De Grendel Wine Estate

On a chilly Sunday morning fourteen Cape Bird Club Members decided to brave the weather and attend the July Sunday CBC Outing to De Grendel Wine Estate at the base of the Plattekloof Hills. This turned out to be a very good call, because once the sun was up, we had very pleasant birding weather.

The outing began with a walk to the dam in front of the Wine Estate where Cape Teal, Red-billed Teal, White-breasted Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, Yellow-billed Duck and a host of other water birds were seen. A lone Spoonbill was a bonus here.

Cape Weavers as well as Southern Masked Weavers, together with Red and Yellow Bishops were seen in the reed beds.

A walk alongside the beautifully manicured gardens produced Cape Robin-Chat, Southern Double Collared Sunbird, Karoo Prinia, Cape Bulbul, and a pair of Bokmakeiries,  to name a few species seen.

After the walk around the Wine Estate buildings, we collected our cars and drove up the hill to where the vineyards join the mountain fynbos. Bar-throated Apalis, Grey-backed Cisticola, Common Waxbill and Cape Grassbird were spotted. The highlight, however, was the sighting of a Layard’s Tit-Babbler. This is the closest I have seen this species to Cape Town.

During the walks we saw a Peregrine Falcon attack an African Goshawk. It definitely was not a hunt, but rather chasing the Goshawk out of its territory.

The drive to the Winery produced a good few birds, some being Fork-tailed Drongos, Dusky, as well as Fiscal Flycatchers. Many Egyptian Geese, Hadedas, Guineafowl and Sacred Ibis were on view as well.

Our bird party then proceeded to the Estate’s Private Church where a very pleasant tea and coffee party and the bird list, comprising of fifty six species for the day was compiled. All in all, a great morning of birding and I hope all those who attended enjoyed it as much as I did.

Peter Nupen