This is a voluntary working relationship with the City of Cape Town and the Cape Bird Club since 1978.
This past week Cape Town endured 5 days of intense heat, with two days of 40 degree C temperatures at mid day. So it as a relief that today the SE wind was blowing keeping the temperature cool and pleasant. The sky was clear and blue. The estuary mouth was open, which is unusual for this time of the month in the lunar cycle, New Moon on 19 March. The water level was still quite full.
Bert, Heidi and I carried on cutting Brazilian Pepper trees mainly, some large ones. It is slow going as they are in the dense reed beds along side the railway line near the Lakeside station in the swales. One has to clear the reeds to be able to get to the main stems of the trees. These trees have grown very quickly as their roots are in very damp soil with a high water table. The one large tree we cut down had flower buds in profusion, so at least this tree wont produce seed again. This past weeks heat probably triggered the flower bud activity.
The yellow Lobelia flowers are still prevailing. There are very few flowering plants currently. There is a newish herbaceous plant growing along a pathway near the scout bases, similar to the Wilde Als shrub this being much smaller variety with the same distinct smell. There were numerous flies in patches on the damp soil in the reed pond. A few dragonflies, grasshoppers and butterflies were also seen along the pathways.
We saw only 9 bird species this afternoon and the highlight was a Three banded Plover in the reed pond. The high wind and the temperatures during the week probably an influencing factor. A few Coots were the only birds to be seen on the main water body.
See this link for the past reports of what we have done.
Photographs by Gavin Lawson.
Gavin Lawson.
