Greater Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve
In and around the Reserve – 2009
19. 16/12/2009 – The Cape Bird Club had their end of the year outing to the Nature Reserve.
photograph by Heather Howell
The CBC enjoying a champagne breakfast after the walk around the reserve.
18. 12/12/2009 – The end of the year party was held at Tweede Tol on 05/12/2009 in the Limietberg Reserve, Baines Kloof.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
Cassy made presents for each staff member of personalised key holders with photographs.
17. 02/12/2009 – Open
Day at Zandvlei Nature Reserve on 28/11/2009. A trial opening on Saturday to
gauge the public response was held.
More than 60 people came to visit the reserve on the day! Wow!!
photograph by David Muller
Some of the visitors being welcomed by Dalton Gibbs the Senior Area Manager.
16. 23/11/2009 – the first Western Leopard toadlets from the 2009 breeding season are active today at the Reserve. They are moving away from the water body to forage and establish their territories.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
Toalets sitting on the camera lens cap.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
Its a big jungle out here!!
A meesage from Cassy
Here at Zandvlei we are proud parents of some very small, cute little fellas: the first round of the endangered Western Leopard toadlets have emerged from the banks of Zandvlei’s fresher parts and
are making their arduous journey across the landscape in search of foraging grounds and habitat where they will spend many years growing before they reach breeding age.
I’ve attached some pics of these little critters to give you an indication of their size when they first emerge : they are about 2cm in total length (about the size of your thumb nail), you can imagine
that the grass must seem like a forest to these minute little amphibians.
Please be careful when you are walking in areas close to Leopard Toad breeding sites and please don’t mow during this time as this will cause many fatalities!
15. 05/11/2009 – the Sand River litter trap blocked up with litter and causing the overflow.
The Sand River litter trap over flowing.
15. 28/10/2009 – The mural is complete and it adds interest, visual simulation and beauty to the old building which was constantly defaced by graffiti.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
This gives one an idea of where it is located if you know the area.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
Closer view of some detail.
14. 10/10/2009 – Mural on a pump house building in the Nature Reserve being painted by local artist Ryana Johnson. Ward Councilor funds were received to decorate the wall with a natural scene of Zandvlei depicting birds, insects, plants, animals found here. Ryana has painted a number of similar themed scenes on large walls of buildings adding to the experience and learning of all visitors.
photograph by David Muller
Ryana has just started working on the layout.
photograph by David Muller
These people came to watch the progress at the Kite Festival
13. 27/09/2009 – Do-it-Day at the Reserve on 18/09/2009. Romeo Paulse
photograph by Declan Ross
Reddam High School students at
the reserve on Do-it-Day.
They cleared this pile of junk from the estuary. The Tygerberg
Hosiptal staff clear a large amount of invassive vegetation as well.
12. 25/07/2009 – Eddie
and his team are progressing with the ceilings in the new offices, doing a very
professional job.
Amazing how versatile and talented these conservationists of the natural
environment are and having to build their own offices, converted from an old
storeroom building. The EEC is part of the same building.
Lack of funding prevents the staff having offices of their own. So they are
doing it themselves! Well done guys.
The frame work completed in the kitchen. Next this office.
Eddie cutting up the framing
timber for the ceilings. The unblocked
drain and the mounds of dumped
sand and rubble in the background. Mark spent a
few days moving this with the JVC digger tractor.
Also Mark was very busy clearing this drain, blocked by carelessly dumped stone and sand in the back parking area to the office complex. The blocked drain was causing the corner of the building to have wet internal floors from the rising damp after the heavy rains in the last few weeks!
11. 20/07/2009 – The new signs at the western gates have been erected. So be warned any trespaser!!
New signs for the Reserve.
10. 16/07/2009 – John Fowkes reported the visit of the Goliath Heron in the Westlake Wetlands area in Rutter Road on 14/07/2009. This is a first time the species has been recorded at Zandvlei.
photograph by John Fowkes
Goliath Heron
9. 18/06/2009 – This snake has been searched for a few years, always believed to be somewhere in the reserve. We found one today, a new species for the list!
photographs by Cassy Sheasby
A Cross marked Grass Snake.
9. 15/06/2009 – This glass stopper from a Holbrooks bottle was found in the road reserve today. It is believed to be from a worcestershire sauce bottle.
photographs by Cassy Sheasby
How did it get there? How old is it?
