notice to contributors - the cape bird...

EDITING & PRODUCTION : Otto Schmidt Jo Hobbs�

Deadline for issue -June 10 April 2013

NOTICE TOCONTRIBUTORS

Members requiring information shouldnote the following telephone numbers :

Hon. President Peter Steyn

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Chairman Vernon HeadVice-Chairman, Club

Meetings, Junior Club Heather HowellTreasurer Julian HareHon. Secretary Helen FenwickConservation Dave WhitelawFundraising, Functions Anne Gray

OTHER OFFICE BEARERS:

Information Sylvia LedgardMembership Secretary Joan AckroydPromerops Otto SchmidtPromerops, CBC e-mail Jo Hobbs

Promerops

Promerops

, the magazine of the CapeBird Club, is published four times ayear. It is meant to be

So itis YOUR magazine to use. Manymembers submitted interesting itemsfor this issue of and theeditors convey their sincere thanks toall concerned.

by all themembers, for all the members.

Contributions are invited frommembers in English or Afrikaans onbirdwatching, bird sightings, birdobservations, news, views, projects,etc., particularly in the southwesternCape. The abbreviations to use are:

(2005)

(Hockey et al.1989) -

English names should be those used inAfrikaans names as inReceipt of contributions

will generally not be acknowledgedand they may or may not be used at thesole discretion of the editors.

Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa- Roberts’ 7

Atlas of the Birds of theSouthwestern Cape

SW Cape Bird Atlas

Roberts’ 7,Roberts’ 6.

.

THE CAPE BIRD CLUB IS THE WESTERN CAPE BRANCH OF BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA

Website : www.capebirdclub.org.zaE-mail : [email protected]

PO BOX 2113 CLAREINCH 7740

TEL: 021 559 0726

021 674 3332

076 569 1389

021 788 1574021 686 8437082 705 1536021 671 3714021 713 1231

021 559 0726021 530 4435021 674 2381

021 981 1275

Scientific, Rarities Callan Cohen

CBC webmaster Gavin LawsonBook sales Gavin & Anne Greig

021 705 5224021 794 7791

Slide library Jan Hofmeyr

CBC Shop Des & Mary Frylinck

021 686 3047

021 761 7244

083 256 0491SABAP coordinator Peter Nupen 083 407 4362

Courses Priscilla BeetonCamps Charles Saunders

021 789 0382

082 882 8688021 797 5710

Outings Mike Saunders021 788 1259Other projects Mervyn Wetmore

FRONT COVER: This Pel's Fishing Owl hit the headlines when it was spotted in a Constantiagarden in September last year. See report on page 10.

Photo: Trevor Hardaker

Promeropsor fax to (021) 981-1275 or by post to PO Box 8, Brackenfell, 7561

contributions may be sent by e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected]

2March 2013

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PROMEROPS 293

March 2013

EDITORIAL

We trust that members have enjoyedtheir summer vacations with,

hopefully, many happy memories.

As we continue into 2013, we congratulateour club's Conservation Committee on the 25thanniversary of its establishment, in 1988, underthe chairmanship of Dave Whitelaw. Amazingly,Dave, who introduced us to his committee in theNovember magazine, is still its ever-enthusiasticChairman, and a great deal of good conservationwork has been done under his tenure. As you willsee on page 9, one of his prime projects, theprotection of the birding habitats at theStrandfontein Sewage Works, is making goodprogress, with an exciting new venture, a“Birdathon”, being planned for April, an attemptto involve the burgeoning community on the rimof this area in the enjoyment and protection of thispopular birding site. We hope to have a regularConservation Feature in future issues, to keep you

informed of the work of this committee, andperhaps encourage a few of you to becomemore involved in this important aspect of the club.Sadly, Frank Wygold, a long-standing member ofthe committee, passed away just before we wentto press in November, and we pay tribute to him inthis issue.

When the last magazine went out inNovember 2012, a group of enthusiastic CBCmembers was heading off to Ecuador in SouthAmerica, and part 1 of this very successful tripappears in this issue. Suffice it to say that the groupof 14 are unlikely to ever forget this experiencewith its 500 bird species seen in a variety ofspectacular and sometimes quite challenginghabitats. Superbly led and catered, thisadventure was a yardstick for future trips, the nextof which will be to Ghana in West Africa inNovember this year (see page 23).

Otto Schmidt

The King's Map Exhibition - François le Vaillant in Southern AfricaOn almost every CBC field outing in our areasomeone will point out a Levaillant's Cisticola, andthere is the little bird we are all so familiar with,bearing the name of this intrepid early Frenchexplorer and pioneering naturalist. We know hisname, though we may not pronounce it as he did,but who exactly was François le Vaillant and whatwas he doing in South Africa from 1781 to 1784?

Otto

Sch

mid

t

Levaillant's Cisticola

To find out you really must not miss thisoutstanding exhibition at Cape Town's IzikoMuseum. Dominating the exhibition is a hugemap of southern Africa measuring nearly 2 x 3mwhich was prepared for Louis XVI in 1790. This isa decorated and finely illustrated geographicalmap tracing Le Vaillant's travels in the Cape andbeyond and recording in detail the fauna, floraand people that he encountered. Also on displayaround the walls are many of Le Vaillant's originalwatercolour paintings of scenery, tribesmen, birdsand animals as well as the original illustrations forhis bird book .

This magnificent map has never before beenon public exhibition, which is a real coup for Izikoand a tribute to the initiative and enthusiasm ofProfessor Ian Glenn, a world authority on LeVaillant.

Seeour Programme for more details this is anopportunity not to be missed!

If you can't make it on 24 March, make aplan to go later but don't miss it. Admission to theIziko Museum is R20 (which includes admissionto The King's Map exhibition).

Oiseaux d'Afrique

Prof Glenn has kindly agreed to meetour members at the Museum on Sunday 24March and guide us around the exhibition.

-

The exhibition will run until Sunday 26May.

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A TRIBUTE TO PROFESSOR PHIL HOCKEY

Thursday, 24 January 2013 was a sad day in thehistory of southern African ornithology when

Professor Phil Hockey, Director of the PercyFitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, lost hisbattle with cancer.

Most members of the Cape Bird Club willhave heard of Phil. Many will have attendedlectures or courses he has run at the club over theyears or will own one or more of the many bird-books he has either authored or co-authored.The most well-known of these would beand Sasol Birds of Southern Africa (probably themost widely used of the regional field-guides andnow into its 4th Edition) which he co-authored,and his 1995 monograph Waders of SouthernAfrica. Apart from many scientific publications, hispopular birding articles have appeared in a varietyof natural history magazines over many years.

Phil, who was born in England in 1956,moved to South Africa in 1979, and it was soonafter this that I first met him when, with my father, Ivisited Marcus Island in Saldanha Bay where hewas based while doing his doctoral thesis, whichhe obtained in 1983, on the African BlackOystercatcher.

One of his major connections with the CBCwas during the 1980s when the club decided topublish a bird atlas for the southwestern Cape andan Atlas sub-committee of seven members was setup under the initial chairmanship of TonyWilliams. When Tony was transferred toWindhoek, Phil took over as co-ordinator of theproject. After 5 years of data collection, the

was published, with Phil as theprincipal editor, in 1989. I can clearly rememberspending the last night of pasting up the atlas withthe late Julie te Groen at premises in Maitlandwhere we triumphantly completed the final shiftat about 1am.

After obtaining his PhD, much of Phil's laterresearch focused on coastal waders, and whenthe African Black Oystercatcher was classified as“near-threatened” in the 1994 International RedData Book, Phi l ini t iated the 3-yearOystercatcher Conservation Programme (OCP)in 1997 towards which the CBC contributedsponsorship of R10 000 per annum. Regular datacollection by members of the CBC and otherregional bird clubs made a significantcontribution to the success of this project.

Roberts 7

,

SWCape Bird Atlas

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PROMEROPS 293

March 2013

Phil Hockey doing what he most enjoyed - outbirding in the field. This cropped photographdates back to 1991 when Phil was a member of theCBC team which won the televised handicapsection of BirdLife SA's Birding Big Day

PHIL HOCKEY - A TRIBUTE

Apart from being an excellent professionalornithologist, Phil was a superb birder whoenjoyed being out in the field. He was the guideon my first pelagic trip out of Hout Bay back in1986, and I shall always remember him pointingout a dot in the sky and identifying it as a Soft-plumaged Petrel.

In July 2008 Phil became Director of the“Fitztitute”, and I have had the pleasure ofattending several of their recent annual AGMlecture programmes. At last year's event in lateMarch, although clearly not well, Phil gave a mostenlightening introduction to the morning'sprogramme on the complexities of running theInstitute. I kept thinking as I listened to him,wearing his business suit, that he would surelyrather have been outside in his more familiarshorts, whether watching oystercatchers on achilly West Coast beach or Crab Plovers intemperatures of 40+ degrees in the Arabian Gulf.

Phil's many contributions to the Cape BirdClub and to southern African ornithology will longbe remembered and we pass on our sincerestcondolences to his family at this sad time.

Otto Schmidt

The African BlackOystercatcher -Phil's special bird

Alb

ertF

rone

man

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PROMEROPS 293

March 2013

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALSA REMINDER

If you are in arrears with yourmembership renewal thiscould well be your last

so please don'tdelay! Slow payers risk beingstruck off the BirdLife and CBCmembership lists.

For queries telephone 011 789-1122 or [email protected]

Promerops,

Address changes should also be sent toBirdLife SA by e-mail or by post to P O Box 515,Randburg 2125 or fax to 011 789 5188.

IMPORTANT NOTE:When making your payment to BLSA by EFT ordirect Bank Deposit

. Without this it is sometimesimpossible to match up payments with thecorrect member. If your payment cannot becorrectly allocated you could eventually bestruck off as “unpaid” or “lapsed” and we reallydon't want to lose you!

please ensure that youquote your membership number asreference

Payments to be made to BirdLife SouthAfrica, Account No. 620 6750 6281, FNB,Randburg Branch, Code 25 40 05. Reference -your Membership Number.

CLUB NEWS

BOTSOC TURNS 100

2013 is the Centenary Year for the BotanicalSociety of South Africa and their celebrations willextend throughout the year with several specialevents taking place at Kirstenbosch. To supportthem CBC and TBC are planning to arrangeguided bird walks from March to May and also inthe spring months in order to introduce a widerpublic to the birdlife of these magnificent gardens.

Anne Gray is coordinating the guideschedules and we will probably do about twotwo-hour walks per month. She has a panel ofvoluntary guides so far, but additional volunteerswill be most welcome. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] for moreinformation.

DONATIONS RECEIVED - THANK YOU ALL!

BirdLife SA has sent us details of donations to CBCfrom August to December 2012. As always, MrL.S. Evans has been very generous in his support.We must also thank the following members: MrsJ.K. Dower, Mr B.C. du Toit, Mrs D.S. Peddie, MrsC.C. Wileman, Mr J.D. Graaf, Mr B. Gibson, MrsS.J. Brass, Mr P.L. Meadows and Dr J.E. Fincham.Our sincere thanks to you all. Your support givesus great encouragement and is very muchappreciated.

A REMINDER TO THE OVER-60s

Please bear in mind that BirdLife SA's invoicingsystem is not automatically adjusted for the year inwhich a member turns 60, qualifying for thereduced CBC and BirdLife membership rate forSeniors. So, if you are approaching that milestonethis year, please check your renewal invoice andadvise BirdLife accordingly so that the correctadjustment can be made.

