Your Birdguide - Ian Mileham

I started birding seriously in 1985, when the first Roberts Bird Guide was published.  I was travelling with my parents in the Kruger National Park at the time, and asked if they could buy the newly published field guide as a birthday gift for me.  Until then, I was put of birding, with field guides available doing nothing to stimulate my interest.  

Hailing from Oudtshoorn, I did most of my early birding in the Great Karoo and Garden Route of SA.  The back of my garden at home was typically like the Great Karoo and my front garden like the Garden Route!

Since moving to Cape Town in 2003, I have come to know and appreciate the birds in and around Cape Peninsula.  I’ve conducted many tours to the West Coast, Lamberts Bay, Betty’s Bay, Paarl Winelands, Stellenbosch and the Overberg . Touring around with Brian Vanderwalt has exposed me to further birding areas such as Northern Cape, Tankwa Karoo and Grootvadersbos.  Brian doesn’t hesitate to share his knowledge, and I’ve benefited hugely from this.

What motivates me is the clients’ delight when I find them a special bird.  I enjoy the challenge of employing all my skills, knowledge, and senses in the process of finding the “difficult to find” birds.”

Ian has a qualified Nature Site Guide Level 4, Provincial Birding and Tourist Guide.  Apart from attending many Birding courses to hone is skills, he has presented several courses to birders, was regularly hosted on radio talk shows and participated in many birding counts and surveys.  Ian has also been a member of the Tygerberg Bird Club since 2004.