8. 19/05/2009 – Night Count using the "new nets and tourches".
photographs by Cassy Sheasby
The Team getting ready to go out. A Cape Dwarf Chameleon. A Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko.
We found quite a few animals on the night count and have used the torches to rescue almost 200 chameleons from the Chevron site in Muizenberg East. So far we have made two insect nets but have materials to make about 7 which is great. We will be using these to survey for Kedestes this year with the Lepidoptera Society to ascertain if the critically endangered Kedestes barba bunta is still around or has become locally extinct.
7. 13/04/2009 – Sand sculptures at the estuary mouth.
photograph by David Muller
David Muller went down to the beach
and found these interesting sculptures on the beach.
Who made them?
Looks like they were having fun, the frog base is about 3 meters in diameter.
7. 04/04/2009 – Zandvlei Trust sponsor spotlights and insect nets through Nature Care Fund
The Zandvlei Trust generously supplied the Zandvlei Nature Reserve with R2000 through the Nature Care Fund to be used by the Reserve staff.
We decided to use half of the money to buy two powerful rechargeable spotlights which shine up to 160m for use on night counts at our various sites in the Zandvlei and Muizenberg East areas.
We used the torches on at recent chameleon night rescue, also the torches will
help the research being undertaken on Felis caracal (Caracal) by Cape Peninsula University of Technology student Romeo Paulse.
We did a chameleon rescue last night, so I used half of the money to buy these awesome rechargeable lanterns and they worked brilliantly! We were able to rescue and relocated 82 chameleons in 2.5 hours!!!
Cape Dwarf Chameleon Nathan Meyers using an insect net.
I plan on buying the materials to make three insect nets to assist with this years survey for Kedestes barberae bunta (Barber’s Ranger) butterfly in our sites following last year’s research into their possible range and habitat. This will be undertaken in conjunction with the South African Lepidoptera Society and entomologists in this field of study.
Sarah Atmore (last year’s A student from Zeekoevlei) will also be setting up a captive breeding population of this endangered butterfly at
Butterfly World.
Huge thanks to the Zandvlei Trust for this generous effort to support furthering our knowledge on the important wildlife in the area that we are conserving.
Cassy Sheasby
6. 17/03/2009 – Cassy released this Gerbil on Park Island to introduce different genetics to the colony as part of the management plan.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
Before being released.
5. 13/03/2009 –
You can help!
updated 07/07/2009
This Yellowbilled Duck was nursed back to health after being rescued, it was ringed in Marina da Gama with a
red plastic colour ring on the left foot and a metal ring on the right leg.
If you see this duck in and around, please report your sighting on 021 701 7504
please include;
-
date,
-
time and
-
place
where you saw it to the reserve staff or email us on Zandvlei.NatureReserve@capetown.gov.za
photograph by Cassy
Sheasby
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
The duck in his /her transport box Josh Gericke posing before releasing the duck.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
Going back into the vlei.
4. 11/03/2009 – The new offices are progressing and the EEC has air conditioning for the summer and winter.
Mark, Cassy and Josh discussing the new office progress.
3. 10/03/2009 – A workshop for team building was held at the Rondevlei boma. All found it a very useful excerise.
photograph by Cassy Sheasby
All hard at work soving the puzzles.
2. 03/03/2009 – Mark
received a call out to come and remove the large Western Leopard Toad from a garden in Kistenhof.
He and Romeo went to investigate and found an ideal habitat in the well vegetated garden with
a pond water feature.
By its size it must be between 10 and 15 years old, maybe older. Leopard Toads
have very strong territorial home ranges, and if relocated usually try and get
back. Mark managed to convince the owners not to have the toad removed.
photograph by Mark Arendse
The Leopard Toad being lifted out of a sump.
A recently tagged WLT moved 3.5kms in a few days, across busy freeways and
really difficult overgrown vegetation.
Another, in Lakeside walked "home" about 2kms in 2 days. See the
story.
photograph by Nigel Dennis
1. 29/01/2009 – The night count on 26/01/2009 was interesting! All the staff were excited to have seen a Caracal / Rooikat (Caracal caracal) at Zandvlei Nature Reserve. This is a first and a new species for the list.
In and Around the Reserve in 2008.
In and around the Reserve in 2007.
In and around the Reserve in 2006.
In and around the Reserve in 2005.
In and around the Reserve in 2004.
In and around the Reserve in 2003.
In and around the Reserve in 2002.
