I based the colouring of the Love Knysna website on the Knysna Loerie Bird (or Tauraco as it is also called); green, red, white and black. Sometimes shades make for yellows, blues and purples. It’s the perfect bird for the area because its appearance identifies with the landscape too. It is an evergreen Garden Route with yellow morning sunrises and red sunsets in summer, blue rivers and estuary, and an island bedecked with white houses.

Although considered to be an emblem of our town, the Loerie Bird is almost mythical in some areas…and  damn shy too:) I’m far luckier than most for they like the garden where i stay. For the past month, in between rain, they adopted the yellow-berried tree next to my room at the bottom of the garden, taking excursions to the guava trees 50 metres away. At one stage, there were 7 of them to which a 12 year resident remarked that it was the first time that she’d seen so many.

When i was browsing the web, my heart stopped when i saw the breathtaking photo (above) by Jan Fourie. He must must have had talent and luck or patience to have seized this perfect moment. They fly so quickly that all you’d normally see is a flash of red and then it’s gone. I got hold of Jan and he was kind enough to give me use of his photo for Love Knysna. Thanks, Jan!