CWAC at Zandvlei Nature Reserve – 18 October 2014.

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.

Clear blue sky, initailly the morning was cool, with little to no wind till about 10h00. It is felt that Thursday and early Friday morning which had an almost gale force SE wind blowing continuously, was the contributing factor to so few birds present at Zandvlei. By 11h00 it was probably 25 degees C with slight SE breeze. The estauary mouth was closed.
Note that no count took place in the Marina da Gama channels. The water inflow under the railway bridge was 1 metre per 20 seconds. The water was still very turbid at the confluence at the railway bridge. In the vlei main body the visiblity was very good. The preceding days SE wind may have influenced the clarity of the water from the wave action generated. The most observed birds in the air were the African Darters. A Black Sparrowhawk was seen carrying a part catch of something and was flying west across the Westlake Wetlands at about 25 metres high, with an adult Fish Eagle as an escort keeping pace and an even distance towards Pollsmoor area. An observation in the lower part of the estuary the sand prawn blow holes have extended beyond the 3rd bend from Royal Road bridge. An indication that saline water is reaching further up into the main body of Zandvlei. This area was inhabited by mud prawn (freshwater species) less than 15 years ago.

 

photographs by Gavin Lawson.

Gavin Lawson.

 

SHARE THIS


Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.