editorial
I never cease to be astounded by the talent of the best wildlife photographers. It is not just their mastery of the sophisticated computers that cameras have become over the past decade or so that impresses, but the enduring qualities of patience and anticipation that have always set brilliance apart from the ability to get the occasional, reasonably good photograph.
And for an example of how important those two qualities are, you need look no further than Chris van Rooyen’s images of a Goliath Heron and an immature African Fish-Eagle having a full go at each other (see ‘Shakawe Skirmish’, page 40). To the naked eye, this interaction between two highly accomplished hunters of the wetlands would indeed be exciting to witness. But it would pass in a blur of beaks, talons and brownish feathers, leaving one with a sense of ‘did I really see what I thought I saw?’ Enter the best camera bodies and lenses money can buy, under the control of one of the best photographers currently working in Africa’s wild places, and you have a sequence of images that capture ineffable moments in time.

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cover story

Fast tracking: a peregrine diary

Follow the progress of Peregrine Falcons on the Cape Peninsula as Andrew Jenkins diarises their successes and failures through a breeding season. It’s literally a fast and furious couple of months for this intrepid researcher.

Action attraction: great expectations

In a seemingly bizarre combination, a Grey and a Goliath Heron pair off.

Bridging the rift: Birding Rwanda

Despite being one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, Rwanda is a worthwhile and exciting birding destination, ideal for a short trip. Nyungwe National Park is the undoubted star attraction, offering more Albertine Rift endemics than any other site outside the Democratic Republic of Congo. Peter Ryan reports.

Shakawe skirmish

Chris van Rooyen’s images of a dramatic interaction between an African Fish-Eagle and a Goliath Heron in the Okavango.

Out of Africa: Papua New Guinea

Brought to the attention of the world by David Attenborough’s documentary, the outlandish birds in Papua New Guinea are some of the most sought-after by birders. Keith Barnes ventures into the land of extravagant birds-of-paradise and bowerbirds.