A winter morning in Johannesburg. Chilly, dark clouds scudding through the sky. Silence. Too much silence. I wait for the few melodic sounds of birds: dark-headed bulbuls, mostly, with a few Cape robins. A thin, sporadic set of utterings, not like the magnificent dawn chorus of summer.
This relative lack of birdsong is what I hate most about winter. I’m not sure exactly in my life when these complex melodies became so important to me. I had a mild interest in birds when I was child, prompted by my grandfather and mother who were keen birdwatchers. My youngest brother adored them, and from a very early age, even as a toddler, he could mimic the calls of the Piet-my-Vrou in particular. His favourite bird was the magnificent golden, orange and black Crested Barbet. He would watch for hours in my grandparent’s garden for it to come and feed on the pawpaw skins my grandmother left out for him. Today in his small back garden in Cape Town he has a semi-tame Jacky Hanger that he feeds near his washing line every day. Birds are a deep part of his psyche.
During the rebellion of my teenage years, I lost all interest in birds. I thought it was nerdy and weird to like them. To my shame I sometimes even teased my youngest brother about this love he held for the bright world around him. There was one exception: on a family trip to Namibia, I was fascinated by the vast, intricate constructions of the Sociable Weaver. Enormous grass palaces filled with tunnels that take up most of the acacia shrubs they are built in.
hamilton wende
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Based in Johannesburg, this veteran international journalist has spent forty years reporting from the front lines of 17 global conflicts for networks like CNN, the BBC, and National Geographic.
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A prolific author of nine books and a top-tier keynote speaker, Hamilton blends gripping frontline storytelling with practical business wisdom, showing leaders exactly how to maintain focus, build trust, and drive results when under pressure.
