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    Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (34071828)

    Western Cape
    Card 510958
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34071828Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2024-10-19
    Season OOther
    Start time 09:15
    End time 11:30
    Shoreline covered 90
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 25
    Total Count 407
    Wetland Condition 1Full (High tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats 0
    Count Condition 4Good
    Count Type 1On foot
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes When we arrived at the change over point from upper to lower at the Scout base we checked for the Water Thick-knees and the pair were back and not too spooked by the scouts assembling tents in the area. The main waterbody was quite empty of birds flying or paddling about. At times about 10 years ago there were nearly 1000 Coots to be counted. There were times about 20 years ago when up to 650 Egyptian Geese would be moulting on the picnic grass with feathers and poo every where at this time of year. A Yellow billed Kite flew overhead from the mountain across the vlei and across the Caravan Park going east. Even the Cape Cormorants were in low numbers today. There was a part of the very high sand spit above the water with Sandwich, Caspian and Swift Terns resting. The water flow was 1 metre per 4 seconds under Thesens (foot) Bridge so the the estuary mouth was open, the surface water was rippling about 25 metres ahead of the bridge indicating a high speed flow. There were 5 Grey Herons in the Norfolk Pine tree (heronry) in Axminster Road behind The Tides flats. The one and only Three banded Plover was recorded before the first bend of the estuary.
    Survey notes


    Add additional observers
    Observer NumberNameOptions
    0Aviwe Mkayo
     
    0Chris Laidler
     
    0Gigi Laidler
     
    0Kyran Wright
     
    0Linda Hibbin
     

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		10
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		90
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		80
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		650
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		100
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		30
    55Heron, Black-headed
    (Ardea melanocephala)    		10
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		40
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		190
    83Ibis, Glossy
    (Plegadis falcinellus)    		10
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		40
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		1350
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		150
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		440
    238Plover, Three-banded
    (Charadrius tricollaris)    		10
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		110
    274Thick-knee, Water
    (Burhinus vermiculatus)    		20
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		270
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		190
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		20
    296Tern, Sandwich
    (Thalasseus sandvicensis)    		60
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		80
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		60
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		10
    10034Duck, Hyrbid Mallard/Yellow-billed
    (Anas platyrhynchos x undulata)    		50


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

    Thursday 21 November 2024 05:55
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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