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.
During the preceding week the wind blew almost constantly day and night, gusting to gale force at times. Today was no different except the wind was a constant gale force. Yesterday and today the Table Mountain cable car station was closed due to the high winds. Roofs blew off buildings and trees were up rooted in places around Cape Town. This to give an explanation for the conditions and lack of birds during the count.
The sky was clear, sunny and the air temperature was warm. The estuary mouth was closed and there was no water flow under the railway bridge.
There were few birds to be seen on the open water or in the air. Two Great White Pelicans were seen flying over the nature reserve before the count started (see the photo) they landed near the Sand River confluence, but they were not seen during the count.
Thank you to Angus and Frances Hemp going out in their canoe today to do the north section.
The confluence of the Westlake and Keysers Rivers is blocked with a variety of invasive waterweed species growing in these rivers and extending further back into the catchment.
The wind speed increased by mid morning and at times the counters were nearly being pushed off their feet. The majority of Kelp Gulls counted in the lower section were juveniles standing on the exposed sand bars in the estuary and were probably from Strandfontein.
photographs by Gavin Lawson.
Gavin Lawson.
Below are the count datas for 18 January 2020.
Zandvlei upper count.
Zandvlei lower count.
Zandvlei Westlake Wetlands and Rutter Road Pond.
