The Cape Bird Club

Edith Stephens Wetland Park – CBC Conservation Committee visit May 2008

This is a working partnership with a number of NGO's and the City of Cape Town.

On a cold, rainy morning on the 10 May 2008, forty seven people attended, including most of the Conservation Committee.
This was the final day of the week long presentations and workshops held to try and establish a Cape Flats Bird Club at the Edith Stephens Wetland Park. 
Stacy-Ann Michaels (Environmental Education Officer) devised a programme to enthuse and educate the potential club members.

photograph by Doug Harebottle                                           photograph by Doug Harebottle

Part of the audience                                          Stacy handing out Promerops magazines

 
photograph by Doug Harebottle                              photograph by Doug Harebottle

Dave Whitelaw giving an overview of the importance and fun members of the Club can have when learning about birds and their habitats.

The activities were surrounding the fynbos biomes food chain links, e.g.: Plants, insects, amphibians, raptors. 
Each station was as practical as possible and the round-robin was a great success.

One of our stations braved the rain (Felicity – fynbos plant station) the rest cosied into the hall and a fun, warm time was had by all.
Felicity spoke about plants and birds - "so I used sunbirds as pollinators as an example as they have plants like Leonotus (wild dagga) and Tecomaria (Cape Honeysuckle) in the garden at Edith Stephens. We looked at the shape of the flowers etc. Then we walked around the garden and I showed them plants that grow easily and attract birds and insects - eg Leonotus, Tecomaria, Pelargoniums, Chrysanthemoides (bitoubos), Salvia etc. 
They were all very keen to find ripe fruits of the Natal Plum/Num-num even though it had long thorns".

photograph by Doug Harebottle                                                photograph by Doug Harebottle

Stacy and Dave                                                    A group picture with Doug Harebottle, Dave and
                                                                          Jeniffer van Niekerk - Committee members with
                                                                          some aspiring bird watchers.