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    Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (34071828)

    Western Cape
    Card 507706
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34071828Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2019-04-20
    Season OOther
    Start time 08:25
    End time 11:45
    Shoreline covered 90
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 25
    Total Count 2048
    Wetland Condition 2Partially full (mid tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats
    Count Condition 4Good
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes "It rained over night and the odd shower was passing until 08h30 with the wind from the SW. The estuary mouth had been partially opened incase the ingress into the main waterbody was high. It was full moon on Thursday 18 April 2019 with a high tide inflow through the mouth. At 12h00 the bulldozer was busy closing the mouth of the estuary. An unusual sighting were the 36 Little Grebes amoungst the Coots in the main water body. They were stationary for some time and we guessed they were full and resting after fishing. There were plenty of small fish which a floatila of Cape Cormorants were herding with their fishing method. We could see many White Storks and Great Pelicans circling in a thermal above the False Bay landfill site, while counting along the lower section of the western shore at about 11h00, they were too far away to count them looking directly into the sunlight. Thank you to all who assisted with the count today on a rainy start to the morning clearing quickly by mid morning becoming quite warm and sunny. The 2 Oceans Marathon Day was done and dusted by 09h30 in the Lakeside area, we subsequently heard that the route had changed last minuted and all were running down Ou Kaapse Weg instead of via Chapmans Peak Drive. Ross Devenish did the count and photos in the southern Marina canals by pedelo."
    Survey notes


    Add additional observers
    Observer NumberNameOptions
    0Barry Parker
     
    0Charles Whaley
     
    0Felicity Ellmore
     
    0Linda Hibbin
     
    0Lizel Slingers
     
    0Mark Arendse
     
    0Mark Isaacs
     
    0Ross Devenish
     

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		130
    6Grebe, Little
    (Tachybaptus ruficollis)    		440
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		100
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		400
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		920
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		280
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		30
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		140
    61Egret, Western Cattle
    (Bubulcus ibis)    		10
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		80
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		100
    88Goose, Spur-winged
    (Plectropterus gambensis)    		10
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		2260
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		14340
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		230
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		230
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		150
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		90
    305Tern, Whiskered
    (Chlidonias hybrida)    		20
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		90
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		100
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		20
    10005Duck, Hybrid
    (Anas hybrid)    		20
    10006Duck, Domestic
    (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)    		10
    10014Duck, Unidentified
    (Anas sp.)    		280


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

    Wednesday 29 October 2025 06:04
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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