This is a voluntary working relationship with the City of Cape Town and the Cape Bird Club since 1974.
There was a howling SE wind blowing at 13m/s. Fortunately where we were working in the reeds next to the Keysers River we were sheltered from the wind but affected by it when trying to move tall cut branches. The reeds have started to grow very quickly after the exceptional rains this winter. The ground was still quite wet where we were working on cutting back the copsed Brazilian Pepper trees, it rained for a very short while last night. The ground water is high presently and should start to drop and the soil will dry out with the beginning of the summer cycle of SE winds blowing. This week the daily air temperatures were rising as well. The grasses are waving their pollen free, which is the onset of “hay fever season”.
Robin went on a reece to see what was flowering and plants which have come up after the rains and the start of the warmer weather. He reported no resprouting from the area we called “the forest” where we worked last year. Good.
We did not see any inspect species walking, crawling or flying about today.
The bird species on the move all afternoon were the Sacred Ibis for some reason. Not in flocks, but in pairs and singly, struggling to where ever they were aimed. Just before we left a male Pintailed Whydah arrived in the tree we were working under. He stayed for some time which is unusual. Maybe this was his current territory. We saw 22 bird species today which was good considering the very strong wind conditions. A pair of Black Sparrowhawks were seen crossing the reed beds.
See this link for the past reports of what we have done.
photographs by Gavin Lawson.
Gavin Lawson.
