CWAC at Zandvlei Nature Reserve – 16 January 2016.

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.

Weather – clear sky, sunny, light SE breeze. The preceding days of the week, the wind had been very strong SE. Most of the birds were sheltering out of the wind. The mouth of the estuary was closed, with evidence of the spring tide washing kelp over the berm into the estuary mouth under the promenade walkway. Barry and Val Cleveland counted by canoe and did the northern canals of the Marina and the night heron roost canals. The pans in the upper Reserve area are dry. There was no inflow into Zandvlei from under the railway bridge confluence of the Westlake and Keysers Rivers.
The seasonal pans were completely dry and there were very few visible birds except for swifts and swallows hawking insects. The water weed in the Westlake River and the blind canal appears to be dead eaten by the bio-control insects released last year on the plants. Mexican water lily is thriving in the mostly open water of the Keysers River. Further up the Keysers the hyacinth is taking hold in this part of the growing season.
Angus and Frances Hemp counted the southern canals of the Marina by canoe. Saw 2 leervis 60cm long swimming close to the shore in the Caravan Park. Saw a large mullet clear the water in Battleridge canal, Marina da Gama. The Egyptian Geese were sheltering on the Caravan Park site out of the prevailing wind. Surprising to see the Flamingo also sheltering in a small bay of the Caravan Park. Many more than normal Blacksmith Lapwing also sheltering with the E.Geese.

photographs by Gavin Lawson.

Gavin Lawson.

 

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