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.
The weather was not ideal for bird counting. The sky was cloudless and sunny with a howling cold SE wind, blowing at what was reported to be 65km p/h. The estuary had waves generated by the wind and its level was full. Sheltered in the Promenade Road reed pond were a pair of Cape Teal and a Little Egret (see photo) it was surprising there were not more species in there, as it was wind free. It was full moon today. There was no water flow at the railway bridge, the surface water was being blown back into the confluence of the Keysers and Westlake Rivers. The NW bank of the scout basin was being eroded by the wave action of the high water level. A note about the colour (see photo) of the water in the upper reaches, it was a pale greenish colour suggesting it was almost pure sea water captured by the opening and closing of the estuary mouth. It would be interesting to see the salinity reading. The night heron roost and the northern canals of the Marina were not counted due to the strength of the wind for canoeing.
Due to the wind there were very few birds to be seen on the main waterbody and most were sheltering else where. The Water Thick knees at the scout base were not there as a scout camp was being erected on the grounds. There were 3 Spotted Thick knees at the canoe club grounds as an incidental note, as well as a juvenile African Harrier Hawk scattering many garden bird species over the houses in Lakeside adjacent to the yacht basin. The southern Marina canals were counted by canoe thanks to Kyran and Catlin. The estuary mouth was closed with the dozer working at preparing levels for the high tide to trap the incoming tidal flow of seawater and not also not letting any estuary water out. This is part of the “estuary mouth management” process at full moon and or new moon.
When we were trying to stand on the bridge railway tracks we were being buffeted by the strong wind and had to be very secure in our footing. The confluence at the railway bridge is clear of invasive waterweed. The Westlake River is clear to the Main Road bridge. The Keysers is clear till around the bend. The canal fed by the stream from the Westlake ponds and stormwater drains was also clear, so somebodies have been removing the invasives recently. Only Yellow Billed Ducks were flying about with a few African Darters. No kingfishers, bitterns or African Marsh Harriers.
photographs by Gavin Lawson, Dennis and Gigi Laidler.
Gavin Lawson.
Below are the count datas for 16 April 2022.
Zandvlei Westlake Wetlands and Rutter Road Pond.
