The ninth winter count, and eighteenth count overall, has, to date, recorded a total of 241 837 waterbirds from 256 sites. Thank you to all compilers who diligently submitted their forms after their counts were completed. For those compilers who still have not submitted their winter forms please do so as soon as possible.

Considering that not all the data has come in, this figure is 30% lower than the previous winter count (331 159 birds from 245 sites). This low figure is due mainly to notably lower counts from some of the larger, more significant sites (e.g. Spitskop Dam, Kamfers Dam, Barberspan, Wilderness Lakes, and Botriviervlei), but outstanding submissions, some of which are known to hold large numbers of birds (e.g. De Hoop Vlei, Rietvlei Wetland Reserve), have also contributed to a lower total and highlights the need to get these sites counted regularly. The high winter 1999 counts at the above sites were boosted by certain high species counts (e.g. Redknobbed Coot at Barberspan, flamingos at Kamfers Dam) which were absent or lower in 2000.

New sites: A total of 19 new sites were registered with CWAC after this count and included six from Mpumalanga (Arnot Vlei, Loskop Dam (IBA), Masibekela Wetland, Rustig Dam, Rustig North Pan and Swadini Dam), four from the Free State (Deelpan, Leeupan 3, Mooispruit Farm Dam and Moutloasi Setlogelo–Groothoek Dam), three from the Northern Province (Olifants River–Olifants River North Shareblock, PMC Wetlands and Namakgale Sewage Works), two each from the Eastern Cape (PE Power Station Pans and Perseverance Vleis) and Western Cape (Berg 13: Springersbaai floodplain and Great Brak River Estuary), and one each from Gauteng (Marievale Bird Sanctuary 2) and KwaZulu-Natal (Due Donne Fram Dam). Thanks to all the compilers who have registered these new sites. Keep up the good work!

It is encouraging to see some more farm dams included in CWAC. These sites are probably playing a more important role than we realize. The Olifants River site is another welcome addition to the CWAC database, especially since CWAC has little data for riverine species. Rivers are under-counted at present and although rivers may be one of the more difficult types of sites to count, they do provide a challenge and a new facet to CWACing. Compiler for the Olifants River, John Burchmore, is conducting monthly counts at this site and we applaud John and his team for their effort and commitment. Any other keen river rafters out there?

Breeding data: A large number of observers are providing comprehensive information for this section and although this aspect of the counts was only introduced in January this year, it is providing valuable breeding information for sites. Long-term, ongoing monitoring will undoubtedly provide good seasonal patterns and breeding trends, which will contribute to the conservation value of sites. All observers are encouraged to be aware of breeding activity during counts and to make a note of as many active nests (i.e., with eggs or chicks) as possible. This information should be recorded in the Additional Breeding Information box on the census form.

Highlights:

This count produced a number of outstanding counts for some species, but space allows only some of the more interesting records to be listed.

• Significant counts of Blacknecked Grebes recorded at Kamfers Dam (1682) and Chatty Saltpans (286).
• Great Crested Grebe were recorded in large numbers from Barberspan (144), Wilderness Lakes (100) and Botriviervlei (75).
• Dabchick were recorded in large numbers from Strandfontein Sewage Works (1423) and Wilderness Lakes (1143).
• Significant numbers of White Pelicans were recorded from Lake St Lucia (3772), where they were also recorded breeding.
• Cape Gannet: two birds at Botriviervlei – the first CWAC record of this species!
• 1717 Whitebreasted Cormorants were recorded at Barberspan, This represents about 10% of the southern African population.
• 2865 Cape Cormorant at the Berg River Mouth, one of the largest roosts on the West Coast.
• Crowned Cormorant is not regularly recorded, but 89 birds were counted at Langebaan Lagoon.
• A single Black Egret was recorded from Marievale Bird Sanctuary.
• Yellowbilled Stork numbers were down from the summer count but fairly good numbers came from Lake St Lucia (34), Pongolapoort Dam (17) and Nyamithi Pan (11).
• Woollynecked Storks at Lake St Lucia (13), PMC Wetlands (5) and Umvoti Estuary (5).
• Saddlebilled Stork were counted at Lake St Lucia (2) and Openbilled Storks at Masibekela Wetlands (5), Nyamithi Pan (1), Bhanzi Pan (1) and Nsumu Pan (1).
• Black Stork is not regularly recorded, but two birds were counted at Moutloasi Setlogelo (Groothoek Dam), and a single bird at Gariep Dam.

• Good numbers of Goliath Heron were recorded at Lake St Lucia (91 – up by 30 from the summer count!), Bloemhof Dam (49), Gariep Dam (39) and Spitskop Dam (20).

• Squacco Heron is not regularly reported, but records came from Spitskop Dam (14), Vaalharts Weir (6), Barberspan (5), Vaalkop Dam (2), Bosmansfontein Pan (1), and Umvoti Estuary (1).

