Zandvlei Trust
ZIMP - Bird sightings and observations at Zandvlei
Do you know?
You can contribute to;
- the BIRP (Birds in Reserves Project ) run by the ADU (Animal Demographic Unit) (Click on the logo for the link) based at the University of Cape Town.
- By doing so you as a "citizen scientist" are helping to establish local and national species information and contribute to bird conservation.
- The process is fairly simple; volunteers go out to any PA (protected area - Greater Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve) and simply make a list of all the bird species observed. Data can be collected up to a maximum of seven days.
Please start at Zandvlei and record all the birds you see and submit them via the data gathering process. For more information go the the BIRP website, as above. Please download the BIRP instruction booklet which contains all the relevant information pertaining to this project.
The project is supported and endorsed by both the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) as well as BirdLife South Africa (BLSA). Click on the logos for the links.
Doug Harebottle at 021 650 2330 (w) or 082 736 3087 or e-mail Doug.Harebottle@uct.ac.za
2011 updated 06/06/2011
06/06/2011 - Kim Kruyshaar from Scenic
South sent this photo and text taken on Zandvlei in the early
hours, during the Peninsula Paddle on 05/06/2011 - World Environment Day.
"The photo as promised of the Black Swan on Zandvlei - sorry it is not a great photo. But you can see the swan paddling furiously across the vlei with a coot as guide. At first I thought the swan was tame, as it came quite confidently toward me. Perhaps it does not see well or was discouraged by a closer look because suddenly it looked uncomfortable and headed back to the reeds. Then the coot paddled past and the swan immediately turned and followed it frantically trying to close the gap so that it would not loose its
escourt".
photograph by Kim Kruyshaar
The Black Swan and its escort!! The
"Telkom Eiffel Tower " in Military Road on the sky line.
It is like a "needle in the eye" when one is in a Nature Reserve.
21/05/2011 - John and Sandra Fowkes saw this Grey Heron walk into the water deliberately dunk its self to cool off, presumably, on a very hot day.
photograph by John Fowkes
Got to get in, got to get in.........
photograph by John Fowkes
Ahhh thats better....
19/05/2011 - Robin Burnett reports he counted 120 White backed Ducks at the bay area, north of the Scout bases. Another record count for this species at Zandvlei.
To which Doug Harebottle from the ADU replied; updated 21/05/2011
"Fantastic count and possibly the largest concentration recorded on the Cape Peninsula or even the Western Cape!
This definitely qualifies Zandvlei as a Subregional Important Bird Area (IBA). 90 is the cut-off point for WB Ducks for its numbers to meet sub-regional IBA requirements in southern Africa. 180 birds would qualify the site for Ramsar and Global IBA status.
We should try and keep tabs of these birds over the coming weeks/months".
23/04/2011 - At the quarterly CWAC Brian Herman reported ther were 96 White backed Ducks (record count) at Zandvlei in the morning. Also seldom seen birds the Black necked Grebe were also present, along with a number of Yellow billed Egrets whose numbers have declined in the last 20 years at Zandvlei.
We need extra people to help with the CWAC (Co-ordinated Waterbird Counts) which take place at Zandvlei on a quarterly basis. These counts have been changed to the same as the open day Saturdays at the Zandvlei Nature Reserve. See the timetable.
Contact Gavin Lawson or tel 021 705 5224.
photograph by Greg Morgan
White backed Duck.
14/03/2011 - Sandra Fowkes reports John and I were fascinated to watch a mating display between 2 Spoonbills
yesterday.
They were in the wetland at the end of our garden in Spinnaker Ave. We watched for about 30 mins, no consummation though.
photograph by Sandra Fowkes
Bill clapping.
photograph by Sandra Fowkes
Starry eyed.
photograph by Sandra Fowkes
Mirrored symmetry.
photograph by Sandra Fowkes
Look at me, look at me.......
01/03/2011 - Brian Herman reports Thought you would be interested that the White backed Ducks have been present to a greater or lesser degree for the whole summer. I counted 55 yesterday! The water weed harvester Operator has cooperated nicely by leaving the area occupied by the ducks alone. Lets hope that any disturbance is minimal as they seem to have settled down in the area.
photograph by Greg Morgan
White backed Ducks.
15/02/2011 - Evanne Rothwell has the following report - I am a SANCCOB volunteer and when called out to rescue a bird, it was a Black headed Heron that had had, I think, too much breakfast. As the SE wind was also blowing very strongly, it was decidedly wobbly. When I got to Heron Park, where the bird was, it had regurgitated it’s breakfast. As you can see from the photo, there were several slug eater snakes, some grasshoppers and some lizards!! After a few minutes, it obviously felt much better and was able fly off.
photograph by Evanne Rothwell
Wow that is some breakfast!!
