African Wildlife and Environment Issue 66

CONSERVATION After some years of ‘birding as a hobby’, a radio interview with a professor from the ADU of the University of Cape Town caught our attention. It was about ten years ago, and the professor was Les Underhill, passionately recruiting volunteers for the SABAP2 project. The catch-phrase ‘Birding with a purpose’ (thanks to Doug Harebottle) convinced me that something ‘with a purpose’ can make a difference. SABAP2 made that difference to my birding career. In fact, today one would claim the title of ‘Citizen Scientist’ rather than just ‘Birder’, and proudly market the exceptional success of the SABAP2 project as a volunteer member of the team.

CONSERVATION

A decade of ‘LASSING

Renier & Millene Balt

It is now the decadal anniversary of that first list input on 15 July 2007, with many lists and observations to follow.

and ‘Atlassing Bashes’ focuses to increase coverage. Special awards on the SABAP2 website also motivates Atlassers to increase SABAP2 coverage. During 2011 many pentads remained un surveyed. A highlight of our atlassing career was the invitation by Mike and Chibby Clacey to complete virgin pentads north of Lephalale (Ellisras), stay over at their beautiful Dombyea residence, and enjoy their warm hospitality. In many cases our lists remain the only entry to date.

Geographic distribution

and personalities of ‘birders/atlassing’ volunteers. ORF (Out-of-Range Form) : These forms are received by ‘atlassers’ when a species on the input list is deemed to be out of range, taking a variety of factors into account, such as confirmed distribution from previous inputs. Nothing gives greater pleasure than ‘being the first’. The first to provide a list for a pentad or the first to see the species in a pentad . This happens when an ORF has been ‘triggered’ . One then embarks on a challenging process with the RAC to motivate that the record is scientifically justifiable, and should be changed to ‘accepted’. Those with responsibility to vet the ORF inputs, (sometimes referred to as the ‘Vetters’) are normally hard to please, (and rightly so). Without a reasonable quality picture or sound recording as proof, records should be put on hold. To me this process added value and most importantly the opportunity for learning and growth. A couple of our best ORFs are shared. The privilege of a stay at the beautiful Welgevonden Nature Reserve in the Waterberg is enhanced when one can do this with other birding enthusiasts. I was with Johan Verloren van Themaat and family when the record of a Green capped Eremomela was recorded , which was also #700 on my personal life-list. ‘Atlassing’, definitely helps to increase one’s life-list, even if chasing numbers is not an objective. And in Namibia, I was somewhat surprised to receive this ORF of the Barlow’s Lark as the exact location was so well described in Southern African Birdfinder (Cohen et al) ... from Aus on the B4 to Luderitz ...search in an area of low euphorbia north of the road about 3.5 km west of the road sign that reads ‘Luderitz 50km. ’ Chasing virgin pentads is the serious Atlasser’s dream. (Virgin pentads have zero full protocol lists). A Facebook page ‘Atlassing on the Edge’ was created

Our first full protocol list - 15 July 2007

Virgin Pentads: Dombeya and Mziki

The initial objective was fairly simple. Input at least one list every month. Except for a few months out of country, this objective was achieved. The objective soon became a habit, and maybe even an addiction... that feeling of emptiness after a couple of weeks passed by without ‘atlassing’! More important,’ atlassing’ took ‘atlassers’ to the wide corners of our beautiful sub-continent and made the trips to this corner of the world more meaningful, with our ‘memories’ not only about the cultures, peoples, landscape and experiences, but also spiced with observations (and maybe some ‘pics’) of bird species that were observed and identified. Bird ‘atlassing’ gave a whole new meaning to ‘birding’.

Full protocol pentads: monthly inputs

Some highlights of our SABAP2 CS (Citizen Scientist) career To those not participating in SABAP2, some definitions are required: RACs (Regional Atlas Committees) : These committees are set up to ensure the quality of data input by ‘atlassing’ volunteers, a truly challenging task given the data volumes, variety of potential errors

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19 | African Wildlife & Environment | 66 (2017)