• Good numbers of Knobbilled Duck were counted at Vaalkop Dam (482), with smaller counts at Kanhym Pan 2 (36), Nylsvley Nature Reserve (28), Kanhym Pan 1 (26), Kwena Dam (20).
• Spoonbill numbers were high at Lake St Lucia (359), Korsman Bird Sanctuary (117), Spitskop Dam (111), Malandeni Sewage Works (96), Bar None Saltpan (82), Gariep Dam (74), Orange River Estuary (69), Barberspan (52), Nylsvlei Nature Reserve (48), and Seekoeivlei (33).
• Whitebacked Duck numbers were high at Mavuya Pan (162), Lake Mfutululu (63), Goedenhoop Pan (28), and Visser’s Dam (21).
• A record 331 Hadeda Ibis were counted at Diepsloot Nature Reserve.

• 2452 Spurwinged Geese were recorded from Chelmsford Dam.
• Grey Crowned Cranes were seen at Waterford Farm Dams (24), Midmar Dam (12), Chelmsford Dam (11), Waterford Farm Dams (7), Reichneau Mission Dam (5), Klipfontein Bird Sanctuary (2), Hlatikulu Valley (2), Due Donne Farm Dam (2), and Seekoeivlei (2).
• Wattled Crane were recorded from Hlatikulu Valley (5), and Lakenvlei East (1).
• Good numbers of Pygmy Goose were recorded from Mfazana Pans (14).
• African Rail were recorded in good numbers from Klipfontein Bird Sanctuary (14), Malandeni Sewage Works (13), and Marievale Bird Sanctuary (8).
• Dwarf Bitterns recorded as singletons at Yengweni Pan, Nylsvlei Reserve and Witbank Dam.
• Black Crakes: good counts from Klipfontein Sanctuary (24), Nylsvley Nature Reserve (19), Roodeplaat Dam (14), Masibekela Wetlands (14), and Nhlonhlela Pan (12).
• Baillon’s Crake was reported once again from Malandeni Sewage Works (1).
• Purple Gallinule had good counts from Mavella Pan (72) and Bloemhof Dam (32).
• A single Lesser Moorhen was reported from Doornfontein Floodplain – Lower Berg River.
• Redknobbed Coot were abundant at Wilderness Lakes (8870), Barberspan (4940), Bloemhof Dam (4630), Spitskop Dam (4300), Rusfontein Dam (2288), and Knellpoort Dam (2226).
• African Finfoot is an uncommon waterbird not regularly recorded for CWAC, but counted this winter at Swadini Dam (3) and Loskop Dam (1).
• African Jacana were abundant at Nylsvley Nature Reserve (74), Yengweni Pan (66), Masibekela Wetlands (40), Neshe Pan (28), Mavuya Pan (24), and Thulazihleka Pan (22).
• Lesser Jacana, were reported from Masibekela Wetlands (2), and Blood River Vlei (1).
• Painted Snipe were observed at Waterford Farm Dams (2), Marievale Bird Sanctuary (2) and Soutpan (1), while Ethiopian Snipes were abundant at Marievale Bird Sanctuary (34).
• Avocet numbers were down on the summer count, but good counts were recorded from Verlorenvlei (164) and Hotel Salt Pans, Lower Berg River (150).
• High numbers of Kittlitz’s Plover counted at Kabeljous Estuary (321), and Orange Estuary (248).
• Whitecrowned Plover is an under-recorded riparian species; three birds were seen at PMC wetlands, and two birds along a 20 km section of the Olifants River, Mpumalanga.
• Redwinged Pratincoles: 116 birds were counted at Lake St Lucia.
• 504 Caspian Terns were seen at Lake St Lucia, of which 125 pairs were reported breeding; 335 birds at Gariep Dam, 94 birds at Orange River Estuary, and 34 from Spitskop Dam.
• Roseate Tern: 3 birds recorded from Krom River Mouth.
• Large numbers of Pied Kingfisher recorded at Loskop Dam (74) and Masibekela Wetlands (31).
• Halfcollared Kingfisher: an uncommon bird but records from Swadini Dam (5), Wilderness Lakes (1), Keurbooms River Estuary (1), Loskop Dam (1), and Bushmans River Mouth (1).
• Longtailed Wagtail: another irregularly recorded species; counted at Swadini Dam (3).
• Good raptor counts included Palmut Vulture at Kosi Bay (4) and at Umvoti River Estuary (1); African Fish Eagle at Lake St Lucia (80) and Loskop Dam (6), Marsh Owls at source of Coetzerspruit (4), Marievale Bird Sanctuary (3) and Witbank Dam (3), and Grass Owls from Malandeni Sewage Works (2) and Marievale Bird Sanctuary (1). African Marsh Harrier records were widespread this winter with Soetendalsvlei recording the highest number (13); Lake St Lucia, Kliphoek River and Salt Pans – Lower Berg River, Strandfontein Sewage Works, and Wilderness Lakes all recorded four birds each. A single Black Harrier was recorded from Langebaan Lagoon.