NEW MEMBERS

We are happy to welcome the following newmembers to the Club as well as some “old”members who have re-joined us recently:

Roger and Anna Pope, MowbrayNoeline van den Berg, RondeboschAnn Baumann, ClaremontSharon Reid, RondeboschChristine Rix, PinelandsKathy and Ivan Gresele, PlumsteadDavid Maughan, PinelandsPhillip Green, PinelandsGeoff Seekings, BergvlietRoger & Susan Trentham, West Coast Village

We hope you will enjoy taking part in some of ouractivities this year and take the opportunity to visitsome new places and see many new birds. Wealso look forward to meeting you at one of ourevening meetings. Please introduce yourselves toGill or Joan at the entrance table on arrival andstay afterwards for a cup of tea or coffee.

IN THIS ISSUEConservation news ........................... 8-9

Pel's Fishing Owl in Constantia ......... 10-11

Black Storks breeding record ............ 12

Observations and sightings .............. 13-19

Birding in Ecuador ............................ 20-23

Club activities, reports,

programme .................................. 24-30

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More club news WEST COAST WEEKEND CAMPWe will be holding our first camp of 2013 atthe inLangebaanweg from . We will bebirding in the following areas: Mauritzbaai –Afrisam Nature Reserve – a coastal naturereserve in Saldanha and, if time allows, theWest Coast National Park. In addition we willbe spending a couple of hours at the WestCoast Fossil Park with Pippa Haarhoff as ourhostess. She will be giving us a guided tour ofthis world renowned palaentological site andthereafter a video presentation. If the priorweather conditions have been favourable, weare hoping to be able to include a short guidedtour of a different biological kind.

So all in all we are in for a very full, andslightly different, camp. And all of this for onlyR 400-00 per person for the entire weekend(including entrance fees to Fossil Park)! Pleasenote that bedding is supplied but you need tobring your own towels.

If you wish to join us please mail me ongiving your

name and total number of folk who will bejoining us. Simultaneously pay your money tothe club using the following reference format –LW surname pax where surname is yoursurname and pax is the number of people.Club account details are: Cape Bird Club/Nedbank – Claremont/ branch code –104609/ account number 1046 380 400.

Windstone Adventure Centre12 to 14 April

Charles Saunders

[email protected]

RONDEVLEI TEA ROOM

AFRICAN BIRDLIFE - BLSA's NEW MAGAZINE

At last Rondevlei has its own tea room and one cannow relax with a welcome cup of tea or coffeeafter a morning in the bird hides. This is run by theFriends of Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei and is openon weekdays from 10h30 to 15h30. They arekeen to make a success of this venture so dosupport them next time you visit the sanctuary.

BirdLife South Africa is now publishing its ownmagazine, which is a high qualitypublication, equalling the former

in both presentation and content, as thoseof you who have already received the first threeissues will certainly agree.

Since the publication ofwas discontinued last year, the 8-page run-off the“BirdLife Bulletin” that appeared in that magazineno longer applies. This was previously sent tomembers who were not subscribing to themagazine. It is no longer possible for BLSA toproduce a BirdLife Bulletin, as informationregarding their work is dispersed throughout

. However they do want to remainin touch with all their members and suggest thatthose who are missing the Bulletin take one of thefollowing options:

Include a subscription (R205 per annum) toas part of your membership

fee. For information, contact Shireen Gould [email protected]

African Birdlife,Africa - Birds &

Birding

Africa - Birds & Birding

African BirdLife

African BirdLife

�

Subscribe to receive BLSA's regular E-newsletter. You can subscribe online via thelink on www.birdlife.org.za or send your nameand e-mail address to Shireen. If you arealready receiving the E-newsletter, please besure to keep BirdLife South Africa updatedregarding any changes to your e-mail address.

�

ARE YOU A FRIEND OF RONDEVLEI?

Those of you who regularly attend our first-Saturday-in-the-month outings to Rondevlei maylike to know that by joining the Friends ofZeekoevlei and Rondevlei (FoZR) you get freeentry into Rondevlei for a year. The cost of familymembership is R60, all of which is channelledback into support for Rondevlei. For more detailsyou can contact [email protected] or go towww.zeekoevlei.co.za and click on the Friendsmenu. Those who are digitally challenged canalso contact Richard Cammell at 072 907 5196.

KHOISAN SEA SALT FOR THE BIRDS

Last year we had wine “for the birds” and now wehave Khoisan Sea Salt “for the birds”. Some ofyou may have picked up sample packets at theSave Our Seabird Festival last October. Thisunrefined, non-iodated, sea salt is harvested onthe shores of St. Helena Bay. Unlike industrialsalt, it does not contain artificial chemicals or anyanti-caking agents. 400-year-old brine is pumpedfrom an underground seawater lake and due tosiphoning through shell beds it has a highercalcium content. This is responsible for itsdistinctive mineral taste and roundness of flavour.

The Khoisan Trading Company has pledged tocontribute a portion of the proceeds of sale of thissalt to the Save Our Seabird (SOS) fund. It can bepurchased at most Pick n Pay outlets and someSuper Spars. A list of other retailers can be foundon www.khoisantrading.co.za

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DONATIONS FOR PROMEROPSand/or CONSERVATION

The “Important Note” in our MembershipRenewals notice on page 5 draws attention tothe need to make your membershipsubscription payment by EFT or direct deposit.This makes it difficult for those wishing toinclude a donation to indicate how they wouldlike it to be used.

We would therefore strongly recommendthat those wishing their donation to be used for aspecific purpose, e.g. for local bird conservationor to contribute to the production costs forPromerops, should make their payment directlyinto the Cape Bird Club's account. We haveseveral ambitious conservation projectsplanned, and the production and distributioncosts of Promerops are currently a cause forconcern. If you would like to sponsor a cover, oreven a page, please contact Otto or Jo (see page2 for contact details).

Donations can be paid by EFT or directdeposit into the Cape Bird Club's account atNedbank, Claremont, No. 1046 380400, Code104609. Please use the reference “Prom” (forPromerops) or “Cons” (for Conservation) or“Donation” (for general purposes) + yourname. This is important so that the paymentcan be correctly allocated. Please also contactJo Hobbs at the same time to confirm thepayment so that it can be properlyacknowledged in the next issue of Promerops.

At this point we would like to thank NickStarke who has followed this route and verykindly made a donation to go towardsPromerops costs. Many thanks!

IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS IBA's

BirdLife's IBA Programme is assuming evergreater importance for the conservation of ourprecious birdlife, as those who attended DaleWright's talk at our October evening meeting lastyear will realise. Anyone wishing to learn moreabout our own IBA's will be pleased to know thatall 124 Important Bird Area (IBA) texts, aspublished in the IBA Directory (Barnes 1998),have now been uploaded on the BirdLife SouthAfrica website. To see them you can go tohttp://www.birdlife.org.za/conservation/iba/iba-directory

PETRA DIAMOND MINES IS NEW SPECIESCHAMPION FOR THE SECRETARYBIRD

BirdLife SA announced last October that PetraDiamond Mines has agreed to support its efforts toconserve Secretarybirds by becoming a SpeciesChampion for this species. BirdLife SpeciesChampions are companies, organisations orindividuals who financially support work toprevent the extinction of a globally threatened birdspecies. This conservation project includes thetracking of Secretarybirds in to order tounderstand their movements and behaviour,which will influence conservation decision-making. Petra Diamond Mines will provide verywelcome financial support for the next three years.

As a matter of interest, BirdLife South Africacurrently has three Species Championssupporting various conservation and researchactivities, as follows:

The Charl van der Merwe Trust, for the AfricanPenguin

Palabora Mining Company, for the Taita Falcon

Petra Diamond Mines, for the Secretarybird

BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL TURNS 90!

Well, to be completely accurate, the foundingbody, the International Council for BirdPreservation was founded on 20 June 1922, so weare a few months late in congratulating the world'soldest international conservation organisation.However, its name was changed in 1993, justtwenty years ago, to BirdLife International. Thislandmark occasion is due to be celebrated in Juneat the BirdLife Partnership World Congress to beheld in Ottawa and hosted jointly by NatureCanada and Bird Studies Canada.

CBC BOOKSHOPNEW BOOKS AND SPECIAL OFFERS

Allow a little extra time to browse at our booktable when you come to evening meetings orattend courses. There is always something newon offer.

For details of books in stock, or to place anorder, please phone Gavin or Anne Greig at 021794 7791. All books are sold at a discount, andall profits go to the CBC. Unfortunately we donot have credit card facilities, so please bear thisin mind when purchasing.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER WHEN PAYING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

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As you will have read in Otto's editorial, our CBCConservation Committee first started its work 25years ago, in 1988 under the ever-enthusiasticchairmanship of Dave Whitelaw. In ourNovember issue Dave introduced all themembers of the current committee. Sadly, FrankWygold passed away last October, and we paytribute to him in this issue.

We owe a lot to the continuing vigilance andexcellent work done by the ConservationCommittee and we plan to make “ConservationNews” a regular feature in future issues.

I am sure most of you are aware that Strandfonteinhas been incorporated into the False Bay NatureReserve. This reserve starts at Sunrise Circle andextends as far as Wolfgat and includes Rondevleiand Strandfontein as well as Zeekoevlei.

BLSA and your club have been activelyinvolved in a number of activities at the site, butone forthcoming event is of particular importanceto our members. This a “birdathon”.I hear you ask, “What the h… is a birdathon? It isan attempt to raise the awareness of the localcommunity to the value of the area.

Basically we have identified two circuitsthrough the works, one of approx 4.4km and one5.5km. Participants will be expected to walkalong these routes and at specific sites will beasked questions relating the birdlife, plant life,waste tip and the sea. To assist the participantsthey will receive:

1. A short description of the site, and

2. A chart illustrating some of the commonerbird species found at the site.

These two documents will enable them to answerthe questions.

Why two circuits? Well, children under 12will do the shorter course and older children thelonger route. Parents will be encouraged toaccompany their offspring. All competitors willreceive a lunch pack, hopefully supplied by asponsor. The winners, based on time taken andthe number of questions correctly answered, willreceive a prize.

We also plan to have a long term follow-up.After the walk we will invite anyone interested invisiting the site again to leave their names and

PLEASE HELP WITH THE BIRDATHON IN APRIL

Exciting times at Strandfontein

Birdathon?STRANDFONTEIN - THEN AND NOW

This area has been close to our hearts for many,many years. 40 or 50 years ago it was fondlyknown as Tamatievlei because of the tiny wildtomato plants which grew prolifically there. 30years ago our then club chairman, Alan Morris,started the monthly bird counts which are stillcontinuing today. In more recent years, with thesupport of a bequest made by one of ourmembers, Julie te Groen, our conservationcommittee has been working tirelessly to achieveformal conservation status for the area. Now, atlast, it is part of the newly proclaimed False BayNature Reserve.

The Conservation Manager is Erica Essig, whois doing a great job in dealing with the serious waterhyacinth invasion which was steadily choking thecanals and covering some of the pans. Regularreports on all her work in the area can be read onour website www.capebirdclub.org.za and it seemsthat considerable progress is being made, which isvery heartening. She has had the assistance of afew volunteers and Ryno Coetzee has now joinedthe staff as Foreman in charge of alien invasives.Erica can be contacted at the office number 021396 4281 if you wish to report any problem, or at083 499 1717 in case of emergency.

