I still remember when we were on 99 birds.

Henriette and I started recording our bird sightings in 2019, and by September we had identified and photographed close to 90 birds. Then COVID came and forced many local sights and destinations to close for lengthy periods.

When they eventually reopened, travel suddenly became far more affordable for locals. We booked into Lion Sands and enjoyed what international visitors had experienced for years — at prices that made travel for locals seem almost unreal.

How was it possible that something as simple as visiting a concession in the Kruger Park could now cost so much less?

Not inclined to question it — we simply enjoyed the massively discounted prices while they lasted.

We spent a few days finding, photographing, and identifying birds, recording them on the wonderful BirdLasser app — such a concise and simple way to log sightings.

I remember getting really excited when we saw our first White-crested Helmetshrike. That sighting took us to 98 birds. Then we spotted the White-backed Puffback — number 99 — and the excitement really built. Just one more to reach our hundredth sighting.

While standing on the deck overlooking a waterhole, a man strolled over and casually said,
“There’s a Black Duck that will be your hundred.”

I looked at Henriette, then at the bird paddling away in the water. My thoughts were simple: What does he know? There is no such bird.

Turns out, we were wrong.

A lesson in humility… and bird number 100.

It was never really about reaching a number. It was about being present in a rare season, sharing quiet moments, and being reminded — gently — that we don’t always know as much as we think we do. Sometimes life gives us unexpected discounts, unexpected gifts, and unexpected corrections. The real value lies in noticing them, appreciating them, and allowing them to shape us — one small moment at a time.