Vagrants and out-of-range records (all sightings subject to verification by Rarities Committee):

Lesser Blackbacked Gull: single birds at PMC Wetlands and Kamfers Dam; two at Spitskop Dam.

Heuglin’s Gull: single bird identified at Riet River Bay – first South African record!

Blackheaded Gull: two birds reported from Barberspan.

Slaty Egret: single bird at Marievale Bird Sanctuary.

American Purple Gallinule: single bird at Paarl Bird Sanctuary.

Sand Plover: two birds at Zwartkops River Estuary.

Significant numbers of overwintering waders were evident during this count:

Grey Plover: 397 recorded from Langebaan Lagoon and 183 from Zwartkops River Estuary.

Greenshank: good numbers from Langebaan Lagoon (242).

Curlew Sandpipers: high numbers at Langebaan Lagoon (2525) and Orange River Estuary (1666).

Sanderling: 109 at Langebaan Lagoon, 54 at Riet River Bay.

Bartailed Godwit: Zwartkops River Estuary (40), and De Plaat – Lower Berg River (11).

Curlew: Langebaan Lagoon (205).

Whimbrel: Langebaan Lagoon (123), Zwartkops River Estuary (107).

Ruff: Leeuwpan (204).

Knot: Kabeljous Estuary (217), Zwartkops Estuary (44), Gamtoos mouth – 6 km upstream (41).

Turnstone: Langebaan Lagoon (392), Zwartkops River Estuary (140).

Little Stint: relatively large numbers at some inland localities: Erfenis Dam (85), Spitskop Dam (75), Platfontein Pans (67).

In early September, I attended three meetings in Kampala Uganda. The first was the Wetland International African Waterbird Census (AfWC) steering committee meeting, where, as the southern African Regional Organiser, I presented feedback from the various southern African countries. The participants were impressed with the well organised reportback collated from the national coordinators. I then participated in a four-day development workshop for AfWC where, along with other national representatives, I formulated and presented a report on setting priorities for southern Africa, including guidelines for prioritizing sites, species action plans, and developing a training programme.

Barry Taylor gave a presentation on the Training Manual he is busy compiling for AfWC. If all goes well the manual, which covers aspects from wetland functions to counting techniques, will be ready early next year and we hope to make use of it in South Africa. I then went on to attend the 10^th Pan African Ornithological Congress, where I gave a presentation reviewing CWAC, discussing results obtained to date, and highlighting future recommendations for the project. One positive outcome of the congress was the interest expressed from two other African countries (Niger and Benin) to make use of the software that was used to produce the TOTAL CWAC Report.

Boudewyn van der Lecq, RO for Greater Gauteng, has indicated that he will be stepping down as RO as from January 2001, but will remain the CWAC coordinator for the Wits Bird Club. Since elected to the role of RO, Boudewyn has done an outstanding job, managing to keep regular contact with all relevant compilers, coordinate each of the yearly counts and maintain communications with the ADU regarding updates or changes to CWAC in the region. He got the Grasveld Voëslklub involved with CWAC by ‘handing-over’ Leeuwpan to the club as their CWAC site. The ADU would like to thank Boudewyn for his enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to the task, and we wish him well in the future. This means that we are now looking for a replacement for Boudewyn. Anyone who may be interested can contact me for further details; a Terms of Reference document is available, outlining the requirements and duties of ROs.

As promised in the last issue we will be profiling some of CWAC’s ardent participants to see just what makes them get involved with counting waterbirds twice a year. In this issue we focus on Ken Hattingh from Mpumalanga. Ken, who resides in Middelburg, has been a birder for many years and is currently chairman of the Middelburg Bird Club.

ADU: How did you become aware of CWAC?

Ken: I read about it in a copy of Bird Numbers and thought it would be great to get involved.

ADU: How long have you been CWACing?

Ken: I started CWACing in 1993 when I joined Woden Odendaal (another ardent CWACer) on his Witbank Dam counts. It wasn’t until January 1998, during the TOTAL CWAC drive, that I started counting other sites.

ADU: How many sites do you count at present and who assists you with the counts?

Ken: 16, including mainly seasonal pans in the Middelburg/Hendrina and Chrissiesmeer districts. My wife, Alfreda, normally helps me, but when she is not available I do the counts on my own.

ADU: Why do you do it and what keeps you going?

Ken: It’s a way of providing a valuable service to bird conservation and I get a lot of pleasure out of it.

ADU: What have been some of your highlights?

Ken: Discovering species that I didn’t know occurred in these areas, observing the changes in numbers and species as the weather changes, and the thrill of constantly finding new and fascinating wetlands.

ADU: Why would you recommend CWAC to other birders?

Ken: Through greater participation better results can be obtained and this is important in the long-term. Also, one gets to know the habits of birds at ‘your’ sites and this helps build up local knowledge of waterbirds in the area.

Please remember that this count takes place from mid-January to mid-February with the preferred dates being the last weekend in January (Saturday 27th or Sunday 28th), or as close to these days as possible.

Seasons greetings and happy CWACing