11/02/2011 - Julie Padmore reported seeing a Black Swan at Zandvleei today. One was removed from Zandvlei and relocated to a farm dam near Stellenbosch a few years ago. Possibly it is visiting its old stomping ground?
09/01/2011 - Robin Burnett reports For a few days there have been about 30 White-backed Ducks just off shore by the Woltemade Cen tre. I haven't seen them here as early as this before - they usually come in March.
photograph by Greg Morgan
White backed Ducks.
2010
21/10/2010 - Alice Ashwell sent this story. Dramatic scenes played out on the banks of the canal this morning when a Grey Heron cruised in and picked up one of the large ducklings that we have been hearing cheeping about recently.
With much dunking of the bedraggled chick in the water, the heron managed to get its prey as far as the feet-and-tail-sticking-out stage, before regurgitating it and starting all over again!
After a long struggle to get this super-sized meal down its throat, the bird tired of the paparazzi (me) and took off, evidently to look for a less public eatery. There must be a moral in here somewhere!
photograph by Alice Ashwell
Wont go down!
photograph by Alice Ashwell
Now I have got to start all over again. Tough if you are a Mallard in the Marina.
20/10/2010 - Alice Ashwell sent this story. A pair of coots has been trying for years to nest off our jetty ... but every time they build a nest and lay eggs, the wind comes along and blows them down the canal. So while we were away last week, they found a solution to the problem. They've built a most impressive nest on the back seat of Kate's canoe, and Mr Coot now has quite a round trip with his nest building offerings ... up onto the bank, over the jetty, onto the canoe, hand over the material, then hop over the side into the drink and start all over again!
photograph by Alice Ashwell
Now we just hope that the chicks won't have to return to
this nest or we'll have
a really long time to wait before our next paddle!
19/10/2010 - Brian Herman
confirms this is not a Ross's Turaco, but in fact a Violet
Turaco Violaceous Turaco. Felicity Ellmore (Cape Bird Club) had a
Violet Turaco sighting reported from Rondebosch earlier in the year. This
species originates from Senagal along the west African coast to the Central
African Republic.
So this is obviously an escapee and managing to survive in local surban
conditions.
16/10/2010 - Jonathan Hill reports "We have a
Ross’s Lourie in Lakeside, Cape Town - I am almost certain!! Have you had sighting of them in the Cape Town area before?
It is spending most early mornings & late afternoons in our garden - has been for some time.
Brian Herman reported seeing one last month at Sandvlei in his garden,
just off Promenade Road.
photograph by Jonathan
Ross's Turaco in Jonathan's Lakeside garden. Now confirmed 19/10/2010 to be a Violet Turaco.
29/09/2010 - Sally Petersen reports "Great excitement at the mouth of Zandvlei, we have had these Greater Flamingos in the estuary mouth since 23/09/2010. It is many years since they have been seen in the shallows near the mouth.
photograph by Sally Petersen
Around the second bend from the estuary mouth.
photograph by Sally Petersen
Even the Hartlaub's Gull is happy they are here.
photograph by Sally Petersen
Promenarde Road in the background, slopes of Constantiaberg in the distance.
photograph by Sally Petersen
The old False Bay bowling club house in the background.
04/08/2010 - Andy Rumbelow reports "I photographed this interaction between this Great White Pelican and the Coots in one of the canals of the Marina".
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
A Pelican comes sailing along....
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"I will have a closer look......"
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"Oh shucks! Here comes one of those cheeky little Coots......."
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"Im on your case buddy, move it...."
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"Move it you big lump....."
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"Move it I said...."
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"I am still moving you along buddy". Meantime dad is adding more grass to the nest.
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"Got any chicks in there for me? I am a opportunist you know."
photograph by Andy Rumbelow
"Just keep moving buddy!!"
22/07/2010 - Alice Ashwell reports "I was delighted while paddling yesterday afternoon about 5 pm 21 July 2010 to have a Gymnogene (sorry I am used to the old names) fly close overhead from the area of the Scout Base to the Australia island in the vlei. It upset a lot of birds in the process! On rounding the southern end of Park Island, I then saw a solitary Glossy Ibis, which I haven't often seen here either. This was all on the way back from having paddled into the main vlei of the Westlake Wetlands and watched a Water Mongoose systematically working its way along the bank amongst the reeds on the railway embankment at the south-eastern end of the vlei.