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CONSERVATION NEWS contact details. We intend contacting them atintervals with details of club events in the area aswell as outings to Strandfontein or Rondevleispecifically for juniors.

Now this is where our members come in.

We anticipatestarting at 10.am and finishing at 11.30 -12.00.

We would also request that you to considermentoring a family or group of children/familiesfor a year. This would entail 3 - 4 outings to thearea. I can imagine some of you responding “butI'm not knowledgeable enough”. Just rememberyou know far more than these novices.

, preferably by e-mail, [email protected] I can promise you aninteresting morning and your contribution willhelp your club and BLSA in an important newinitiative. We hope to be able to channel themore enthusiastic members on to our juniorsection and, who knows, we may even gain someadult members.

Conservation Committee

We need marshals for this event which will beon Saturday 13 April 2013.

If you are interested or want to know moreplease contact me

Dave Whitelaw

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A TRIBUTE TO FRANK WYGOLD

If one had to try and summarise Frank's life in afew words it would not be easy, but one would

have to consider eccentric, dedicated andresilient.

- his life typified his adaptability andranged from serving in the British Navy to runningpet shops in the Southern suburbs. His life inBrooklyn typified this. Who else would havechosen to live in a boiler house in the grounds of aTB hospital? In this unusual situation he initiateda scheme to teach the patients the rudiments ofvegetable gardening. Another of Frank's initiativeswas the Green Point Flea Market, promoting selfemployment and free trading which was anotherof his passions.

no one can doubt his dedicationto conservation education. His involvementstarted in Britain during the 1960's when hestarted Bioprobe. This became SERO (ScientificEnvironmental Research Organisation) which hadmobile field research laboratories run as self-contained units.

In Cape Town he spent a considerableamount of his own funds in building up andmaintaining a really remarkable laboratory at theWest Coast Field Study Centre in Brooklyn. Thiscontained microscopes, a television link-up toscreen, video recording equipment and acollection of live and mounted specimens as wellas an impressive library. It enabled him to showpupils the contents of a drop of vlei water, and hewould then take them through the “web of life” ashe termed it, terminating with the birds of thearea. A visit to his laboratory was a memorableevent.

Eccentric

Dedicated -

He received numerous awards for his work inthis field, including the Mayor's Medal forcommunity affairs, as well as an Eagle Award fromBLSA. His dedication to helping at the CBCevening meetings needs no elaboration and hemade a significant contribution as a member ofthe club's conservation committee.

Frank endured severe pain for manyyears before his death. He'd undergone a hipreplacement many years ago. He required a secondreplacement but unfortunately the bone was toodamaged to permit this operation. As a result hesuffered from chronic pain, and a progressiveshortening of his left leg. Most people would havebeen hindered by this and would have acceptedthe need to reduce their activity. Not Frank.

Frank was an extraordinary individual. It wasindeed a privilege to have known him. The societyand the Cape Bird Club will be the poorer for hispassing.

Resilient

Dave Whitelaw

-

Frank Wygold

HOUSE CROWS - BE VIGILANT!

The problem caused by the alarming spread ofthese alien crows across the Peninsula has lastedfor some years and at one time it seemed aninsoluble problem. Fortunately funding for theeradication process was eventually found, and wemust congratulate the City of Cape Town for theconsiderable success they have achieved so far.You can read the 8-page report of their work andachievements from 2009 to 2012 on our clubwebsite www.capebirdclub.org.za under GeneralBirding Articles. You will certainly be impressed.However, more work remains to be done as smallpopulations, singles and ones and twos are stillbeing noticed at various sites and diligence isneeded to ensure that these populations do not

Please send any information on

metal- or colour-ringed birds to:

SAFRING

University of Cape Town

Rondebosch 7701

Tel. (021) 650-2421/2 : Fax: (021) 650-3434

e-mail: [email protected]

expand and become entrenched. Pleasemaintain vigilance and report the location of anysightings to Louise Stafford who is coordinatingthis project. She can be contacted [email protected]

8



THERE'S A PEL'S IN OUR GARDEN!

It all started with a phone call from ClaerwenHowie at 6.30 p.m. on Friday 7 September 2012.Her husband Craig had gone out into their well-wooded Newlands garden to investigate thereason for the agitated twittering of a gathering ofsmall birds and found that they were mobbing alarge ginger owl. He called Claerwen and theyboth had a good look at it through Swarovskibinoculars. They had no doubt about its identity,having seen their first Pel's Fishing Owl on a safariwith me in Botswana many years previously, andthen again on two subsequent Botswana visits,one very recently.

Contrary to the report in the Cape Argus of 18October 2012, I did not tell them bluntly that theywere wrong, and not for one moment did I doubtthe authenticity of their sighting from the detaileddescription they gave me. I was unable to go overimmediately and meanwhile the owl hadapparently disappeared. I urged them to try andtake a photograph if it reappeared. Some whilelater they relocated it, and with the aid of their sonCameron they attempted to take some pictures.Unfortunately these were too indistinct to provideproof, but it was possible to discern that the owlwas holding a fish in its talons. When the owleventually flew off it dropped a feather whichlanded in a thicket of lantana. Next morning Craigwas able to retrieve the feather which I went overto inspect and it could only have come from a Pel'sFishing Owl. I asked Claerwen to take a close-upphotograph which we forwarded to TrevorHardaker who posted it on his Southern AfricanRare Bird News Report on 10 September 2012after we had taken the precaution of contactingWalter Mangold at the World of Birds to see if itwas possibly an escapee.

Soon afterwards, at a Cape Bird Club eveningmeeting, I circulated Claerwen's picture and theincredulity of quite a number of members waspalpable. There were even a few later suggestionsthat it was all a hoax! After that all was quiet on theNewlands front despite the efforts of a number ofkeen CBC members to see if perhaps it wasroosting in the nearby Newlands forest.

Five weeks passed and on 13 OctoberClaerwen phoned to say that her Boxer hadretrieved a fresh headless fish from the dryriverbed at the bottom of the garden. I was able totell her that this was exciting circumstantial

evidence that the owl was still around. One of theunusual characteristics of this species is that itoften eats just the head part of a fish. Two housesaway Sean and Jo-Anne Duggan had severalponds in which they kept koi and goldfish.Claerwen called them to see if they had lost any oftheir fish and next day they arrived at her housewith a large headless goldfish. Claerwenimmediately called me and I was now quiteconvinced that the owl was the culprit.

The time for action had arrived and I calledTrevor Hardaker to ask if he could meet me thatevening at the Duggans who had generouslyagreed to allow us to attempt to see the owl. I feltthat my instinct might pay dividends, but I neverexpected what happened as we walked out ontothe deck overlooking the ponds. Immediately theowl flew out of a large oak beside the ponds andheaded towards the Howies' garden. We rushedover there and Claerwen had seen it briefly beforeit flew off toward Newlands forest where PiedCrows could be heard mobbing it.

I suggested to Trevor and his wife Margaretthat the only option was to return to the Duggansand wait patiently to see if it came back. Afterabout twenty minutes it flew past a couple oftimes before landing in the oak tree. It wasn'tclearly visible for photography initially, but when itsubsequently moved to two different perches inthe oak Trevor and Margaret were able to takesuperb pictures and thus put the doubtingThomases to the sword.

The Duggans, having seen our excitement,were soon converted into fellow strigiphiles,despite the depredations of their nocturnal visitoron their goldfish. Not only were they generous tous, but subsequently for five nights they allowedsome thirty birdwatchers a night to sit on theirdeck until they left on a trip to England. I wentover one evening myself and well rememberSimon and Stella Fogarty and Felicity Ellmoresitting stoically in a light drizzle in the hope thatthe owl would put in an appearance. Sadly, itremained elusive, and the expectations of themany birdwatchers who waited patiently duringthose five evenings remained unrequited.

Nothing further transpired until 5 Novemberwhen Marilyn Noakes called me to say that thePel's was in her garden in Constantia, a distance of4,7 kilometres from the first Newlands sightings. Iimmediately called Sandy Schmidt, who hadnever succeeded in seeing a Pel's Fishing Owl, andwe rushed over to Marilyn's home. Her gardenerhad kept it under surveillance after it had moved

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THE GREAT PEL'S MYSTERY

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Our next course:

Geographical variation, or sub-species, of southern African birdsthe wonders of variation within our bird species

SATURDAY 20 APRIL 2013 from 8.30 for 9.00 until 16.00

Presenter: Dr. Dave Allan

See enclosed insert for full details, or contact Judith Crosswell for enquiries and bookings at

Tel/Fax: 021 671 1787 (after 6pm) or e-mail [email protected]

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PROMEROPS 293

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when mobbed by the local Forest Buzzards and itwas perched in a stand of large poplar trees besidea nearby road. Sandy was ecstatic and when shegot home Otto had returned from Cape Town andshe directed him to the site. He contacted Simonwho in turn called Felicity, so that theirunsuccessful watch in Newlands was now finallyrewarded. Meanwhile Trevor had circulated thenews. By that afternoon it had moved a short wayinto the grounds of the Spanish embassy and theygenerously allowed some 200 birdwatchers intotheir grounds to view it. After that memorable daythere have been no further sightings of the owl,but it could well have moved elsewhere orremained undetected as the area is heavilywooded.

The enigma of the owl's presence in CapeTown so far from its usual haunts in the OkavangoDelta, northern Kruger and northern KZN isdifficult to explain and that it had flown here seemstotally improbable. As Trevor mentioned in his SA

POSTSCRIPT

A small piece of the owl's feather quill supplied tome by Craig and Claerwen Howie was sent by meto André Botha of the Birds of Prey WorkingProgramme of the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Heforwarded this to Stephan Woodborne at the CSIRwho supplied me with a detailed reply on hisinitial findings.

In summary, a stable light isotope analysisindicated that the Newlands feather compositiondoes not differ from Pel's Fishing Owl samples fromMozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and KrugerNational Park. This means that the bird was notoriginally resident but imported in some way, butwhen and how remains unknown. Stephanintends to make a further analysis using differentmarkers to establish more precisely which regionthe owl comes from. I am indebted to Stephan andAndré for assisting with this interesting finding.

Rare Bird News Report of 10 September, there wasan earlier sighting by Leonard Gill, author of

, in the late 1940s inthe Cape Point Nature Reserve, but this record hasbeen discounted over the years as extremelydoubtful, especially as the habitat is totallyunsuitable and because of the unavailability offreshwater fish in the area. The question remainshow could a possible small population of such adistinctive species have been overlooked? When Idiscussed the sightings with Tim Liversedge, whoknows more about this species than anyone fromhis research in the Okavango Delta, he suggestedthat possibly it had been brought to Cape Town as anestling and subsequently released. However,given the publicity in the newspapers, one wouldhave thought that someone would have comeforward to substantiate this suggestion. We willnever know the real explanation for thisremarkable occurrence, but for those who werelucky enough it will remain one of the highlights oftheir birding experiences.

A FirstGuide to South African Birds

-

Peter Steyn

The Pel's was a great sighting on 5 November!

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FLEDGLING PERIOD OF THE BLACK STORK INTHE KAROO

The Black Stork breeds sparsely in South Africa,most often in mountainous areas. It is a rare birdand almost all sightings are worth reporting. Itwould appear that its range has contracted fromwhat was recorded during the 1980's (SABAP 1)compared to what current (SABAP 2) atlasingrecords show.

