Athlone Bird Count November 2014

Our group today.

photograph by Dick Bos.

On this sunny day there is a “foul south-easter” blowing! But that did not seem to matter the birds much, although when some were struggling against the wind they seemed to stand still in the air! There were a lot of birds to count, more birds than last month: 23 species / 1312 birds for CWACC and 39 species / 1467 birds for MyPatch!

All the grass areas had been cut for maintenance recently, providing less protection for some species like the Water Thicknee, a regular but not so today. The hundreds of Hartlaub’s had moved from the central section onto an island in the northern settling ponds, much harder to count and impossible to find any mingling Grey-headed gulls. Fortunately (finally?) workers were cleaning the Vygieskraal River and the water was cleaner and the level higher, looking a lot more what rivers are supposed to look like and bringing back some birds.

In the central section with the basins Mr. Fakier-Abdol took us to one of the old basins full of reeds now but with a number of weaver nest. He explained that just last week he had seen red birds in there… So we must keep an eye out for Red Bishops?

15:00h on the dot we were done. Many thanks to Sybil Majo, Fay Linder and Gillian Ford for taking part in this count. Many thanks to Mr. Kevin van Rooyen, Manager of Athlone Sewage Works, for permission to conduct bird surveys and Mr. Moegamat Fakier-Abdol for his assistance during the count.

This data is submitted to the Animal Demography Unit’s CWAC and MyBirdpatch, projects.

Counts take place on the third Thursday of every month and start at 13:00.
Anyone wanting to assist should contact;
Dick Bos on 021 423 2546 or dick@bosfoto.nl alternative bosfoto@outlook.com