1. Flora

1.1. Invasive Alien Clearing

The alien clearing is up to date for Soralia Village.

2. Fauna

Sighting totals:

Soralia Village.

• 3 x Pternistis capensis (Cape Spurfowl)
• 4x Prinia maculosa (Karoo prinia)
• 2 x Onychognathus morio (Red- winged starling)
• 7 x Pycnonotus capensis (Cape bulbul)
• 2 x male Ploceus capensis (Cape weaver)
• 8 x Sturnus vulgaris (Common starling)
• 1 x Bradypterus baboecala (Little Rush- Warbler)
• 20 x Echium plantaginum (Purple Echium-alien plant)
• 1 x Colchicum eucomoides
• 1 x Pelargonium betulinum
• 7 x Pseudonympha magus (Silver-bottom brown)
• 1 x Senecio elegans
• 1 x Felis silvestris catus (Domestic cat)
• 1 x Trachylepis capensis (Cape skink)
• 2 x Zosterops virens(Cape white eye)
• 1 x Cossphya caffra (Cape Robin chat)

Sunrise Villas.

• 2 x Passer melanuru (Cape Sparrow)
• 1 x Salvia africana-lutea
• 1 x Prinia maculosa (Karoo prinia)
• 1 x Felis silvestris catus (Domestic cat)
• 10 x Senecio elegans

Muizenberg East Private Nature Reserve.

• 2 x Raphicerus melanotis (Cape Grysbok)
• 2 x Pternistis capensis (Cape Spurfowl)
• 2 x Estrilda astrild (Common Waxbill)
• 1 x Pycnonotus capensis (Cape bulbul)
• 3 x Prinia maculosa (Karoo prinia)
• 6 x Crematogaster peringueyi (Cocktail ant nest)
• 1 x Corvus albus (Pied crow)
• 1 x Lycaena orus (Western sorrel copper)
• 3 x Rhabdomys pumilio (Striped field mice)
• 2 x male Vidua macroura (Pin-tailed whydah)
• 1 x Trachylepis capensis (Cape skink)

Bird Ringing:

•  2 x Prinia maculosa (Karoo prinia)
• 1 x baby Pycnonotus capensis ( Cape bulbul)

Figure One : Cape Skink

Figure Two: New Colour Form

3. Site Inspections and Safety Checks

3.1 Soralia Village

3.1.1 Site Inspection

The home owner of no. 98 is throwing their garden refuse over into the conservation area, which is not allowed. I will bring up this issue in the trustee meeting (1st Nov 2011).

3.2 Sunrise Villas

3.2.1 Site Inspection

When I went for my site inspection, I noted that the landscaping team was cleaning around the edges and making the area neat. On the same day, I took a stray cat from Sunrise Villas to the SPCA.

4. Muizenberg East Private Nature Reserve

4.1. Plant Identification Day

Mr and Mrs Burnett and I (plus three law enforcement rangers) spent half a day at Muizenberg East Private Nature Reserve identify any new plants. We had a total of 91 plants and the old plant list was at 40 plants.
Below is the new plant list:

See the plant species list.    new 01/11/2011

4.2 Bird Ringing

The Zandvlei team, law enforcement rangers and I did two hours of bird ringing at Muizenberg East Nature Reserve. Next year we will try to start with a new programme which each site gets different colour rings to see how far the birds travel.

Figure Three: Measuring the beak of the bird.

Figure 4: Zandvlei staff releasing a ringed bird.

4.3 South Break

On the 18th of October, I got a call from a South Break resident saying that there was a male Cape Grysbok in their landscaping area. We got the transport box and capture net from Heidelberg Nature Reserve and with many helpful hands we tried to capture the Grysbok but it had escaped while we were busy setting up the net.

5. Training

I went on First Aid Level One training from the 26th, 27th and 28th of October. The City of Cape Town sent me on the course and paid for all the expenses. I would to thank the City of Cape Town for giving me the opportunity on expanding my knowledge.

6. Meetings

I attended a meeting on the 13th of October concerning the hedgerows. A government funded company wants to plant dried brush along Muizenberg beach to trap the wind-blown sand. This project will reduce the dried bush piles that are across from Sunrise Villas and this will also reduce the fire risk. I will be there once the project gets started and on an advisory basis.