenile Great Bustards, which are currently being held in a ’soft-release’ pen at the GBG release site after their arrival from Russia as chicks back in mid-August (two chicks from a Great Bustard project in Germany are also in the pen).

These young birds, which now stand about a metre high, are feeding themselves and growing rapidly. Completely wild (even visiting experts like Mark are asked to remain at a distance and behind ‘blinds’ as the birds will disperse if disturbed - which means I’ll never get close!) a few individuals have already occasionally tried the area immediately outside the pen, but usually still spend the night safe from foxes behind the pen fence. The hope is that they will soon be large and strong enough to explore the wider Salisbury Plain area (radio transmitters will allow the GBG to follow them to a limited extent, but they will need the public to report sightings - an online form is currently being developed to enable this).

As well as the distinguished visitors receiving an in-depth overview of the re-introduction project (and I mean in-depth, if you’re in Wiltshire and get a chance to listen to Al speak you really should - he’s VERY knowledgeable), some extremely interesting ideas were discussed in the course of the morning, for example in relation to radio transmitters and options for post-graduate studies at the release site (any post-grad students looking for some fascinating opportunities please leave contact details in the comments field below and I’ll pass them on). The current threats to bustards in South Africa were also outlined, as well as other elements of Mark’s work with BirdLife. Much of what was said was recorded by yours truly, and will form the basis of a longer interview with Mark which will hopefully be online in a few weeks (transcribing an hour of chat and turning it into something that might interest readers may perhaps take a bit longer, but I’ll do my best).

Mark and Tania left the GBG release site after a quick visit to the shop - hopefully Tania will be spreading the ‘GBG word’ in her new t-shirt when she gets back to Kimberley! As Mark signed the visitors book, I decided I deserved a treat for all my hanging around and contributing very little of any value to the conversation and bought myself a bottle of the locally brewed ‘Great Bustard’ ale. I’ll be flipping the cap as soon as this goes online, so if you’re interested to know what it tastes like you’ll need to come back for a later edit…Cheers!

For more information on Mark and Tania’s work please visit their website Anderson Africa