Activities
BLNG’s activities are designed to cater for a range of birding interests, preferences and skill levels. Our regular activities include day outings, weekend camps, and longer trips to find those sought-after birds, and a monthly evening meeting at which members can hear about upcoming events, listen to interesting talks by guest speakers, and catch up over tea and coffee. A one-day course on bird identification or other relevant skills is organised at least once a year
BLNG also has a large and active bird ringing group, promotes the participation of its members in other citizen science efforts such as atlassing/SABAP2, supports conservation projects, and shares members’ experiences and knowledge in our newsletter/magazine, Laniarius. Members can buy a range of books, as well as birding and club-related items, from our trading table at evening meetings and other events.
Outings & Camps
Day outings take place at least twice a month on Saturdays or Sundays and once a month on Wednesdays. A variety of local birding spots in and around Pretoria are visited, which are generally accessible to ordinary sedan vehicles. Entry fees may be charged for certain venues. Outings involve birding on foot and sometimes also from vehicles (while staying in contact using 2-way radios), and are generally followed by a picnic brunch or lunch while the birds seen are discussed and a list collated.
There are usually 10 weekend or long-weekend camps a year, and one longer trip to a special birding destination. Accommodation can range from catered to self-catering and from lodges or cottages to camping. Travel distances vary: some camps are within an hour’s drive of Pretoria, and most are within 3 to 4 hours’ drive, but some are further afield and longer, special-event camps may also visit neighbouring countries.
Outings and camps are led by expert birders, who are usually club members, and occasionally by professional bird guides, especially when targeting ‘specials’ for a particular area. At times arrangements are made to visit localities which are not accessible to the general public.
