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    Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (34071828)

    Western Cape
    Card 503015
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34071828Zandvlei: Lower Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2013-04-20
    Season OOther
    Start time 09:45
    End time 12:05
    Shoreline covered 95
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 29
    Total Count 1541
    Wetland Condition 2Partially full (mid tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats
    Count Condition 5Ideal
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes One of those perfect autumn days weather wise. Clear sky, sunny, warm with a slight breeze from SE. A sponsored canoe race for the Peninsula Canoe Club started at 10h00. The dates of the opening and closing of the vlei mouth had to be changed this month as the Yacht Club had a National Race 2 weeks ago which also required the water level as high as possible above the waterweed. This co-insided with the opening of the mouth at spring tide. Not a simple task with all the inputs for consideration. The general observation today, there were many more numbers of the various bird species normally seen at the counts. Greg Morgan was in his canoe and counted the southern Marina canals. An observation is that the waterweed has regrown after concerns it had died back earlier in the year from over harvesting. Another interesting sighting was a group working together made up of Reed, Cape and Whitebreasted Cormorants, with Great crested and Little Grebe, Hartlaubs and Kelp Gulls hunting small fish with much diving and surfacing. The group of Pelicans were also herding fish as a group. This indicates there are plenty of small fish in the estuary currently. The canoe race follows a set route in the main body and through the Marina canals and does not appear to disturb the birds in the main water body.
    Survey notes


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    Observer NumberNameOptions

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		180
    6Grebe, Little
    (Tachybaptus ruficollis)    		360
    42Pelican, Great White
    (Pelecanus onocrotalus)    		330
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		80
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		90
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		470
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		240
    54Heron, Grey
    (Ardea cinerea)    		20
    57Heron, Purple
    (Ardea purpurea)    		10
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		60
    60Egret, Intermediate
    (Ardea intermedia)    		30
    61Egret, Western Cattle
    (Bubulcus ibis)    		80
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		210
    84Ibis, Hadada
    (Bostrychia hagedash)    		260
    85Spoonbill, African
    (Platalea alba)    		30
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		3090
    94Shoveler, Cape
    (Spatula smithii)    		220
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		190
    210Moorhen, Common
    (Gallinula chloropus)    		30
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		7331Possibly Breeding
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		250
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		810
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		550
    291Tern, Common
    (Sterna hirundo)    		20
    298Tern, Greater Crested
    (Thalasseus bergii)    		50
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		20
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		230
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		60
    10015, Hybrid Mallard
    (Anas hybrid)    		110


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

    Saturday 27 April 2024 10:34
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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