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    Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (34071828)

    Western Cape
    Card 503992
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34071828Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2013-10-19
    Season OOther
    Start time 08:45
    End time 11:30
    Shoreline covered 95
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 22
    Total Count 468
    Wetland Condition 1Full (High tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats
    Count Condition 3Moderate
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes 18/10/2013 a very strong SE wind blew. The estuary mouth was closed in the late afternoon on same day. Full moon is today 19/10/2013. The water level was quite high with the mouth closed, compared to the last 4 months with the mouth open. There was no visible water flow under the railway bridge at the confluence of the Keysers and Westlake Rivers into Zandvlei. The sky was clear and sunny with a gentle SE breeze. There was the odd carp spawning with thrashing about. Observations by local residents indicate the carp all stopped spawning on 13/10/2013, after fierce activity for days preceeding this. In this process the water was very turbid and visiblity at the surface almost zero. Visiblity today was about 15cm down from the surface. Generally there were very few bird species in the air or on the water today, possibly due to the preceding days weather conditions with strong SE winds churing up the sea, and in local terms it is called a washing machine - green and foamy with extreme chop. the same woman in the last quarter photograph was feeding the mallards as we went past at a similar time. One minute before her a male with a large plastic bag full of white bread dumped the lot in the water for the mallards and just walked off without looking back!!!!!! An observation the black Mallard hybrid resident in the yacht club basin has started turning into a piebald colour, from a glossy green / black colour one year ago. There was a sign up at the outside parking area for the Zandvlei Sports Club indicating the water quality was suspect. It didnt put off a pair of windsurfers or 2 canoeists trying their hand at the disciplines almost beneath the signboard by the City of Cape Town - Health Dept the only active people on the waterbody while we were counting. The Marina south canals were not counted, as no one was available to do so.         
    Survey notes


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    Observer NumberNameOptions

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		20
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		220
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		60
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		10
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		50
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		10
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		10
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		40
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		20
    87Flamingo, Lesser
    (Phoeniconaias minor)    		40
    88Goose, Spur-winged
    (Plectropterus gambensis)    		80
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		1801Confirmed Breeding
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		150
    98Teal, Cape
    (Anas capensis)    		20
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		810
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		140
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		220
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		650
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		20
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		20
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		90
    10015Mallard, Hybrid
    (Anas hybrid)    		200


    FITZ logo Ramsar Wetlands International http://www.sanbi.org/

    Thursday 21 November 2024 06:41
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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