What a privilege to live in this area!!" Indeed!!
photograph by Ann Koeslag
Glossy Ibis. Gymnogene or an African Harrier Hawk - new name.
30/05/2010 - John and Sandra Fowkes reported another first record for Zandvlei, a Painted Snipe.
photograph by Sandra
Fowkes
photograph by Sandra Fowkes
Painted Snipe at the Rutter Road Pond, Zandvlei.
14/04/2010 - Brian Herman and I counted 45 Whitebacked Ducks at Zandvlei today, while doing the CWAC quarterly census today.
01/04/2010 - Brian Herman reported 20 Whitebacked Ducks at Zandvlei today.
08/03/2010 - Robin Burnett reported 4 Whitebacked Ducks at Zandvlei today.
photograph by Greg Morgan
White backed Ducks.
03/03/2010 - Evanne Rothwell reports " We (Terry and I) are SANCCOB volunteers and were called out to Fish Hoek beach a week ago to collect a Cape Gannet that had been found floating in the sea with a broken beak. The vet at SANCCOB said there was no way it could be rehabilitated, so it was euthanaised by a local vet. When I went to collect the box I saw the broken beak and took it out to have a look. There was a piece of string so tight around the bottom beak that it had cut off the larynx and tongue. The poor bird must have dived into floating litter and got tied up. How long it had been alive with this condition I don’t know - there was very little tissue left by this time. I was not able to photograph the head of the Gannet, but do have a photo of the skull showing how much beak was broken off by the string.
photograph by Terry Rothwell
The distinctive and striking Cape Gannet.
photograph by Terry Rothwell
A Gannet skull with the severed lower beak below.
It really upsets me to see the result of so much littering, and I feel that we, as a caring public, parents and teachers could be doing so much more to recycle and teach our children not to litter. We also picked up a Cormorant on the beach with a plastic ring from a milk bottle or cool drink bottle through its mouth and round it’s neck. What a horrid way to die! These plastic rings could be so easily cut in the kitchen when you are finished with the bottle. This way they cannot be a danger to any wild life. Let’s all do our own little bit to prevent these senseless deaths – every little bit helps!
photograph by Terry Rothwell
Reed Cormorant with the milk bottle ring necklace.
I also have photos of an Southern Fulmar (Atlantic Fulmar), a rare bird to our shores, that was collected off Clovelly beach. It unfortunately died during the night".
photograph by Terry Rothwell
The Southern Fulmar.
photograph by Terry Rothwell
The Southern Fulmar being made comfortable.
28/01/2010 - Sharon McCallum - recorded this Black Sparrowhawk with a dove in the road outside her house in the Marina.
photograph by Sharon McCallum
photograph by Ann Koeslag
The Black Sparrowhawk ringed by Ann Koeslag
The same bird as a fledgling being ringed in 2006.
as a
fledgling during November 2006 in Constantia.
26/01/2010 - Rosemary Barson recorded this visiting African Openbill Stork at The Rutter Road Pond. They have been sighted for the first time in memory in the western Cape during the spring and summer months of 2009 / 2010. One bird was seen at the Dreysdal Farm during the week and this may be the same one. Two birds were also noted at Die Oog in the week as well.
photograph by Rosemary
Barson
photograph by Rosemary Barson
African Openbill Stork visiting the Rutter Road Pond. These birds are usually found in central and eastern Africa.
2009
08/12/2009 - Alice Ashwell writes "In a poignant reminder of the fact that pollution kills, Pat Garratt was paddling this week and came across this Darter hanging dead in a tree near the top of Zandvlei. I once managed to catch a Darter that had speared a sock and cut it off its beak (which has backward-pointing barbs on it that makes it impossible for the bird to dislodge something woven). In this case what looks like a bandage not only got stuck on the bird's beak but then got tangled in the branch of the tree. What a desperate way to go.
Please think twice about dropping litter and remind anyone else who does.
photograph by Alice
Ashwell
photograph by Alice
Ashwell
A Darter sadly hanging by its beak caught up in "a piece woven material" which is snagged in a tree branch.
22/11/2009 - Whitebacked Duck, Robin
Burnett reported "I was interested to spot a pair of White-backed Ducks on the vlei yesterday near the Sea Scouts corner. I have never seen them outside the April/August period before.
There's also a pair of "Dikkop" in residence on the dune area.
photograph by Greg Morgan
Whitebacked Duck.