Not much breeding information seems tohave been collected in Southern Africa, and ourstandard handbooks often refer to European datawhen summarising the breeding of the BlackStork. For example the fledgling / nestling periodof chicks is described as being “between 63 and71 days” which is based on observations in Europewhere Black Storks generally breed in trees.

When a Black Stork nest with three chicks wasfound in a small canyon in the Hantam Mountainnorth of Calvinia in the Northern Cape early inOctober 2011, an opportunity arose to learnmore about the nestling / fledgling period of thisrare bird. The nest was first seen on 8 October2011 when a parent was on the nest cliff watchingover three white downy chicks. The chicks werenot being brooded and were thought to be at leasttwo weeks old or possibly even more. They werealready about double or more the size they wouldhave been at hatching. When inspected from adistance with binoculars they appeared to be ofdifferent sizes which suggested asynchronoushatching.

The nest was on a gently sloping ledge underan overhanging cliff about 20 m above the drycanyon bed. It was an untidy aggregation of stickswith a lining of grass and smaller leafy branches.There were loose sticks around the nest on theledge, suggesting that not all nesting materialbrought to the nest cliff was placed on the actualnest structure. These loose sticks could also havebeen the left-over material from an olderdisintegrated nest.

Although I tried to observe the adults at thenest, this proved impossible as they wereextremely wary and would not come to the nest atall when I was in the area. Especially when thechicks were smaller, a parent and sometimes bothparents would instead circle overhead at someconsiderable height. So as not to cause themfurther distress, I soon abandoned the idea ofmaking direct observations.

On 21 December 2011 when I showed thenest to Professor Peter Ryan of the PercyFitzPatrick Institute, the three chicks were wellfeathered and still on the nest ledge. The nest itselfhad disintegrated completely and only a few sticksremained. Although we went right to the base ofthe cliff and Peter even scaled the cliff face towithin about 10 m of the chicks, they did not leavethe ledge or try to fly off.

On 27 December I again visited the nest butkept a safe distance. The three chicks were still onthe nest ledge. As I was leaving the area, I turnedback to see all three leave the nest cliff one afterthe other in rather wobbly, ascending flight whichtook them to the canyon floor about 100 m furtherup from the nest. I assumed that this was their firstflight which might have been induced by mypresence.

The period from 8 October when the chickswere first seen, to 27 December 2011 when theyleft the nest cliff, totalled 80 days. If the chickswere already between two and three weeks oldwhen first seen as I estimated, then the “fledglingperiod” (time from hatching to first flight) wouldhave been in excess of 90 days and could evenhave been as much as a 100 days. This comparesto the “63 - 71 days” reported for Europe. Clearlythe time it takes to fledge would depend onvarious factors including the rate of provisioning.This, with three growing young storks in an aridregion such as the succulent Karoo with everdrying conditions as the summer progressed,would have been a challenge for even the mostcaring stork parent.

François van der Merwe

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Three stoic-looking Black Stork chicks at their nest inthe Hantam Mountains near Calvinia.

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BLACK STORKS

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MEMBERS' OBSERVATIONS

FISH EAGLE ELECTROCUTION

Edmund Oettle & Frans Meyer

On 11 October 2012 there was a power outageon the farm Limietrivier outside Wellington. Thecause turned out to be a fatal electrocution of anadult male African Fish Eagle which weighed2400g. Of particular note was that the eagle hadbeen carrying a fish, which was also electrocutedand was found next to it on the ground. The fishweighed 940 g. It is possible that the very largesize of the fish (39 percent of the eagle's mass)caused the eagle to struggle to land correctly,alternatively the fish might have been the agentthat caused the short between the live and earthwires. The fish had clearly just been caught, as itwas largely unscathed except for where the eagle's

talons had held it.

Eskom were informed of this occurrence asthey had to fix the power outage, and the eagle (aperfect specimen) and fish were donated to the SAMuseum.

WHITE-BREASTED CORMORANT KILLS AGALJOEN (but fails to swallow it)

Peter Ryan

Like most human fishers, piscivorous birds seemto be inveterate optimists, prepared to tackle preythat is too large to handle. This reckless behaviourcan be costly, as herons and cormorantsoccasionally choke on fish that are too large toswallow.

On 9 November 2012 I watched a White-breasted Cormorant trying to swallow a Galjoen( ) in a bay north of Olifantsbos,Cape Point. Comparing the fish to the head of thecormorant, the fish must have been at least 270mm long, which Colin Attwood tells me wouldweigh around 360 g. The bird struggled for severalminutes to swallow the fish, but eventually gaveup. By this stage the fish was apparently dead,lying passively in the water when dropped by thecormorant.

Amazingly, this isn't the largest fish on recordfor this cormorant. cites fish of up to 290mm long and weighing at least 376 g being taken.However, it appears to be the first record of aGaljoen being killed.

Dichistius capensis

Roberts 7

DUSKY SUNBIRDS AT ROOI ELS

Alison Ayre & Helen Jones

Editor's note:

A pair of Dusky Sunbirds was discovered in ourRooi Els garden on 2 January 2013. The othergarden birds alerted us to them as they obviouslydon't like this "new" bird very much! Their call andgeneral behaviour also drew our attention. Theywere seen on a sugar water feeder where theinitial commotion of the two sugarbird familieswhich regularly fight over the feeder first drew ourattention to the presence of these “foreign”sunbirds. One of them feeding on the hibiscusflowers also exhibited behaviour we've seenbefore from the Southern Double-collaredSunbirds, namely "drilling" into the back of theflower to get at the nectar.

This seems to be a first for our area and doesn'tfigure at all in as being in this area.

In 1996 (July 1991)there is a note from Mike Fraser and Gill Wheelerreporting the presence of a pair of DuskySunbirds, the male in non-breeding plumage, atRondevlei from mid-February to late March 1991.They also mention an irruption of this species intothe area 10 years before, with birds nesting atRondevlei and elsewhere in the Cape Town area,but these irruptions are rare and there were norecords during the 5 year SW Cape Bird Atlas datacollection period in the early 1980s.

Roberts 7

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Over-ambitious White-breasted Cormorant withGaljoen

PROMEROPS IS YOUR MAGAZINE!The editors welcome all new contributors soplease send us your observations, reports,notes and photos. Our next issue will look atthe interaction of Pied Crows with otherspecies something everyone has noticed. Seepage 2 for our contact details e-mail, fax orpost, and let's hear from you!

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BROWN-THROATED AND BANDED MARTINSBREED AT THE SEA-SHORE

Although most often found over or near freshwater, the Brown-throated Martin also sometimesforages away from water None of thehandbooks or field guides that I have consulted,including , however records that it may befound in marine habitats and along the sea-shore.The late Prof. G.J. Broekhuysen did not include theBrown-throated Martin in his

(1969).

A recent note in described howBrown-throated Martins were seen to forage overthe surf along the coast. I have also over the pastfew Christmas seasons watched Brown-throatedMartins hunting along the shore at Yzerfontein,including over the inshore surf and breakers. InJanuary 2012 I found and photographed a pairbreeding solitarily at the northern end of theYzerfontein beach in a dune cutting that wasprobably the result of an extreme high tide eventor perhaps a winter storm. The nest hole was nomore than about 5 m away from the normal highwater mark.

The martins were feeding young that wereoften seen perched at the rather-oversizedentrance of their burrow with the parents in closeattendance. Being soft sand, the hole entrancehad become rather large and down-sloping due tothe sand being dislodged every time a birdalighted in the entrance.

Although more often colonial breeders,Brown-throated Martins sometimes breedsolitarily as this pair did. This record extends thebreeding habitat of the Brown-throated Martin ashitherto described in the literature.

Some years ago, and also at Yzerfontein, Irecorded the related Banded Martin foraging overthe rocks and surf along the shore and breeding ina drainage pipe about 75 m from the sea (1986

175:9). Also in the early 1980s, I foundBanded Martins breeding about 40 m above thehigh water mark in a low cutting where a foot pathdown to the beach led through the dunes.

In January 2013, and again checking the sea-side dune cutting where the Brown-throatedMartins had bred twelve months before, I foundand photographed a pair of Banded Martinsfeeding young in what I thought was the same nesthole used the year before by the Brown-throatedMartins. The Banded Martins were therefore also

(Roberts7).

Roberts 7

Field-Guide to theBirds of the South African Sea-shore

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breeding at the high water mark in the beachdunes.

There were no signs of the Brown-throatedMartins in January 2013 and I assume that theyhad either been displaced by the Banded Martinsor had already bred earlier and left the area. Itwould be worthwhile checking this site earlier inthe season, something which I am normally notable to do as my solitary annual visit to Yzerfonteinis always in late December / early January.Whether there was active competition betweenthe two species for this nesting site would also beinteresting to know.

In 239:14 15 (1999) I describedthe agitation of Banded Martins, also atYzerfontein, at the presence of a European Bee-eater at their presumed nesting site. I have nodoubt that hole-nesting birds of different speciessometimes compete for scarce breeding sites andthat this may limit their numbers locally.

Promerops


LITTLE SWIFTS BREED ON KAROO CLIFFS

Like the Palaearctic Common Swift (viz. DavidLack's classic “Swifts in a Tower” (1942)), the LittleSwift seems to have made an almost completetransition to man-made structures for nesting.Although not well documented, this has possiblyallowed the species to extend its range andnumbers, both locally and also geographically. Forexample along the Cape West Coast wheresuitable natural nesting sites would certainly belacking, Little Swift commonly breed under theeaves of houses, often holiday homes that areunoccupied for long periods, in seaside towns andresorts. This most certainly represents a rangeextension.

More observations

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Banded Martins at their nest in Yzerfontein

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The historical distribution of the Little Swift inthe Karoo is not documented but as its modernday distribution in the arid central parts of SouthAfrica is centred on Karoo towns and thus man-made structures (taller buildings, grain silos andeven single storey homes) one is inclined to thinkthat this too may represent either a range and / orpopulation extension. Our foremost swift expert,the late Richard Brooke, thought that the LittleSwift had so extended its range and numbers.

In almost 45 years of bird watching in theCape and Karoo, including frequent mountainhikes in all parts, I had never seen cliff-nestingLittle Swifts until I came across a small colony in asteep ravine on the farm “Kliprug” about 40 kmsouthwest of Calvinia. I was exploring the area forevidence of raptor and Black Stork breeding inparticular and had noticed Little Swifts breeding atthe farmstead about 2 km away. The cliff nestingcolony had about 10 nests under a small overhangabout 15 m above the river bed which ran downthe ravine. Swifts were active at the colony andevidently feeding young.

If I am right to assume that Little Swifts haveextended their range and numbers in the Karoo asa result of the availability of man-made nestingsites, it is interesting to speculate whether a cliff-nesting colony such as the one described aboverepresents ancestral distribution or whether it is aspill-over from a man-aided range and numbersextension. I would be interested to hear of othercliff nesting Little Swifts in the Cape and Karoo.


POST-NESTING FEEDING OF FISCALFLYCATCHER CHICKS

Helen Jones & Alison Ayre

The Fiscal Flycatchers in our Rooi Els gardensuccessfully raised three chicks in November2012, nesting in an acacia tree. We noticed thatthese three chicks remained in and around thegarden for 6 weeks after leaving the nest and werestill calling for and receiving food from the parentsduring that time. This was interesting asstates that “feeding continues after chicks leavethe nest, period unknown”. By the 6th week theywere more independent, but still had the dappledchest plumage.

