Pelicans coming over while on hippo watch.
All photographs by Erica Essig.
This month our staff numbers have climbed and we really are starting to get a lot of work done!
The staff numbers as of 27/02/2013 – Introduction of new EPWP.
We now have:
1 x Manger Erica Essig (City of Cape Town and Cape Bird Club)
1 x Foreman Ryno Coetzee (City of Cape Town and Cape Bird Club)
1 x Small Plant Operator Sydne Jacobs (City of Cape Town)
5 x General Staff (EPWP Programme)
The main tasks have included alien invasive species removal specifically Canna sp. From entrance, Acacia cyclops at the Pump station, and Lavetera arborea. Echorinea crapsis weekly follow ups where also conducted and we used a boat to follow up all the pans as well as the usual bank patrol.
The Birding Information Centre Garden and Picnic Area is going through a makeover and we are busy in the beginning maintenance phase.
We have had some problems with Hippos this month, and thus have spent a lot of time fixing fence lines and planning operations!
Myself and Ryno participated in a Brush Cutter and Chainsaw Training Course. A big Thanks to the CBC for funding the training. This will be a highly beneficial for Strandfontein as we will now have 3 small plant operators and can really start tackling the woody terrestrial invasive.
We have also reconstructed the Heronry 1. It is currently the ‘Perching’ Heronry, and we have tried to add features just to accommodate the birds for perching and preening, and obviously for photographers to get a nicer shot. We will commence with Heronry 2 the ‘Nesting’ Heronry next month.
We have finished maintenance of the Baden Powell fence line. It’s looking nice and sharp now!
We have also started removing the water hyacinth from the Zeekoevlei / Strandfontein canal with aid of an excavator.
Potholes and dongas in the roads were fixed with assistance from CFWWTW.
Species spotted this month:
06 x Pied Kingfishers at once,
98 x Great White Pelicans at once,
and the African Marsh Harrier juveniles.
See what else we did this month.
