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    Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (34071828)

    Western Cape
    Card 509090
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34071828Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2021-07-17
    Season WWinter
    Start time 09:45
    End time 11:30
    Shoreline covered 90
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 27
    Total Count 1108
    Wetland Condition 3Very little standing water (low tide for estuaries
    Wetland Threats
    Count Condition 5Ideal
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes "By mid morning the air temparature was into the 20 degree range and still no wind. See the photo of the standup paddler. The water level was very low with the mouth open. There were sand banks exposed in the lower reaches near the bridges. There were little beaches along the north western shoreline for us to walk on and see into the coves. It was very welcome to have the southern canals in the Marina counted, as this adds to the total and usually to the species numbers too. There was a feeding frenzy with Kelp, Hartlaubs and Grey headed Gulls chasing fish across the main waterbody towards Park Island. This all started near the yacht basin. We encountered a walker near The Lookout who told us ""a birder"" had said to him that ""he saw a Snowy Egret and a Sacred Ibis pekking at a snake on the exposed sand banks."" Anyway the decision was that the Snowy Egret was a Little Egret and no we did not see the seasnake anywhere either. And this was not fake social media! We guessed a local having some straight faced fun with the bird counters. A Kadesdes - Barber bunta butterfly has appeared on a post in the Environmental Education garden. It is endemic and highly threatened butterfly due to its habitat destruction by human development. There has been a local research breeding progamme running for a few years trying to increase the numbers. There are some reed beds to the north of the Royal Road bridge, which have weaver nests being built in them. This is a recent development."
    Survey notes


    Add additional observers
    Observer NumberNameOptions
    0Darren Hare
     
    0Dennis and Gigi Laidler
     
    0Felicity Ellmore
     
    0Grason Moses
     
    0J Tromp
     
    0Linda Hibbin
     

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		80
    6Grebe, Little
    (Tachybaptus ruficollis)    		10
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		140
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		220
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		1000
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		380
    57Heron, Purple
    (Ardea purpurea)    		10
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		200
    61Egret, Western Cattle
    (Bubulcus ibis)    		40
    69Heron, Black-crowned Night
    (Nycticorax nycticorax)    		10
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		50
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		20
    88Goose, Spur-winged
    (Plectropterus gambensis)    		70
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		480Confirmed Breeding
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		300
    98Teal, Cape
    (Anas capensis)    		70
    210Moorhen, Common
    (Gallinula chloropus)    		60
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		250
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		70
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		3710
    288Gull, Grey-headed
    (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)    		50
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		3460
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		40
    397Kingfisher, Malachite
    (Corythornis cristatus)    		10
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		90
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		230
    10034Duck, Hyrbid Mallard/Yellow-billed
    (Anas platyrhynchos x undulata)    		30


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

    Saturday 27 April 2024 05:37
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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