Roberts 7

VISITORS TO A KLEINMOND GARDEN

We are not certain when the HelmetedGuineafowl first moved into the Kleinmond areaof the Overberg. They were first noticed in theKleinmond vicinity about ten years ago but forsome time they stayed in the lower parts of themountain while the Cape Spurfowl were regularlyseen in the lower part of town. Then a few yearslater a small flock of guineafowl establishedthemselves near Crassula Hall in Betty's Bay andthey have since spread to other areas where thereare large trees.

One of the small flocks of guineafowl whichvisit my garden regularly was recentlyaccompanied by 23 very tiny chicks. They wereconstantly calling and fussing and I marvelled thatthe ever-present Little Grey Mongoose and bothLarge and Small Spotted Genets did not make abeeline for them. The guineafowl and spurfowl

mix freely and are accompanied by a mixture ofchicks. In fact one group of spurfowl has“adopted” three guineafowl chicks although theyare twice the size of their own chicks. Each daywhen these birds visit, the make up of the party isdifferent and it is always a pleasure to watch them.

Penny Palmer

KELP GULL DOMINATES AT CARRION

Rob Martin & Jessie Walton

During the spring of 2012, we spent a few weekson the farm De Vlei in the Overberg district. Itwas the height of the lambing season and, as oftenhappens, some of the newborn lambs succumbedto inclement weather. At one carcass a Yellow-billed Kite was feeding when a Kelp Gull arrivedon the scene. The gull immediately chased thekite away and started feeding on the prey. Thekite later attempted to approach the carcass andwas again furiously chased off by the gull. White-necked Ravens were also kept at bay by the gull'saggressive behaviour.

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The view from Penny's window

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RED-WINGED STARLINGS COLLECT SEA-WEEDS FOR NESTING MATERIAL

Although less frequently seen foraging along theshoreline than Common Starlings, Red-wingedStarlings are fairly regular visitors to the intertidalzone. Mike Fraser recorded them feeding on smallsnails ( .) and other invertebrates onthe shore at Cape Point (S. Afr. J. Ecol. 1: 73-76;1990), but makes no mention of the useof seaweeds as nesting material.

Early on the morning of 11 November 2012 Iwatched a pair of Red-winged Starlings collectingbeaksful of live algae on the rocky shore atMuizenberg corner. Despite it being spring lowtide, they targeted filmy algae, primarily sealettuce ( spp.) and purple laver (

), growing on rocks on the mid to upper

Littorina spp

Roberts 7

Ulva Porphyracapensis

SPOTTED EAGLE-OWL NESTS

In 289:10 (February 2012) I reportedon a Spotted Eagle-Owl nest with four chickswhich fledged in November 2011. This was anunusually large number, but another unexpectedfeature of this nest was that there were threeadults in attendance the third being a ringed birdfrom the 2010 brood that had apparently stayedwith its parents.

In 2012 the parent birds bred again in thesame nest box 6 metres up in a tree in a largesuburban garden in Rondebosch, next toKeurboom Park. Two chicks from this broodfledged in late October.

Surprisingly, there was also a second SpottedEagle-Owl nest close by in the same garden at thesame time. The two nests were almost withinsight of each other and the straight line distancebetween them was only 55 metres. The secondnest was 3 metres up in a niche in the verticaltrunk of a large coral tree.

This second nest was started several weekslater than the first one. It contained two eggs on25 October 2012, at which time the two chicks inthe first nest were fledging. At this time the femalehad been incubating for about ten days and noother adult bird was ever observed at the nest.We established that it carried a numbered ring (9A06935) which confirmed that this was the sameindividual that had earlier stayed with its parentsfor a full year after it fledged in October 2010.This was evidently a female and it seems that her“mate” was possibly her own parent, associatedwith the first nest.

When a ladder was positioned at the first nestin order to replace a large chick that had fallen outof the nest box, the two parents perched in anearby tree became agitated and moved closer tothe nest box. They were then joined for a while bythe incubating female from the second nest.

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More observations

OPPORTUNISTIC FEEDING OF COMMONFISCAL

Rob Martin & Jessie Walton

In September 2012, on a farm near Wolseley inthe Breede River valley, we watched a Black-shouldered Kite catch a mouse, fly onto atelephone pole and start to devour the prey.Almost immediately a Common Fiscal landed on awire, about a metre from the kite, and sat intentlywatching the mouse being pulled apart. Everynow and again a piece of the prey would fall to theground and the fiscal would immediately fly downand devour the prey fragment. When the kite hadfinished its meal and flown off, the fiscal flew ontothe pole and fed off a few fragments of prey whichthe kite had failed to eat.

A Red-winged Starling with a beakful of wet seaweed

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shore. Most seaweed was collected from hollowsamong rocks where it remained wet (algaegrowing on the exposed rocks was drying out inthe morning sun). Both sexes collected material,with the female seeming to take the lead andcollecting larger amounts on each trip than themale. The actual collection took little time, andeven with the commute of approximately 120 macross the railway line and main road to a nest siteon a nearby block of flats, they made four trips infive minutes.

Peter Ryan

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It is generally accepted that Spotted Eagle-Owl pairs are very territorial and not very social.They sometimes breed when one year old, but notbefore they have found a mate and established aterritory of their own. I have been unable toestablish the typical distance between nests inneighbouring territories but would hazard a guessthat it is seldom less than 200 to 300 metres andprobably usually much more. Therefore, twonests only 55 metres apart would seem to be quiteexceptional.

Unfortunately the young female deserted thesecond nest on 29 or 30 October. On 31 Octoberwe removed the cold eggs and checked thecontents. One contained a small embryo about7-10 days old, while the other was infertile.

Jan Hofmeyr

THE CASE OF THE SUNBIRD AND THESWALLOW

Brian du Toit

Peter Steyn comments:

For many years now a pair of White-throatedSwallows have nested on the wall of the entranceporch to our house in Elgin and they can easily beobserved and photographed from a nearbylounge window. Over a period of several years,just a few metres away from where the swallowswere breeding, Malachite Sunbirds built theirnests in various shrubs.

In early November 2012 the MalachiteSunbirds had attached their nest to a hanginglamp in the porch a metre from the swallow's nest.Imagine my surprise while videoing the swallowsfeeding their chicks to see the female sunbird feedthe swallow chicks on several occasions.

On discussing this with Peter Steyn, hisexplanation was that the sunbird had probablylost its chicks and had transferred its feedinginstincts to the nearby gaping mouths of theswallow chicks. (see Peter's note below).

This behaviour is notunique. In 1968 in Zimbabwe I had a nest of aChestnut-vented Tit-Babbler in my garden atwhich I set up a hide for photography. On severaloccasions a Marico Flycatcher, which had a nestjust five metres away, was observed to feed the twowell grown tit-babbler chicks. On examining the

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Marico Flycatcher “stealing” the Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler chicks' meal

Marico Flycatcher's nest I found that its chicks haddisappeared. Thus, not only had the flycatchertransferred its feeding instincts to the nearby tit-babbler's nest, but it was also observed to removefaecal sacs and shade the chicks. On a number ofoccasions, when the tit-babblers tried to feed theirchicks, the flycatcher aggressively pecked at themand drove them off. Once, when the tit-babblerbrought a juicy caterpillar, the flycatcher snatchedit away and ate it itself (see photograph below).Two days later, when the tit-babbler young left thenest, their rightful parents were able to regaincontrol of their care. A detailed account of thisremarkable incident was published in Ostrich 40(2): 51-54 with four photographs.

Perhaps the most extraordinary incident ofthis nature was in the USA when a pair of birds (Ican't recall the species) lost their chicks from a nestoverhanging a goldfish pond. They saw thegoldfish gaping on the surface below and startedfeeding them. This behaviour continued for somewhile and the goldfish gratefully accepted theavian largesse.

As Niko Tinbergen has shown, the brightcoloured gapes of most nestlings, usually yellow,act as what is known as a 'releaser' whichstimulates the parents to feed their young.Certain cuckoo species, which do not eject theeggs or chicks of their host, have brighter gapesthan their host's chicks and are fed preferentiallyso that they grow faster.

More observations please!The deadline for our June issue is 10 April 2013

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All Sightings contributions to be reported/sent tocompiler Felicity Ellmore by e-mail [email protected] or Tel. 021 762-0176.

Please note that none of the sightings listedbelow have been verified by either a regional ornational rarities committee.

NATIONAL RARITIES:

Australian Gannet

Tufted Duck

Eurasian Honey Buzzard

Eurasian Oystercatcher

American Golden Plover

Common Redshank

Pectoral Sandpiper

Black Skimmer

LOCAL RARITIES:

Squacco Heron

Abdim's Stork

May we remind you that a list of all speciesthat constitute south-western Cape Rarities (local)can be found, together with National Rarities, onthe CBC website www.capebirdclub.org.za

- 2 birds seen on Malgas Islandin Saldanha Bay, 23 October 2012 (BD)

- a male seen at Paarl Bird Sanctuary,27 October 2012 (JF)

- a bird seen atNewlands Forest, 11 December 2012 (CC), ajuvenile seen at Newlands Forest, 14 December2012 (CC)

- a bird seen at Seeberg,WCNP, 8 September 2012, reported by TH

- a bird reported fromthe Seeberg hide, WCNP, 9 October 2012 (HV,PLo)

- a bird seen from theGeelbek Hide and one seen next to the SeebergHide, WCNP, 8 September 2012, reported by TH,a bird seen at the Geelbek Hide, 17 December2012 (SF, MT, CS), 2 birds seen from the Geelbekhide, WCNP, 29 December 2012 (SO, IH), 2 birdsseen from the Geelbek Hide, 7 January 2013 (BB)

- a bird seen andphotographed between pans P1 and P2,Strandfontein Sewage Works, 6 January 2013(MMa, LH)

- a bird discovered at Rietvlei,Milnerton, 4 October 2012 (RW), seen by manyother birders that day and again on 5 October2012 (SS), reported again on Milnerton Lagoon,16 November 2012 (RW)

- a bird seen at Paarl BirdSanctuary, 30 November 2012 (SDu)

- a bird seen feeding in a field withHadedas about 6km from Arniston along the R316,26 September 2012 (CB), still there on 1 October2012 (BR, DC) and on 13 October 2012 (JMa)

Fulvous Duck

Cape Vulture

Tawny Eagle

Long-Crested Eagle

Brown Snake Eagle

Bateleur

Red-winged Francolin

Hottentot Buttonquail

Lesser Sand Plover

Temminck's Courser

Tambourine Dove

African Cuckoo

Common Cuckoo

Jacobin Cuckoo

Marsh Owl

Pel's Fishing Owl

Southern Carmine Bee-eater

Garden Warbler

- 3 birds seen at Paarl BirdSanctuary, 29 September 2012 (B&MM), a fewbirds seen at the Varkensvlei / Ottery Roadjunction, Philippi, 1 November 2012 (DH)

- a bird seen near Papendorp on theWest Coast, 7 September 2012 (JCl)

- a bird seen at Helderberg NatureReserve, 7 September 2012 (BDe)

- a bird seen at HelderbergNature Reserve, 8 September 2012, reported byTH

- a sub-adult seen in the SandRiver section of the Karoo National Park, 29December 2012 (JC)

