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    Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (34071828)

    Western Cape
    Card 509283
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34071828Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2021-10-16
    Season OOther
    Start time 08:15
    End time 11:15
    Shoreline covered 90
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 24
    Total Count 563
    Wetland Condition 3Very little standing water (low tide for estuaries
    Wetland Threats
    Count Condition 2Poor
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes "Thank you to Gasan Moses who counted the southern Marina canals today by canoe. We found the pair of Water Thick-knees again in their secluded area. There was a mobbing by gulls and cormorants moving about the vlei indicating shoals of fish being chased. Luckily we did not have to count hundreds of coots this quarter. The pond weed has not come back yet, and this is probably due to the high salinity throughout the main waterbody and the Marina canals and even into the Rutter Road Pond. Felicity found a turquoise egg with a broken shell and a chick inside. It looked like it had been broken open by a bird, probably to eat or to prevent the hatching. The water level was very low as it was low tide, which just started to ripple into the estuary as we finshed counting at 11h15. The water flow towards the mouth was also measured at 1 metre per 6 seconds near the Thesens bridge. By then the sky had cleared to bright sunshine with a strong SW wind blowing. A month ago A Familiar Chat made an appearance in the new nursery at ""The Lookout"" offices. This species was last recorded in 1975 at Zandvlei."
    Survey notes


    Add additional observers
    Observer NumberNameOptions
    0Dennis and Gigi Laidler
     
    0Felicity Ellmore
     
    0Gasan Moses
     
    0Heather Davies
     
    0Linda Hibbin
     
    0Mark Arendse
     
    0Mark Issacs
     

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		20
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		20
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		100
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		720
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		100
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		10
    57Heron, Purple
    (Ardea purpurea)    		10
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		50
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		30
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		80
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		1100
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		30
    98Teal, Cape
    (Anas capensis)    		60
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		10
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		90
    269Avocet, Pied
    (Recurvirostra avosetta)    		30
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		590
    288Gull, Grey-headed
    (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)    		40
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		1960
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		50
    291Tern, Common
    (Sterna hirundo)    		10
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		60
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		30
    10034Duck, Hyrbid Mallard/Yellow-billed
    (Anas platyrhynchos x undulata)    		430


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

    Sunday 02 November 2025 11:22
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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