Farewell the Waders, West Coast National Park, 19 March 2023.
The day began at 04h30 with my alarm going off and me thinking that must be a mistake and silencing it! Fortunately, my wife Khairunisa’s alarm went off a few minutes later and we started getting ready for the trek out to West Coast National Park. As a new club member, I was very excited about my first club outing.
We got to the R27 entrance just after 07h00, only to find the gate was not open yet. We spent the time introducing ourselves to Penny and company who were just in front of us in the queue.
As planned, we met up with about 30 club members at Geelbek. Mel Tripp, the leader for the day, explained that he had misread the tide report. He had checked last year’s report! Fortunately, it didn’t make much of a difference as the tide coming in proved just as good as the tide going out! And the weather, which was at first a little misty and chilly, soon cleared up.
I also met up with my old school-mate, Vernon Head. We hadn’t met for over 35 years, but he claimed he was about to say my name before I introduced myself. I had the advantage of having read one of his books recently and the fact that he had his name tag on!
The first stop was the newly renovated Seeberg Hide near the Langebaan entrance to the park. There were great views from the top floor across the Lagoon, but the bottom floor was very good as well. A lot of the birders chose to stay outside which gave a wider field of view.
Sightings here included dozens of Curlew Sandpipers and a few Red Knots in early breeding plumage, White-fronted Plovers and the usual mix of Greater Flamingos and gulls. A few Grey Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones were also in breeding plumage.
Vernon and Mel, as well as a few other birders, had their spotting scopes out to help with these sightings and were very accommodating to us less experienced birders in pointing out the interesting sightings. A Bar-tailed Godwit was close enough to be clearly seen in the scope.
One of the youngest birders on the outing, Zach (11 years old), spotted a Black Harrier in the distance, flying above the line of mountains. Those who were standing outside the hide got good views of this iconic West Coast species, although it disappeared fairly quickly.
After about two hours, we moved back to Geelbek. Along the way we spotted a number of Black-winged Kites and Rock Kestrels. The Geelbek Hide revealed many of the same species as at Seeberg, except they were now closer, as the tide was coming in. In addition, a single Eurasian Curlew was pointed out by Mel, with a Eurasian Whimbrel obligingly posing next to it for size comparison. A single Osprey was also seen flying away from us.
The outing ended with coffee and a light lunch and some friendly conversation back on the lawns of the restaurant. On our way out of the park, a few of us visited the “sweet waters” at Abrahamskraal where I saw Red-knobbed Coot, Little Grebe, Pied Starling, African Stonechat and Sacred Ibis.
We had a pleasing tally of at least 44 bird species for the outing. Thanks to Mel Tripp for organising an interesting and enjoyable morning, and to Vernon Head for assisting.
Photographs by Zunaid Barday.
Report by Zunaid Barday.