Brian Herman comments" I am glad that the White-backed Ducks are back. They have been absent for approximately 2 months ( none counted during the October quarterly CWAC counts.) They have become more numerous over the past year to 18 months. It would be helpful if the weed harvester could avoid the western shore area, as this has, in my opinion, had a detrimental affect on the ducks & Greater Crested Grebe that have attempted to breed there".
Greater Crested Grebe.
09/10/2009 - Kittlitz's Plover, David Muller reported this pair on the eastern shore of the estuary. A good record, as this is not a common visitor or resident to this area.
photograph by David
Muller
photograph by David Muller
Kittlitz's Plover on the estuary shore near the mouth.
24/07/2009 - Klaas's Cuckoo a bird not often seen. It is heard in late winter and spring. Near the Reserve's northern entrance gate.
10 March 2009 – Robin Burnett reports that the Whitebacked Ducks have arrived back at Zandvlei. A little earlier this year.
photograph by Greg Morgan
We are back again.
2008
14 August 2008 – Robin Burnett reports
that the Whitebacked Ducks have left Zandvlei. They arrived in April 2008, from
where?
He remembers they arrived and left the same time in 2007. This duck specie had
been absent from Zandvlei for about 15 years.
photograph by Greg Morgan
Whitebacked Dicks leaving Zandvlei
2007
Spotted Eagle Owl, juvenile.
Karoo Scrub Robin research project
photograph by Doug Harebottle
Karoo Scrub Robin
On the 13th of July, the first of six Karoo Scrub-Robins (Cercotrichas coryphaeus) was successfully moved from the Sewage Works in Strandfontein to the GZENR. These birds are being brought to Zandvlei as a student research project by Fay Howa to see if the Karoo Scrub robin population would be able to colonise Zandvlei.
2006
photographs by Lucia Rodrigues
See the egg on the nest The striped head of the chick is visible at the right.
Lucia Rodrigues reports "this is the grebe nest that was in front of my house at the beginning of June. It had 3 eggs in it, but sank beneath the heavy rains on the 13th June 2006. They rebuilt the nest, laid another 3 eggs, of which only one hatched on the 20th July. The picture I took today 3rd August, the chick is now 2 weeks old.
This little chick is having a grand life. Normally there are two or even 3 chicks all vying for a ride on mom's back and at the age of 2 weeks she can only comfortably carry one, so often one or two have to swim along and wait their turn for an easy ride. This little pampered creature rides on mom's back all day. I have only seen it swimming along on two occasions".
Spoonbills at Zandvlei Nature Reserve – Centre Pan
2005
Peninsula Canoe Club members participating in the data collection programme.
| Date seen | Persons name | Species | present | Quad. seen | Time |
| 07 - 08 - 2005 | Roy Linley | Adult Pelican | 3 | NE | 08h40 |
| 09 - 08 - 2005 | Barry Coltham | Pied Kingfisher | 2 | NE | - |
| 10 - 08 - 2005 | Roy Linley | Pied Kingfisher | 2 | NW | - |
| 10 - 08 - 2005 | Roy Linley | Adult Pelican | 2 | NW | - |
photograph by Ann
Koeslag
photograph by Heather Howell
Pied Kingfisher White Pelican
2004
Bird ringing at the Zandvlei Nature Reserve.
photograph by Doug Harebottle
A juvenile Malachite Kingfisher, after having its detail taken in December 2004.
If you are interested in bird ringing and helping Doug Harebottle on the first Saturday morning of each month. Contact him;
Phone:
021 650 2330
Fax: 021 650 3434
Cell: 082 408 5004
E-mail: doug@adu.uct.ac.za
Bird nests.
photograph by Greg Morgan
Which species of bird made this nest? Contact Gavin Lawson.
Can anyone identify this nest? It was built in a Milkwood tree alondside the Central Pan in the Nature Reserve during September – November 2004. It was found empty on 07/01/2005.
Zandvlei has environmentally aware birds......
Are they trying to show us the way with Recycling the plastic we discard??
photographs by Cassy Sheasby
These photos show either a Cape Robin or Prinia nest, also at Zandvlei made up with cellophane, plastic straping, plastic shopping bags, wool and grasses. Cassy Sheasby the Manager of GZENR found the nest in May 2007.
This disused nest was found by Una Hartley in the Zandvlei Nature Reserve in about 1998. It was fastened to reeds in the water at the edge of one of the canals, which suggests it is a Warbler. Look at the innovative use of plastic shopping bags also cellophane, all made into strips for weaving. The plastic is very fragile now, the nest is at the Environmental Education Centre if you wish to inspect it.