- a bird seen near De Hoop NatureReserve, 30 October 2012 (RL)

- a bird seen atHoneywood Farm, next to GrootvadersboschReserve, 4 January 2013 (CC)

- a bird seen at RooisandNature Reserve near Bot River, 2 December 2012(BV)

- a bird seen at the saltmarshes near Geelbek Manor House, WCNP, 30September 2012, reported by TH

- a bird seen at Olifantsbosnear Cape Point, 1 December 2012 (CSh)

- two birds heard at Paarl BirdSanctuary, 30 September 2012 (JMo)

- a bird seen near De HoopNature Reserve, 14 November 2012 (DG)

- a bird seen at the secondtimber pedestrian bridge near the mouth of theKleinmond lagoon, 23 December 2012 (GH)

- a bird seen near the camp site atthe Karoo National Park, 17 November 2012 (JD)

- a bird seen at the Tienie VersveldReserve near Darling, 29 September 2012,reported by TH

- a bird seen in a garden inNewlands, 7 September 2012 (C & CH), seen inanother Newlands Garden, 17 October 2012 (PS,TH, MH), seen on Hohenhort Avenue and in thegrounds of the Spanish Embassy, Constantia, 5November 2012 (PS, SF, StF, OS, SS, FE and manyother birders)

- a bird seen in agarden at De Kelders, 23 December 2012 (J&MV)

- birds seen at the DoornhoekPicnic Site, Karoo National Park, 13 December2012 (JN), seen again 15 December 2012 (JC), stillthere on 17 December 2012 (SO,CD,SD)

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SIGHTINGS

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Wing-snapping (Ayres') Cisticola

Spotted Flycatcher

African Pied Wagtail

African Firefinch

Cinnamon-Breasted Bunting

BIRDS ESTABLISHED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN / WESTERN CAPE, BUT RARE ORLOCALISED:

Goliath Heron

White-backed Duck

Hottentot Teal

Lesser Honeyguide

Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher

OTHER INTERESTING SIGHTINGS:

White Stork

Black Swan

African Snipe

- a few birdsseen in the plantations east of Harkerville nearPlettenberg Bay, 26 December 2012 (MB)

- a bird seen at Dick Dent BirdSanctuary, 8 December 2012 (JCl), a bird seen inthe gum trees on the road to the GeelbekRestaurant, WCNP, 17 December 2012 (MT, SF, CS)

- a bird seen at the PostcardCafé at Jonkershoek, 3 November 2012 (PL), stillthere on 21 December 2012 (GH)

- a male seen in Karoo NationalPark, 24 October 2012 (GP, JM), a bird seen inscrub at the edge of the forest below the campsite,Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, 4 January2013 (CC)

- a bird seen in agarden in Marina da Gama, 22 September 2012(LR)

- still at Rondevlei Nature Reserve,8 December 2012 (FE)

- a bird seen on the dam atVergenoegd wine estate near Stellenbosch, 16September 2012 (JM), 7 birds seen in farm damsadjacent to the R43 between Villiersdorp andWorcester, 7 November 2012 (JF, JH)

- a flock of 18 birds on pan P2,Strandfontein Sewage Works, 8 January 2013 (GM)

- a bird seen in the gum treesnear the Geelbek Restaurant, WCNP, 17December 2012 (MT, SF, CS), still there on 7January 2013 (BB)

- a female birdseen at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, Betty'sBay, 7 December 2012 (MMa, LH)

- a flock of about 30 birds seen atOlifantsbos, Cape Point, circling at fairly highaltitude and then coming down to land at a freshwater pond just behind the dunes, 28 October2012 (THv)

- a pair seen in a small permanentwetland on the corner of Baden Powell Drive andthe R102 to Somerset West, 15 December 2012(JM)

- about 10 birds seen in theseasonal wetland at Edith Stephens, 1 November2012 (DH)

Whiskered Tern

Caspian Tern

Sabine's Gull

Namaqua Dove

Acacia Pied Barbet

Lark-like Bunting

- 2 birds in partial breedingplumage seen at Zandvlei Nature Reserve duringthe CWAC count, 20 October 2012 (SF)

- 39 birds seen on pan P2,Strandfontein Sewage Works, 8 January 2013(GM)

- about 100 birds roosting on thesea near Yzerfontein harbour, 4 December 2012(BC)

- a pair seen at West Beach, TableView, 13 December 2012 (BP), a bird seen on thebeach near Olifantsbos, Cape Point, 8 December2012 (KW)

- a bird seen in GemsbokAvenue in Scarborough, 18 December 2012,reported by JF

- at least 5 birds seen on thepath up to the cannons, Sir Lowry's Pass, 13November 2012, (JT), a bird seen at KoebergNature Reserve, 24 November 2012 (IR)

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OBSERVERS

Basil Boer BB

Christian Boix CB

Mike Buckham MB

Japie Claassen JC

John Clements JCl

Callan Cohen CC

Dennis Cope DC

Brigid Crewe BC

Johan de Klerk JD

Bryn de Kock BDe

Cliff Dorse CD

Suretha Dorse SD

Schalk du Toit SDu

Bruce Dyer BD

Felicity Ellmore FE

John Fincham JF

Simon Fogarty SF

Stella Fogarty StF

Dalton Gibbs DG

Margaret Hardaker MH

Trevor Hardaker TH

Doug Harebottle DH

Isabella Hayden IH

Linda Hibbin LH

Jo Hobbs JH

Gerrie Horn GH

Claerwen and

Craig Howie

Trygve Hvidsten THv

Rich Lindie RL

C&CH

Pieter la Grange PL

Pieter Loubser PLo

Margaret Maciver MMa

John Magner JM

Jacques Malan JMa

Gerrie Meihuizen GM

Beverley and

Mike Moll

Jill Mortimer JMo

Justin Nicolau JN

Shaun Overmeyer SO

Beverley Patterson BP

Graham Pringle GP

Ian-Malcolm

Rijsdijk

Lucia Rodrigues LR

Barrie Rose BR

Charles Saunders CS

Charlie Sharfetter CS

Otto Schmidt OS

Sandy Schmidt SS

Sion Stanton SS

Peter Steyn PS

John Tinkler JT

Mel Tripp MT

Brian Vanderwalt BV

Johan and

Martie van Dyk

Helm van Zijl HV

Robin Wood RW

Kim Wright KW

B&MM

IR

J&MV

18



CAPE BIRD CLUB ECUADOR ADVENTURE7-24 November 2012 (Part 1)

Yanacocha Reserve & Tandayapa Bird Lodge,Cloud Forest Birding.

Following on the extremely successful Cape BirdClub trip to Ethiopia in April 2011 the nextinternational birding trip hatched by the CBCInternational Trips' sub-committee was to Ecuadorin November 2012, another world birding hotspot with twists and turns to excite and test themost intrepid twitcher.

Thirteen of the fourteen members on theEcuador Adventure left O R Tambo airport inJohannesburg on the morning of Wednesday 7November 2012 to fly via Buenos Aires andGuayaquil to Quito in Ecuador on a 26 hourjourney designed to strengthen us for what was tocome. On arriving at Quito airport shortly beforemidnight, we joined dozens of young sportspeople who'd arrived simultaneously to passthrough customs and then on to the HotelSebastian in Quito which we reached at 01h30 tojoin up with the fourteenth (fast asleep!) memberof the Ecuador Adventure team!

Thursday 8 November 2012 saw us ready andbarely awake at 04h30 for a quick breakfast anddeparture for the Yanacocha Reserve, an hour outof Quito, in a 20-seater bus with our two superguides from Tropical Birding, Sam Woods andJosé Illánes (a native of the Amazon Jungle). Thisfirst birding day introduced us to not only our twoguides, more skilled, knowledgeable, professionaland personable would be hard to find, but also tothe wonders, challenges, vistas, vegetation andexcitement of birding in Ecuador, quitedifferent to what we are used to in South Africa.We'd also see the first of the iconic birds ofEcuador, the 130+ species of hummingbirds (e.g.Andean Emerald, Brown Inca, Sword-billedHummingbird, etc.). Apart from hummingbirdsthere were eagles, kestrels (American Kestrel),pigeons, doves(Dusky Pigeon), toucans (Crimson-rumped Toucanet), woodpeckers, woodcreepers,antpittas (Rufous & Tawny), tyrant flycatchers(Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant),cotingas (the beautifulAndean Cock-of-the-Rock), swallows, dippers(White-capped Dipper), wrens, tanagers(Cinereous Conebill, Grass-green & Golden-crowned Tanager, Glossy & Black Flowerpiercers)buntings and sparrows). We'd also see our first

all

Ecuador mammal, the brazilian rabbit. At the endof a long, fruitful day we arrived at ouraccommodation for the next 6 nights, TandayapaBird Lodge ( ,beautifully appointed in cool cloud forest,comfortable, relaxed, welcoming and serviced bythe most accommodating staff to whom one couldentrust anything.

In typically efficient and quiet fashion SamWoods assigned us to our rooms, gave us the low-down on the lodge and how it operates and thenurged us to freshen up before enjoying drinks andsupper at 19h00 (always started with a delectableand uniquely herb flavoured soup, something welooked forward to each day we were atTandayapa!). Before each supper and whileenjoying a cold beer, Sam and José would gothrough the list of birds seen on that day which wethen ticked off on the Ecuador Adventure bird listeach of us had been given and from which wewould then declare our 'Bird of the Day' (aidiosyncratic process with no knowing howtour members made their choice!) before Samtallied the votes and announced the 'Bird of theDay' for that day! The Torrent Duck was voted'Bird of the Day' on our first birding day, 8November 2012! (At the end of the trip theTorrent Duck was also voted Trip Bird overcontenders such as the Cream-coloredWoodpecker, Spectacled Owl, Orange-cheekedParrot and Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe!). Sam andJosé would also brief us on the next day's itinerary,requirements (rain coats, gum boots, insectrepellent, best clothing, etc.) and the degree ofdifficulty to be expected! They were hardtaskmasters who drove us through theirenthusiasm, hard work and passion to get themost out of each day!

Birding in Ecuador is greatly influenced byaltitude and the cloud forest can be divided intozones which govern the species of birds one islikely to see. These, especially in the forests, movein bird parties, each party containing a number ofdifferent species. They arrive unannounced andone must be ready and 'op en wakker' to take inthe different species as they quietly and quicklyforage and work their way through the forest. Thistoo is where the professional assistance and

http://www.tandayapa.com/)

verysome

wholethe

very

9-14 November:

Radiating out from Tandayapa Bird Lodge-Tandayapa Valley, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, UpperTandayapa Valley, Rio Silanche, Mashpi, Paz deAves and Calacali.

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TRAVEL

19



birding knowledge of Sam and José came into itsown not only were they equipped with all therelevant equipment - telescopes and soundequipment through which the relevant bird callswere played to draw in the different birds buttheir expert knowledge of birding in Ecuadormade challenging birding accessible. Withoutthem we would have seen fewer birds andidentified even less! It was a wonder to many of ushow quickly they'd sight a small bird in denseforest vegetation, set up their scopes and thencycle us through so that each one of us had a goodsighting!

