There are birders and then there's Peter Kaestner. He's a retired US diplomat who holds the world record for seeing the most bird species, 9,856 birds. A duck on the back of our 10 dollar note was his nemesis for years, but he eventually spotted it and crossed it off his list. His goal is to see 10-thousand in his lifetime. With every tick off the list comes a story; altitude sickness in Bolivia, trekking through forest in Papua New Guinea with a guide wearing a human skull on a necklace. Each bird is more than a conquest. It's a reminder of the magnificence and wonder of birds with whom we share this planet.
Blue Duck, Waipakihi River, Turangi, Nov 7, 2016. Photo: Peter Kaestner
