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    Zandvlei: Upper Estuary (34061828)

    Western Cape
    Card 512708
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34061828Zandvlei: Upper Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2026-10-17
    Season OOther
    Start time 08:15
    End time 09:45
    Shoreline covered 90
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 32
    Total Count 552
    Wetland Condition 2Partially full (mid tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats 0
    Count Condition 3Moderate
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes The previous days weather forecast for today, suggested we would be in heavy rain all morning. It did not arrive. There were low dark clouds blocking out direct sunlight all morning with the height of the clouds lifting towards mid day. See the photos. There was a slight westerly breeze swinging to a southerly direction later in the morning. It was cool and not cold. Good conditions for bird sightings at Zandvlei. There was nothing to be seen in the Promenade Road pond surrounded by reeds. The water level has dropped considerably in the last month. The only evidence of insects were the Funnel web Spider nests sparkling like webs with jewels with the rain drops glinting on them. A lovely surprise today were the 2 Black Ducks and the excellent total of 59 Avocets seen on the Central pan with some Stilts present too. No Flamingos today although there are a number of them at Strandfontein currently. We saw both the Black winged Kite and the Yellow billed Kite in this area as a note.
    Survey notes


    Add additional observers
    Observer NumberNameOptions
    0Alan Wood
     
    0Colleen Brian
     
    0Darren November
     
    0David Walker
     
    0Gigi Laidler
     
    0Katherine Child
     
    0Safiyyah Hattas
     

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		80
    5Grebe, Black-necked
    (Podiceps nigricollis)    		20
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		60
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		30
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		290
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		40
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		20
    57Heron, Purple
    (Ardea purpurea)    		10
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		40
    69Night Heron, Black-crowned
    (Nycticorax nycticorax)    		10
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		40
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		30
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		1810
    95Duck, African Black
    (Anas sparsa)    		20
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		450
    98Teal, Cape
    (Anas capensis)    		70
    210Moorhen, Common
    (Gallinula chloropus)    		60
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		840
    238Plover, Three-banded
    (Anarhynchus tricollaris)    		20
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		90
    269Avocet, Pied
    (Recurvirostra avosetta)    		590
    270Stilt, Black-winged
    (Himantopus himantopus)    		100
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		170
    288Gull, Grey-headed
    (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)    		10
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		360
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		80
    296Tern, Sandwich
    (Thalasseus sandvicensis)    		20
    298Tern, Greater Crested
    (Thalasseus bergii)    		10
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		70
    397Kingfisher, Malachite
    (Corythornis cristatus)    		10
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		50
    10034Duck, Hyrbid Mallard/Yellow-billed
    (Anas platyrhynchos x undulata)    		20


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

    Saturday 24 October 2026 07:03
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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