The Cape Bird Club

MINUTES OF THE CAPE BIRD CLUB CONSERVATION COMMITTEE

Minutes of the meeting held on Mon  7 September 2009 at Dave's house.

Present: Dave Whitelaw, Gavin Lawson, Felicity Ellmore, Doug Harebottle, Frank Wygold, Isabella Haydon, Stacy-Anne Michaels.
Apologies: Cliff Dorse, Suretha Dorse.

1. Strandfontein – Hyacinth – Asief has designed a machine to suck in water and hyacinth and chop up the hyacinth. It sinks to the bottom and decomposes. He says the weevil is still around. The City Council wants someone to get rid of hyacinth in the whole of CT.

• Dave had a meeting with someone from the Western Cape Angling Society. All fishermen will get a card to show them where they can fish.
• Michael Toll is leaving.
• Victoria still hasn’t sent Gavin info for the website.

2. Paarden Eiland – There is still a problem with the dogs, they are hunting in the vlei. Frank will ask that something is done about it at the Zoarvlei management meeting on Friday.

• There has been a leak from the sewage pipes for about 7 weeks. They are fixing it now.
• There was a toxic dye from printing inks going into the vlei because the grids were clogged. That has also been fixed.
• At the southern end of the vlei there is now a device to capture litter coming into the vlei.
• An area of Port Jackson has been cut down but none of the stumps were treated so now it is coppicing. There are also seedlings coming up in between.
• There is a problem with bergies tipping the rubbish out of wheelie bins and leaving what they don’t want on the ground. There is also building rubble and other stuff being dumped.
• The alarm system is not working – Frank will phone chubb and find out if they can fix it and what it will cost.
• There is a pair of Rock kestrels nesting in the boiler house.

3. Raapenberg – nothing to report.

4. Edith Stephens – Hyacinth problem – starting with official clearing in October Biological, mechanical and chemical all together.

• Leopard toads – counted close to 100 in 3 nights of counting.
• Case group – had three years training. Now leading other groups.
• Holiday program Wendy Hitchcock took some to do a drawing course. Others were taught crafts. Now selling candles for funds.
• There are going to be concerts in December.
• Bird Club – plans for 4 dates for next year one to Boulders penguins – July one to Cape Point
  one to Intaka – 19 Dec 2009 – Doug will get hold of people at Intaka.
• There are Owls in someones roof in Phillippi. Need to be identified so that they know what type of owl box to build.
• Stacy wants to fix up the roosting platforms.
• There is a hole in the roof of the offices at Edith Stephens which needs to be fixed.

5. Flaminkvlei – Dave got a letter from the minister of the environment – Anton 
Bredell. He stated that the moving of the municipal boundary is not recognised.

• Cape Nature are planning on making it a Ramsar site.

6. Bantamsklip – Nothing to report

7. House crow – Starlicide still not registered

• Money has run out
• Government has turned down a request for funding.

8. Penguins – According to Rob Crawford the ban on fishing around two of the islands is going to be extended as it is benefiting the penguins.

NEXT MEETING – 26 October 2009 at Dave’s house.