This is a voluntary working relationship with the City of Cape Town and the Cape Bird Club since 1978.
Blue sky above us and with distant light clouds in the distant, over the mountains across False Bay. The SE wind was picking up to quite strong and small white horses were seen in the main waterbody. No birds were evident on or flying over the main waterbody either. The estuary mouth was closed and the water level was high and a reason why there is still water in the pond at this time of the year. The ground water is keeping it fed. There has been no significant rainfall for the past 6 months. This pond formed part of the main waterbody many years ago and it is unknown when the infill was put in pace to form the current shoreline. This pond when empty gives one an idea of how deep the main water body used to be. It has also filled up with silt and wind blown dust since it was first dug.
The reeds in the other pond have grown back with some determination after the fire, indicating there is plenty of nutrient in this stormwater outlet from Promenade Road. Nearby the Yellow Lobelia (Monopsis lutea) are still flowering, the only plants flowering in the area currently. We saw a sand wasp and very few other crawling, hopping or flying insects this afternoon.
Heidi, Robyn and I continued where we left off last month cutting down Port Jackson, Rookrans and Manatoka saplings and pulling seedlings. We were working in an area with reeds which requires clearing before one can get at the main stems. Robyn is new to hacking and came to see what it is about and seemed to enjoy herself.
Just as we finished for the afternoon a Citrus Swallowtail butterfly came fluttering into the reeds very near to us, to our delight. It was coming to thank us for getting rid of the invasives, so we declared.
The bird species count was 12, the strong wind was the factor causing birds to find shelter else where out of the wind.
See this link for the past reports of what we have done.
Photographs by Gavin Lawson.
Gavin Lawson.