From our base at the Tandayapa Bird Lodgewe visited specific and unique bird-rich sitesseeking out endemics and other interestingspecies. Each day was fairly demanding, risingmost days at 04h30, breakfasting at 05h00 andthen departing in our bus at 05h30 driven by avery friendly, courteous and helpful driver, JaimeCargua. Some days were even earlier, orlater (seen as days off!) depending on the itineraryand destination for the day! Packed lunches werealways in the bus by 05h30 and we usually arrivedat our destination an hour to an hour-and-a-halflater with our day packs on our backs andbinoculars at the ready. On welcoming us onto thebus each morning Sam (or José) would brief usagain on the day ahead, the region, specialities,challenges and requirements. Apart fromgrabbing more sleep on these 90 minute trips toour daily destinations, of great interest was passingthrough small towns and villages along our way,viewing the architecture (there is much scope andopportunity for architects and town planners inthe small towns of Ecuador!), buildings, churches,businesses, waking of the inhabitants as theystarted a new day, school kids leaving for school,domestic animals (mainly cattle and dogs) andnow and again a grandiose entrance to a ranch or

-

far

one two

farm. On arriving at our destination, Jaime stayedbehind to look after the bus and any belongingswe may have left in his safekeeping and we fell inbehind Sam and José for the day's birding. Often,however, we stopped along the way on sightingsomething remarkable, reminiscent of the carsticker: .

Tandayapa Bird Lodge itself, set as it was in thecool cloud forest provided excellent armchairbirding with hummingbird feeders on the deckand around the lodge constantly inundated with amyriad of darting, squabbling and fascinatingjewels all vying for a place at one of the manyfeeders. The lodge feeders could be countedupon to provide up to 20 species in an hour, andoften 10 species were on the feeders at once.Rather like watching a winter fire burning, theyprovided mesmerising birding that left one both inawe and fascination of the marvel of these specialbirds, their startling, vivid colours, especiallywhen caught in the right light and angle. Theyranged from the bumble bee sized Purple-throated Woodstar whose short legs preventedthem from alighting on the feeder perch and thusnecessitating feeding on the wing to the largerSword-billed Hummingbird or Violet-tailedSylph. At Tandayapa too is a concealed bird hideat the end of a long winding forest path which weentered before dawn to view specialities such asthe Immaculate Antbird and White-throatedQuail-Dove. Breakfasts too were often

'Bird watcher, prone to sudden stops!'

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A Sword-billed Hummingbird, one of the manyremarkable species seen at Tandayapa Bird Lodge.

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Sch

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The CBC group birding in the cloud forest

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20



interrupted by bird sightings through thewindows, especially the Masked Trogon whichmost mornings sat outside the lodge buildinghawking moths around the night lights on thelodge walls. The red-tailed squirrel was seen onone of the feeding trays put out for the fruit-eatersand on one of the nights we heard and (some) sawthe nocturnal Common Potoo.

Birding tourism in Ecuador is big business, sadlynot well supported nor sufficiently recognised bythe Government but rather run by privatecompanies and private individuals who investtheir energies into conserving treasuredavifaunal habitat to the benefit of the country.Swathes of avifaunal habitat have been bought(with more to come as funds and opportunitiesarise) in parts of Ecuador. One such NGO is theMindo Cloudforest Foundation (MCF -http://www.mindocloudforest.org/ ) whose twocloud forest sanctuaries we visited in the first partof our Ecuador Adventure. Considered to besome of the finest birding sites in the country,many of the most spectacular Chocó Endemicsoccur here, some of which we were fortunate tosee: Orange-fronted Barbet, Choco Toucan,Glistening-green and Moss-backed Tanager,Chocó Trogon and Club-winged Manakin, aremarkable little bird which makes a distinctivemechanical buzzing sound with its wings. Formany the Club-winged Manakin at Milpe was atrip highlight, and great birds at Rio Silancheincluded Spectacled Owl and GuayaquilWoodpecker.

Another interesting project which we werefortunate to visit at the end of a long, winding forestroad, much of which we walked, was the MashpiLodge (http://www.mashpilodge.com/en/), aluxury and almost all glass fronted hotel (not quitein tune, we felt, with its surroundings) giving viewsonto the surrounding forest and set in the middle ofa 2,600-acre conservation project BiodiversityReserve. Initiated by a former mayor of the capitalcity, Quito, the ambitious project aims to conservethe natural habitat and give local inhabitants arange of work opportunities, including forestguides who educate visitors into the treasures ofthe forest on day walks from the hotel. On arrival,hot, tired, and looking a little at odds juxtaposedagainst the luxury of the hotel and the residentguests, we were ushered, after hosing down our

Milpe & Rio Silanche Private Bird Sanctuaries

Mashpi Lodge Biodiversity Reserve

gumboots or shoes at the hotel entrance, onto atop floor courtyard where we were served anunexpected and luxurious finger lunch which weenjoyed over our traditional packed lunch! Fromthis vantage point looking over the forest canopywe were fortunate to spot a juvenile Double-toothed Kite in one of the trees nearby. That night,our last at Tandayapa, Johan Schlebusch thankedthe delightful and wonderful Tandayapa staff fortheir service, his speech translated with someembellishments by José Illánes into Spanish (whathe added is anyone's guess but it caused muchmirth amongst the assembled staff!!).

Rising earlier than usual to be ready toTandayapa at 04h30 and for the last

time, we set off rather groggily in ourcomfortable bus with a packed breakfast to beat the Paz family farm dawn!(http://www.refugiopazdelasaves.com/ ).

Here Angel Paz, the farm owner, and hisfamily, with the encouragement of a RichardParson, have created a lucrative and sustainabletourism side-line to his farming activities bycreating a forest trail to an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock display lek (a communal display point in theforest where competing Cock-of-the-Rock malesdisplay to attract female birds with which to mate)and habituated several (retiring, shy) antpittaspecies to his call and the promise of juicy worms.We arrived at the farm in the rain along with anumber of other visitors, and after robingourselves in rain gear and umbrella coverings weset off down a , , , and

forest path to be in time to see the maleCock-of-the-Rock do his courting display at thelek. Despite getting to the lek (almost) on time andalmost in one piece (one sure footed mountaingoat of a Cape Bird Club member slipped veryneatly and spectacularly according to otherlaughing and 'caring/sympathetic' club memberson his b**kside injuring only his dignity andseriously misting up his binoculars as theyimmersed themselves in the forest path mud!),most unfortunately didn't see the Cock-of-the-Rock display. Not too let down by this, as we hadseen the beautiful Cock-of-the-Rock malespreviously, we then returned the ,

, , path to catch thehabituated antpittas at various points along thepath in the forest as Angel Paz called them up inSpanish and with fat juicy worms. After some hardwork, calling endearingly, with perseverance and

Paz de Aves and Calacali

muchdepart

before

steep soggy wet slipperydark

up steepmuddy slippery soggy

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21



MORE INTERNATIONAL TRIPSUnfortunately our scheduled April departureto Namibia with Japie Claassen had to becancelled due to the low level of response.

TO GHANA IN NOVEMBER!

Our departure to Ghana in West Africa inNovember 2013 is open for bookings and hasalready created a good deal of interest.

This will be 16 day adventure (16November to 1 December) run inconjunction with local operator AshantiAfrican Tours. It will cover varied habitatsfrom coastal wetland lagoons, dry savannahand primary Guinea tropical rainforest andshould produce in excess of 400 speciesincluding such mouth-watering specials asthe iconic Yellow-headed Picathartes,Egyptian Plover and African Grey Parrot. Topbirding sites to be visited include the KakumNational Park with its world-famous canopywalkway in the south, Ankasa, Ghana's onlypristine wet evergreen upper Guinearainforest in the west and Mole National Parkin the north.

The estimated tour cost is +/- 2000Pounds Sterling and interested memberscan obtain additional information and adetailed itinerary from Johan Schlebusch [email protected] or on021-685 7418 / 082 804 9025.

a little frustration - his birds weren't being as co-operative as usual - we were fortunate to seeConchita the Giant Antpitta, Pepito the Chestnut-crowned Antpitta and a Moustached Antpitta.After returning to the parking area, interested clubmembers were taken off to locate Tomas theOcellated Tapaculo and other local species. Wethen enjoyed a farmers' breakfast (brunch) ofbolas (plantain dumplings) and empanadas withgreat local coffee on a partially completedplatform overlooking a steep forest valley andforest hillside from which we saw a host ofinteresting and colourful birds such as theOrange-breasted Fruiteater, Orange-crowned,Thick-billed and Golden-rumped Euphonia.

From Paz de Aves we motored via La Mitaddel Mundo to view the Equator Monument, oneof a number of monuments marking the equator,back to Quito and the Sebastian Hotel. Along theway we did more birding spending some time on ahorse training track in the city (which lay directlyon the Equator) and in a nearby urban edge. Herewe added species such as Common Ground-Dove, Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch, Golden-belliedGrosbeak and Burrowing Owl.

Early (naturally!) the following morning weleft the hotel for an overnight stop in a totally newhabitat, the high-altitude páramo beforecontinuing for a 4-night stay in the Amazon jungle.

Part 2 covering this section of the EcuadorAdventure will follow in the next issue.

Mervyn Wetmore

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March 2013

Conchita, the Giant Antpitta arrives for its breakfast atPaz de Aves

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PLANNING A TRIP TO NAMIBIA?

We have received a really interesting andinformative report on a birding trip to Namibiaundertaken by CBC members George andBarbara Skinner in October last year. They tooksome super photos and there is a wealth of usefulinformation for anyone planning a similar holidayand wanting to know where to go and what to see.The account is unfortunately too long for inclusionin this issue of but it can be read in fullon our website www.capebirdclub.org.za

Promerops

GREAT TWITCHING IN WALVIS BAY!

Four CBC members had a spectacular day'sbirding in Walvis Bay last October. Unfortunately,due to space constraints this trip report withphotos has been held over to our next issue.Something to look forward to!

22



WEEKEND CAMP AT BEECATCHER FARM,LADISMITH 21- 24 September 2012

Our group of 18 gathered for a long weekend ofmuch-anticipated springtime birding at this newcamp venue in the Little Karoo. Beecatcher is aworking farm located in a tranquil valley at thefoot of the Klein-Swartberg Mountains, 19 km offRoute 62 in the Ladismith district.

We were housed in several comfortable,rustic self-catering cottages dotted around thefarm, each with its own idyllic views and setting.So prolific was the farm's bird life that most of us

CLUB ACTIVITIES

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We try to arrange activities to suit all levels ofinterest, so please participate whenever youcan. We welcome suggestions, so if you knowof interesting speakers or good venues for fieldoutings, please let us know.

EVENING MEETINGS

These are normally held at 20h00 on everysecond Thursday in the month at the NassauCentre, Groote Schuur High School, PalmyraRoad, Newlands. However, our year-end partywill take place on 8 December.

Tea and biscuits will be served after themeeting at a cost of R4,00. Do bring yourfriends, but remember that there will be acharge of R10 for visitors and non-members.

Are you a new member? Please introduceyourself to Gill or Joan on arrival.

FIELD OUTINGSWe arrange field outings throughout the year,usually on the first Saturday, third Sunday andone weekday morning in the month.

We try to introduce members to a variety ofhabitats and give them the opportunity tofamiliarise themselves with the common andless common birds of the areas. It is a goodidea to obtain a large-scale road map and tocheck your route to the outing venuebeforehand.

A good starting point for beginners isRondevlei Nature Reserve, and club outingstake place there on the first Saturday morningin every month. There are several excellent birdhides and always something of interest to beseen.

