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    Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (34071828)

    Western Cape
    Card 510333
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34071828Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2023-10-21
    Season OOther
    Start time 09:45
    End time 11:15
    Shoreline covered 90
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 29
    Total Count 693
    Wetland Condition 1Full (High tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats 0
    Count Condition 1Bad
    Count Type 1On foot
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes By the time we arrived here the wind was howling, a lone foil lift boarder with his kite was really battling to get up on his foil board. We saw a Purple Heron fly out of the reeds in the yacht basin while we were there. Most of the birds we saw were down at the "cookie cutter" on the sand bar surrounded by high water level. A pair of Three banded Plovers were there with the terns and gulls. The gabion walls to protect the estuary banks have been finished and look very well done. The Norfolk Pine tree with all the herons nests we saw on the last count in July, was looking short of leaves. We heard there was a Black necked Heron nest amongst the Grey Heron nests. One wonders how and if the chicks survived the huge wind and rain storms we had last month. The Cape - were the only Cormorant species leaving and the odd one arriving while we were there. The estuary mouth was closed when we got there, It is between New Moon and the next Full Moon when the mouth will be opened. When we finished at the Royal Road bridge and turned around looking north we could not see any mountains as the clouds were low and grey covering the area. Thank you to Kyran for counting the north and south Marina canals by motorboat where many species were sheltering out of the wind.
    Survey notes


    Add additional observers
    Observer NumberNameOptions
    0E Mapenona
     
    0Gigi Laidler
     
    0Kyran Wright
     
    0Linda Hibbin
     
    0S Hattas
     
    0Salvia Starling
     

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		70
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		90
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		240
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		840
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		300
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		80
    55Heron, Black-headed
    (Ardea melanocephala)    		10
    57Heron, Purple
    (Ardea purpurea)    		10
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		90
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		70
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		1610
    94Shoveler, Cape
    (Anas smithii)    		60
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		450
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		100
    238Plover, Three-banded
    (Charadrius tricollaris)    		20
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		80
    258Sandpiper, Common
    (Actitis hypoleucos)    		10
    274Thick-knee, Water
    (Burhinus vermiculatus)    		10
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		1310
    288Gull, Grey-headed
    (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)    		80
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		230
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		180
    291Tern, Common
    (Sterna hirundo)    		530
    296Tern, Sandwich
    (Thalasseus sandvicensis)    		90
    298Tern, Greater Crested
    (Thalasseus bergii)    		40
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		70
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		30
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		60
    10015Mallard, Hybrid
    (Anas hybrid)    		170


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

    Friday 31 October 2025 09:17
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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