Find out how Campbell got interested in birds and what his birding
dreams are... read on below.
From left to right: Marje
Hemp, Snoep, Deirdre Vrancken and Campbell Fleming in the Birding
Africa office.
"My interest in birds was sparked at the age of seven when
my mother brought an old copy of the Ian Sinclair photographic guide
along with us on a holiday. At that point, birding was just something
to occupy time on holidays and I didn’t have a full understanding
of the field guide and range maps - I often mis-identified White-necked
Raven as Verraux’s Eagle and even searched for African Pitta
in the Transvaal! A few years later, we were driving in the Drakensberg
near Qwa-Qwa and I saw my first Lammergeier. From then on, I was
hooked and I became much more serious about birding.
In 2004, my family moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town which meant
I could bird in the Fynbos and see many of South Africa’s
endemic species. For two years, we were living right next to the
Constantia Greenbelts with Knysna Warbler and Buff-spotted Flufftail
(admittedly, only once) not far from our doorstep.
I am currently attending SACS high school where I take the subjects
Physical Science, History and Biology. After school I will become
involved in birds in some way, hopefully as a career but at least
as a very serious hobby. My interests include hiking, photography
(of birds, mostly), sport, travelling and of course birding.
My dream holiday would be an extensive birding trip through all
of South Africa, especially the Northern Cape – an area which
I have never visited. Another dream destination would be Madagascar
and its incredible birds and mammals which Ian Sinclair described
at a Cape Bird Club meeting earlier this year." (Campbell Fleming,
July 2009).
About Birding Africa
Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour company customising tours
for both world listers and more relaxed holiday birders. We combine interests
in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany and other natural history
aspects and will guide you to Africa's and Madagascar's most diverse birding
destinations. Our guides' knowledge of
African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength and together
we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations with the birding
community and had a fun time exploring our home continent. We've even
written two acclaimed guide books
on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best birds. Birding
is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and we are dedicated to
making professional, best value trips filled with endemic species and
unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997, we've run bird watching tours
in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders, small
birding groups and top international tour companies. We've run Conservation
Tours in association with the African Bird Club and work with and
consult for a number of other top international tour companies and the
BBC Natural History Unit.
