This is a working relationship with the City of Cape Town and the Cape Bird Club.
Alan Morris started the co-ordinated bird counts in December 1974 and they still continue at Zandvlei.
Zandvlei Upper.
The weather was near perfect cool to start and clear and sunny with a SE breeze strengthening while we were counting. At the Main gate there was a Black Sparrowhawk which flew into on of the pine trees at about 07h30 flushing a number of birds in the area. Then on the western shore, when we were setting off Barbara spotted a Peregrine Falcon eating a Red Eyed Dove for breakfast on a railway line pylon at the Lakeside station. When walking along the pathway we saw Grysbok spoor and nearly stood on a Raucous Toad which managed to get into the under growth before a photo could be taken. Then underneath a wooden board we found a pair of Tropical House Crickets Gryllodes sigillatus (see photo). Thank you to Barry and Val Cleveland for counting the Marina north canal and the Night Heron roost area. Also thanks to David and Joan Walker for doing the Main Reserve area. We did search for the Water Thick knees but they were missing from their usual place. They were counted in the Caravan Park across the main waterbody. A highlight would be all the African Spoonbills we saw today.
Zandvlei Lower.
There were very few birds on the main waterbody today. Something we noticed with the water level so low was the growth of black mussels along the western concrete wall or revetment. This indicates that the salinity has been kept very high for an extended time for these mussels to establish and flourish (see the photos). These mussels extend from the estuary mouth concrete walls and the rubble weir all the way to the yacht basin. Speculation is the mussels are establishing themselves onto the Marina canals revetments as well as the Caravan Park and Park Island revetments on the eastern side of the main waterbody. 10 years ago they were not in evidence, so it is a short term management intervention result in keeping the salinity levels of the estuary very high. Another indicator is the new range of the sand prawn holes which were exposed due to the low water level. The sandy bottom of the estuary between the Royal Road Bridge and the 2nd bend was exposed with two shallow streams towards the mouth. The estuary mouth was mechanically closed, and when done, it must have been at a low tide. There has not been any rainfall run off from the catchment in the last week. A Purple Heron flew out of the reeds and landed nearby on the sand spit, when we were counting all the gulls on at “the cookie cutter” (the old radio controlled sailing yacht basin) near Thesens bridge. Kyran (Reserve Manager)used the inflatable motor boat (it is very quiet) to count the southern Marina canals. Park Island and the Caravan Park were counted as well.
Zandvlei Westlake Wetlands and Rutter Road Pond.
The Peninsula Marathon along the Main Road going past the Wetlands had no effect on the birds today. There was lots of activity with Yellow billed Ducks streaming in from the east, while we were there at the railway bridge. The water level was very low and there was no flow under the railway bridge. We saw the Nature Reserve staff through the long reeds counting their section of the wetlands. A highlight was a African Marsh Harrier flushing +/- 100 Yellow billed Ducks in a section of the wetlands along with a few other species. We also saw a Yellow billed Egret fly past in the direction of the Main Reserve where it was also counted. A number of African Spoonbills were recorded.
This is Gigi Laidlers list of birds seen this morning.
Pentad: 3405_1825, Start: 2023-04-15, End: 2023-04-15, Species: 41, Observations: 57
1. Pied Crow, 2023-04-15 12:03
2. Hartlaub’s Gull, 2023-04-15 11:46
3. Egyptian Goose, 2023-04-15 11:46
4. African Sacred Ibis, 2023-04-15 11:32
5. Cape Wagtail, 2023-04-15 11:29
6. Purple Heron, 2023-04-15 11:25
7. Reed Cormorant, 2023-04-15 11:23
8. Hadada Ibis, 2023-04-15 11:10
9. Levaillant’s Cisticola, 2023-04-15 11:05
10. Rock Dove, 2023-04-15 11:02
11. House Sparrow, 2023-04-15 11:01
12. Laughing Dove, 2023-04-15 10:59
13. Cape Sparrow, 2023-04-15 10:46
14. Speckled Pigeon, 2023-04-15 10:46
15. Cape Weaver, 2023-04-15 10:44
16. Blacksmith Lapwing, 2023-04-15 10:33
17. Cape Wagtail, 2023-04-15 10:33
18. Reed Cormorant, 2023-04-15 10:29
19. Great Crested Grebe, 2023-04-15 10:29
20. Southern Fiscal, 2023-04-15 10:22
21. Hybrid Mallard, 2023-04-15 09:57
22. Blacksmith Lapwing, 2023-04-15 09:55
23. Cape Teal, 2023-04-15 09:54
24. Great Crested Grebe, 2023-04-15 09:51
25. White-breasted Cormorant, 2023-04-15 09:28
26. African Marsh Harrier, 2023-04-15 09:28
27. Brown-throated Martin, 2023-04-15 09:25
28. African Sacred Ibis, 2023-04-15 09:23
29. African Spoonbill, 2023-04-15 09:16
30. Cape Shoveler, 2023-04-15 09:15
31. Red-knobbed Coot, 2023-04-15 09:15
32. Common Moorhen, 2023-04-15 09:15
33. Grey-headed Gull, 2023-04-15 09:14
34. Little Egret, 2023-04-15 09:13
35. Purple Heron, 2023-04-15 09:11
36. Reed Cormorant, 2023-04-15 09:08
37. African Darter, 2023-04-15 09:07
38. Grey Heron, 2023-04-15 09:04
39. Black-crowned Night Heron, 2023-04-15 09:04
40. Malachite Kingfisher, 2023-04-15 08:59
41. Pied Kingfisher, 2023-04-15 08:59
42. Cape Spurfowl, 2023-04-15 08:49
43. African Sacred Ibis, 2023-04-15 08:48
44. Levaillant’s Cisticola, 2023-04-15 08:46
45. Lesser Swamp Warbler, 2023-04-15 08:46
46. Little Egret, 2023-04-15 08:42
47. Hartlaub’s Gull, 2023-04-15 08:42
48. Kelp Gull, 2023-04-15 08:42
49. Egyptian Goose, 2023-04-15 08:41
50. Yellow-billed Duck, 2023-04-15 08:41
51. African Darter, 2023-04-15 08:41
52. Cape Sparrow, 2023-04-15 08:32
53. Purple Heron, 2023-04-15 08:30
54. Peregrine Falcon, 2023-04-15 08:16
55. Common Starling, 2023-04-15 08:13
56. Speckled Pigeon, 2023-04-15 08:13
57. Red-eyed Dove, 2023-04-15 08:11
photographs by Gavin Lawson.
Gavin Lawson.
Below are the count datas for 15 April 2023.
Zandvlei Westlake Wetlands and Rutter Road Pond.
