Lions, warthogs, meerkats, giraffes, blesboks, bat-eared foxes, aardwolf, secretarybirds, sandgrouse, bustards, owls, falcons, eagles, hornbills and a variety of weavers and finches awaited us in the Kalahari desert.

The shrublands and grasslands of the karoo offered an array of habitat endemics including numerous bustards, warblers, chats and larks as we drove north of Cape Town for some days.

I started a challenge trying to see a different bird every single bird this 2026. January brought nice sights in northern Spain, mountains and wetlands of Alicante and ultimately frozen forests in Finland.

Ría de Santoña in New Year’s provides cracking winter specialties: brant geese, horned grebes, loons and waders. Mega red-breasted geese and redpolls are bonus additions to an awesome short trip.

Southern Cádiz ensures top-class birding. Local specialties such as house swift and northern bald ibis were combined with migratory birds such as ortolan bunting in La Janda or puffins and poms in Tarifa.