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.
After a stormy, rainy, cold week today was forecast to have a respite. There has been record rainfall for this month in the Cape Town and surrounding areas (see the photos at the litter trap on the Sand River) where 28 Sacred Ibis were feeding in this area. A very brief light sprinkle of rain with a rainbow as well as bright sun shine, when we were about to start counting on the west shore. There were pools of water more than ankle deep in many areas we walk through, so wellies were a good call from Gigi earlier in the week. The main waterbody was full and overflowing the northern edges in the upper region even though it was low tide and the estuary mouth has been open for the last 6 weeks for the winter season. There was no wind today and in areas the water was glass smooth with wonderful inverted reflections. Thanks to Kyran and his staff counting the Marina canals by boat. He found half the flock of Night Herons which also had a juvenile (see the photo) with them.
Zandvlei Lower.
We were lucky today the rain held off for the count. There were lots of puddles see the reflections in the photo between Promenade Road and the Yacht Club sheds. There were not many birds on the main waterbody today they are probably still in hiding from the inclement weather for the last 2 weeks.
The sand spit between bends one and two was nearly submerged under the sheet of water which did not seem to be moving by the glassy appearance (see photos) but when near the mouth of the estuary it was flowing at a great rate.
It is good to note that the Little Egret and Spoonbill numbers have remained consistent at the July counts for the last 10 years.
The heron and ibis roosting tree in Axminster Road is being actively used again with 6 Grey Herons, 1 African Sacred Ibis and 1 Black headed Heron on nests in the tree in the garden of the guest house.
Zandvlei Westlake Wetlands and Rutter Road Pond.
The brown silt laden water from the catchment was flowing very fast under the railway bridge at 1 metre per 3 seconds. We noted 4 Brown throated Martins flying about the confluence of the Westlake and Keysers Rivers and under the railway bridge and up and down the canal. This suggests that there has been a successful hatching of 2 chicks from the nesting hole we saw at the April count, which was being used. Two of the birds were slightly smaller than the other 2. If this is true, then this is the first successful recording of this species breeding at the Zandvlei Nature Reserve. We could still see the Rutter Road Pond from the railway bridge as the reeds have not regrown yet since the fire earlier in the year. A canoeist came paddling against the current up the canal and asked if we had seen a Malachite Kingfisher yet, we had recorded 2 so far. The Westlake and Keysers Rivers were clear and free of visible invasive weeds.
We did not see any of the usual birds prey today. The Marsh Harrier has been missing for some months.
Thank you to all who came to help today, your contribution does make a difference.
Bird list supplied by Gigi Laidler.
Trip: 2024_07_20 Zandvlei CWAC
Date: 2024-07-20 to 2024-07-20
Observations: 50
Species: 50
Species (heard only): 2
Pentad: 3405_1825, Start: 2024-07-20, End: 2024-07-20, Species: 50, Observations: 50
1. Three-banded Plover, 2024-07-20 11:21
2. Red-winged Starling, 2024-07-20 11:19
3. Grey Heron, 2024-07-20 11:15
4. Black-headed Heron, 2024-07-20 11:15
5. Grey-headed Gull, 2024-07-20 11:02
6. Common Tern, 2024-07-20 10:24
7. Rock Dove, 2024-07-20 10:24
8. Cape Wagtail, 2024-07-20 10:18
9. Hybrid Mallard, 2024-07-20 10:02
10. Malachite Sunbird, 2024-07-20 10:02
11. Egyptian Goose, 2024-07-20 10:00
12. Cape White-eye, 2024-07-20 09:45
13. Cape Sparrow, 2024-07-20 09:43
14. Common Waxbill, 2024-07-20 09:43
15. Hadada Ibis, 2024-07-20 09:35
16. Hartlaub’s Gull, 2024-07-20 09:33
17. Pied Avocet, 2024-07-20 09:32
18. Water Thick-knee, 2024-07-20 09:32
19. Great Crested Grebe, 2024-07-20 09:28
20. Kelp Gull, 2024-07-20 09:20
21. Caspian Tern, 2024-07-20 09:20
22. Southern Masked Weaver, 2024-07-20 09:18
23. Cape Cormorant, 2024-07-20 09:14
24. Blacksmith Lapwing, 2024-07-20 09:11
25. Pied Crow, 2024-07-20 09:11
26. Red-knobbed Coot, 2024-07-20 09:09
27. Purple Heron, 2024-07-20 09:07
28. Pied Kingfisher, 2024-07-20 09:00
29. Little Grebe, 2024-07-20 08:56
30. Helmeted Guineafowl, 2024-07-20 08:53
31. Malachite Kingfisher, 2024-07-20 08:51
32. Little Egret, 2024-07-20 08:50
33. Brown-throated Martin, 2024-07-20 08:48
34. Lesser Swamp Warbler, 2024-07-20 08:46
35. Little Rush Warbler, 2024-07-20 08:38
36. Southern Double-collared Sunbird, 2024-07-20 08:33
37. Levaillant’s Cisticola, 2024-07-20 08:33
38. Cape Weaver, 2024-07-20 08:32
39. Common Moorhen, 2024-07-20 08:31
40. African Sacred Ibis, 2024-07-20 08:23
41. Black Sparrowhawk, 2024-07-20 08:23
42. Cape Robin-Chat, 2024-07-20 08:20
43. Common Starling, 2024-07-20 08:18
44. African Darter, 2024-07-20 08:16
45. Yellow-billed Duck, 2024-07-20 08:16
46. Cape Bulbul, 2024-07-20 08:15
47. Reed Cormorant, 2024-07-20 08:14
48. Speckled Pigeon, 2024-07-20 08:14
49. Red-eyed Dove, 2024-07-20 08:14
50. Southern Fiscal, 2024-07-20 08:13
photographs by Gavin Lawson, Gigi Laidler and Kyran Wright.
Gavin Lawson.
Below are the count datas for 20 July 2024.
