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    Zandvlei: Upper Estuary (34061828)

    Western Cape
    Card 503955
    Compiler 10691
    Location code 34061828Zandvlei: Upper Estuary (Western Cape)
    Start date 2014-01-18
    Season SSummer
    Start time 08:15
    End time 09:45
    Shoreline covered 95
    Openwater covered 95
    Total Species 35
    Total Count 1566
    Wetland Condition 2Partially full (mid tide for estuaries)
    Wetland Threats
    Count Condition 4Good
    Count Type 5Mixed
    Nil Count (No birds present) 0There were CWAC species present
    Notes Clear, sunny with fresh SE wind. There were 2 rowing boats on Australia Island, which turned out to be local Sea Scouts doing community service clearing bags of litter. Their presence was the cause of no birds normally recorded on the southern side of the island. The mouth of the vlei was open and the flow ubnder the railway birdge was noted at 1 metre per 6 seconds. A general feeling while doing the count, there was a lack of species and numbers present. So what was the issue - we came up with, there had been the very good rainfall throughout the Western Cape in 2013 and therefore the birds were dispersed in numerous other waterbodies in the Western Cape. Also the highest rainfall recorded for January at Zandvlei in 15 years. The averaged recorded rainfall for 2013 at Zandvlei was 1034.2mm. This was about 350mm more than the average recorded annual rainfall. Also observed a Whiskered Tern (presume the male) chasing, manouvering the African Fish Eagle away from the first bay on the left, near the Reserve jetty, north west area. This is the nesting area for the Whiskered Terns. This count includes the northern canals of the Marina done in a canoe by Barry and Val Cleveland. They also do the canal where the Night Heron roost is in the north west part of the vlei. The Sand River could not be entered due to the sand bar at the confluence. The attached photo is a weather indicator, the light clouds were only around the mountain tops.
    Survey notes


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    Observer NumberNameOptions

    Current data
    Ref #SpeciesCountBreeding
    Pairs    		Breeding
    indicator
    4Grebe, Great Crested
    (Podiceps cristatus)    		250
    6Grebe, Little
    (Tachybaptus ruficollis)    		30Probably Breeding
    47Cormorant, White-breasted
    (Phalacrocorax lucidus)    		80
    48Cormorant, Cape
    (Phalacrocorax capensis)    		180
    50Cormorant, Reed
    (Microcarbo africanus)    		140
    52Darter, African
    (Anhinga rufa)    		330
    55Heron, Black-headed
    (Ardea melanocephala)    		10
    57Heron, Purple
    (Ardea purpurea)    		30
    59Egret, Little
    (Egretta garzetta)    		80
    60Egret, Intermediate
    (Ardea intermedia)    		10
    69Heron, Black-crowned Night
    (Nycticorax nycticorax)    		60
    81Ibis, African Sacred
    (Threskiornis aethiopicus)    		50
    85Spoonbill, African
    (Platalea alba)    		30
    89Goose, Egyptian
    (Alopochen aegyptiaca)    		510
    96Duck, Yellow-billed
    (Anas undulata)    		1530
    98Teal, Cape
    (Anas capensis)    		160Confirmed Breeding
    149Eagle, African Fish
    (Haliaeetus vocifer)    		10
    210Moorhen, Common
    (Gallinula chloropus)    		110
    212Coot, Red-knobbed
    (Fulica cristata)    		8650
    245Lapwing, Blacksmith
    (Vanellus armatus)    		300
    263Greenshank, Common
    (Tringa nebularia)    		10
    264Sandpiper, Wood
    (Tringa glareola)    		20
    269Avocet, Pied
    (Recurvirostra avosetta)    		610
    270Stilt, Black-winged
    (Himantopus himantopus)    		140
    287Gull, Kelp
    (Larus dominicanus)    		120
    289Gull, Hartlaub's
    (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)    		820
    290Tern, Caspian
    (Hydroprogne caspia)    		30
    291Tern, Common
    (Sterna hirundo)    		40
    305Tern, Whiskered
    (Chlidonias hybrida)    		30Possibly Breeding
    394Kingfisher, Pied
    (Ceryle rudis)    		110
    397Kingfisher, Malachite
    (Corythornis cristatus)    		20
    686Wagtail, Cape
    (Motacilla capensis)    		50
    1016, Mallard
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		10
    10006Duck, Domestic
    (Anas platyrhynchos)    		210
    10015, Hybrid Mallard
    (Anas hybrid)    		890


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    Saturday 27 April 2024 09:12
    FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
    Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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