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    Zandvlei: Upper Estuary (34061828)

    Western Cape
    Card 511376
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34061828Zandvlei: Upper Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2025-04-19
    Season OOther
    Start time
    End time
    Shoreline covered 90
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 31
    Total Count 769
    Wetland Condition 1Full (High tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats 0
    Count Condition 5Ideal
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes "At the confluence of the Sand River and Langevlei canal there was a Black shouldered Kite in a palm tree along side the road and also a few Sacred Ibis on the edge of the canal wall at the litter trap. There was high overhead cloud with swirling patterns, and a thick dark fog bank extending from the Atlantic sea through False Bay and across the Cape Flats to Milnerton in Table Bay in the north. Under the fog bank the air temperature can be icy. We had cool air temps and no wind at all. The water on the main waterbody was like a mirror, see the reflections on the water surfaces, one could say unusual for Zandvlei as there is always a breeze here. This remained so until just before 10hh00 when the SE breeze started to ripple the surface. There was a Jackal Buzzard on the overhead railway wires and Stephen Judge got a photo of a African Harrier Hawk and other birds in the Main Reserve area. To note the water level was very high from the Full Moon closing of the estuary mouth the previous Friday for the Scouts Kontiki weekend. These levels are only seen in winter rainfalls when the estuary mouth is closed. On the western shore the pathways were more than ankle deep. These seasonal waterways still had some damsel flies present, but no dragonflies were visible, their season had come to an end. 2 species of butterflies were present Cape Autumn Widows and Silver bottom Browns. Surface moles runways were present all around the waters edge under grass ground cover. There were plenty of dew covered Funnel Web Spider nets in the low growth."
    Survey notes


    Add additional observers
    Observer NumberNameOptions
    0C Brail
     
    0Darren November
     
    0David and Joan Walker
     
    0Gigi Laidler
     
    0H Russel
     
    0Kyran Wright
     
    0Linda Hibbin
     
    0Simon Fogarty
     
    0Stephen and Gardie Judge
     

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		40
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		170
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		1400
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		330
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		70
    57Heron, Purple
    (Ardea purpurea)    		10
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		180
    69Night Heron, Black-crowned
    (Nycticorax nycticorax)    		40
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		630
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		130
    85Spoonbill, African
    (Platalea alba)    		10
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		700
    94Shoveler, Cape
    (Anas smithii)    		30
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		430
    98Teal, Cape
    (Anas capensis)    		100
    210Moorhen, Common
    (Gallinula chloropus)    		60
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		1310
    238Plover, Three-banded
    (Charadrius tricollaris)    		10
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		90
    274Thick-knee, Water
    (Burhinus vermiculatus)    		20
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		160
    288Gull, Grey-headed
    (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)    		40
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		1030
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		10
    291Tern, Common
    (Sterna hirundo)    		30
    296Tern, Sandwich
    (Thalasseus sandvicensis)    		20
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		120
    397Kingfisher, Malachite
    (Corythornis cristatus)    		60
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		30
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		60
    10034Duck, Hyrbid Mallard/Yellow-billed
    (Anas platyrhynchos x undulata)    		370


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

    Sunday 01 February 2026 08:24
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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