CBC OUTING TO PHILIPPI WETLANDSSunday 16th September 2012

We had a super outing to the Philippi Wetlandsarea on Sunday 16th September led by SimonFogarty. Today there were only 21 of us and themix of very experienced and not so experiencedbirders worked well.

We had some great sightings including a pairof Klaas's Cuckoos. The male was hunting for largecaterpillars in the undergrowth a couple of metresfrom where the group was watching; when hefound one he would fly up and present it to thefemale. We saw a pair of Cape Shovelersdisplaying, and a family of Spotted Eagle Owls

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Female Klaas's Cuckoo with a large caterpillar fed toher by the male

SPECIAL EVENTSIn addition to our regular field outings andevening meetings, our club organises a range ofother activities. These include weekendcamps, courses and sometimes boat trips. Seepage 6 for details of our West Coast camp inApril and the loose insert for information on ournext course on 20 April. We also arrange tripsto other African countries from time to time andsome of us will travel to Ghana in Novemberthis year.

with 2 fluffy and very photogenic chicks. A BlackSparrowhawk flushed and flew low over ourheads and there was also a Black Shouldered Kitethat we were able to see very clearly in the scope(thanks Charles!). I suppose the highlight for mewas finally seeing a Southern Grey-HeadedSparrow, a bird that had so far eluded me here inthe Western Cape!

We recorded 66 species in our tally at the endof the morning.

Thank you to Simon and everyone there formaking the outing so enjoyable.

Linda Hibbin

23



On Monday morning some of the groupheaded straight back home, while others decidedto take in some more birding between the farmand Route 62 on the way home. This route wassomething of a venture into the unknown andwhat a lovely surprise it was! For the most part,the road follows the Grootrivier which was flowingquite strongly due to the winter rains. The 12km ofroad traverses a conservancy area and took almostfour hours to cover due to the excellent birdingand lovely scenery. Notable sightings were Red-billed Quelea, Karoo Eremomela, African ReedWarbler, Black-headed Canary, Karoo Thrush,Rufous-eared Warbler, Namaqua Warbler andPririt Batis.

This was a most enjoyable and productivelong weekend camp with a total of 110 speciesseen, and it was well worth the relatively long tripfrom Cape Town. Many thanks to CharlesSaunders for his planning and organisation.

Linda Johnston

who arrived late on Friday were out and aboutwithin minutes of settling in, to tick off some of themore vocal residents such as Bokmakierie, AcaciaPied Barbet, Klaas's Cuckoo, Fairy Flycatcher andLevaillant's Cisticola.

The next day the birding party was 'on theroad' on foot, at 7.30am, and over the next fourhours the majority of the 69 species recordedwithin the farm boundaries was seen. Tea wastaken at a small dam just off the road, whereCharles was astounded to see, in flight, a brightyellow bird with a long green tail, which caused agreat stir. Moments later, however, he sawanother and realised that it was a SouthernMasked Weaver carrying a long strip of green nest-building material that was trailing behind its tail.As expected, there was much laughter and leg-pulling after this 'exceptional sighting'!

After a late-afternoon scramble up a rockyhillside above the farm, led by the farmer's youngson to the start of Byvanger's Kloof (after which thefarm is named), the braai fires were lit and thetemperature plummeted ahead of a big cold frontfrom the Cape. Undaunted, we gathered to braaiand compare lists, then were treated to afascinating account by Peter Steyn of some of thehighlights of his birding life. It was a privilege tohave CBC's Hon. President on the camp and tobenefit from his formidable knowledge andexperience.

On Sunday we got off to an early start, keen toexplore Seweweekspoort. We stopped to enjoywatching a cheeky Fork-tailed Drongo helpingitself to bees straight from a farm bee-hive, and aflock of Alpine Swifts. Entering the Poort, wegazed in awe at the ancient rock folds of theravines towering above us and the panorama offlowering Proteas and Aloes. In total, we drove ina 175km loop from the Poort, through a section ofarid Karoo and back around the mountains,having added another 30 species to our trip list.We saw some classic mountain raptors - a pair ofVerreaux's Eagles gliding leisurely above thepeaks, also Booted Eagle, Jackal Buzzard andRock Kestrel. For some, the biggest tick of all wasVictorin's Warbler, whose call from a roadsidethicket, heard through an open car window,brought the entire party to a standstill for some 20minutes.

That evening our final get-together was spentaround the braai fire, the bird counts wereupdated and we retired to the accompaniment ofthe Fiery-necked Nightjar's ringing call from thekloof.

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KIRSTENBOSCH BIRP COUNTS

Please note that, after a ten-year stint, DerekLongrigg has now handed over the leadership ofthe monthly BIRP counts in Kirstenbosch to JohnMagner. Many thanks to Derek for ten years ofenjoyable counts in the gardens which he knowsso well. Doubtless he will be at Kirstenboschalmost as often as before, but without the chore offilling in the BIRP forms which John Magner willnow take on.

BIRD COUNTS & HACKS

We would like to encourage more members totake part in these activities, which add a newdimension to birdwatching. They also serve auseful conservation purpose. See our pro-gramme for dates and starting times.

Cha

rles

Sau

nder

s

The Beecatcher campers in lovely surroundings

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CBC PROGRAMME

See under “Club Activities” for general information and details of venue for our Evening Meetings.

MARCH

Sat 2 RONDEVLEI OUTING

Meet at 08h00.

Convenor: Merle Chalton 021 686 8951

Wed 13 WEEKDAY OUTING: KIRSTENBOSCH BOTANICAL GARDENS

Meet at 08h00.

Directions

Leader: Peter Steyn 021 674 3332 Co-ordinator: Mike Saunders 082 882 8688

Thurs 14 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING + Nesting Secrets of Black Sparrowhawks

Meet at 20h00.

Sun 17 OUTING: WEST COAST NATIONAL PARK

Meet at 08h30.

Bring along apicnic brunch to enjoy during the course of the day.

Directions:

Leaders: Vernon Head 076 569 1389 and Mel Tripp 083 461 4365

Co-ordinator: Mike Saunders 082 882 8688

Sun 24 “THE KING'S MAP” EXHIBITION - François le Vaillant in Southern Africa 1781 - 1784guided by Curator, Prof Ian Glenn

Meet at 10h00 for 10h30Entrance fee: R20,00.

Co-ordinator: Anne Gray 083 311 1140

These regular monthly outings are for all Rondevlei enthusiasts and beginners are especiallywelcome. Travel down the M5 (Prince George Drive) towards Grassy Park and look out for Nando's at the5th Avenue traffic light. Turn left here and continue along 5th Avenue to the first set of traffic lights. Turnright into Perth Road and continue to the end of the road.

Bring a picnic tea to enjoy after the walk.

: From the City travel up the M3 towards Muizenberg and turn right at the traffic lights intoRhodes Drive. Follow the M 63 to the Main Entrance to the Gardens and continue to the Visitors Centre(lower parking area ) where there is ample secure parking. We meet outside the ticket office. There is noentrance fee for BotSoc members.

Come and learn more about your club and its achievements over the past year. Followingthe reports from the CBC Chairman, Treasurer and Conservation committee a new CBC committee will beelected. After the AGM there will be a short presentation by Gareth Tate, a post-graduate student at thePercy FitzPatrick Institute, who has kindly agreed to give us some insight into his research on BlackSparrowhawks. His work involves the use of nest and trap cameras which have provided fascinating images.Although his research is far from complete, he will explain his modus operandi and share some of hisphotographic discoveries.

This is the last chance to see the waders before they head north. Some of them will alreadybe in their breeding plumage getting ready for the breeding season. We meet in the car park at the GeelbekManor. The group will then split up and move to the various hides depending on the tides.

Take the R27 north of Cape Town, travel through Milnerton and up the West Coast. Shortly afterpassing the Yzerfontein/Darling intersection, take the road left to the main entrance of the WCNP. Distanceapprox. 90kms from the City Centre. Allow 1½ hours for the journey. Wild Card holders gain free entry.

at the Iziko South African Museum, Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town.There is ample parking just below the Museum and in Queen Victoria Street. The

Museum's Café and Coffee Shop is now open.

This unique map of Southern Africa produced 222 years ago and painted on silk for King Louis XVI, forms thecentre piece of this exhibition. It is a record of the biodiversity and animal distribution in South Africa at thattime and shows the routes followed by French traveller François le Vaillant. Prof Ian Glenn is a worldauthority on LeVaillant and we are privileged to have his guidance today.

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BIRD COUNTS & HACKS IN MARCH

Sun 08h00 Kirstenbosch BIRP Count John Magner 082 881 3845h 0 Gavin Lawson 021 705 5224

Dick Barnes 021 689 1106Eric Barnes 021 782 5429

Sat 09h00 Yvonne Weiss 021 872 4972

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Sat 9 14 0 Zandvlei HackSun 10 08h00 trandfontein CountThurs 14 08h30 Wildevoëlvlei Count

Paarl Bird Sanctuary Count

APRIL


Meet at 08h00.

Thurs 11 EVENING MEETING: “BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA”

Speaker: Vincent Ward

Meet at 20h00.

Fri 12 WEEKEND CAMP AT THE WEST COAST - a slightly different camp

Sun 14

Wed 17 WEEKDAY OUTING: HELDERBERG NATURE RESERVE

Meet at 09h00.

Directions:

Sat 20 FULL DAY COURSE - southern African birds”

Sun 28 OUTING: WELBEDACHT NATURE RESERVE, TULBAGH

Meet at 07h30 Note:

Note:

Leader : TBA Co-ordinator: Mike Saunders 082 882 8688

These regular monthly outings are for all Rondevlei enthusiasts and beginners are especiallywelcome. See under 2 March for directions.

California has a diversity of habitats from Redwood Forests to the Mojave Desert. Thisvariety is reflected in the state's rich birdlife, from Roadrunners to Condors. This talk will guide birdersthrough these unique habitats and their birds.

See the notice on page 6 for more details.

This is another of our favourite venues.

From the N2 to Somerset West, take the Strand/Somerset West turnoff (R44). At the trafficlights at the top of the ramp, turn left. At the next set of traffic lights turn right and travel down Main Road tothe Lourensford intersection. Turn left and continue for some distance until you reach a Shell garage whereyou turn left. Follow the Helderberg Nature Reserve signs. There is a small entrance fee to be paid at thegate. We meet in the main parking area opposite the Duck Inn.

. This is the fourth (not the normal third) Sunday in the month. This is a new venuesituated on a farm set in the Winterhoek Mountains in the Tulbagh Valley. It is part of a Stewardshipprogramme with Cape Nature. Accommodation is available for those wishing to stay overnight. Forinformation on the farm, accommodation and activities go to www.welbedachtfarm.co.za. There willbe a restriction to the number of day visitors allowed to attend, so book early. For all enquiries for this outingand booking of accommodation, e-mail Mike on [email protected].


“ ”

Leader: John Magner 082 881 3845 Co-ordinator: Mike Saunders 082 882 8688

“Geographical variation of08h30 Presenter: Dr. Dave Allan16h00

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- See enclosed insert for more details and booking arrangements.

BIRD COUNTS & HACKS IN APRILSee March programme for contact details

Sun 08h00 Kirstenbosch BIRP CountThurs 1 08h30 Wildevoëlvlei CountSat 1 14h00 Zandvlei Hack

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Sun 1 08h 0 Strandfontein CountFri 19 09h00 Rietvlei CountSat 08h00 Zandvlei CountSat 2 09h00 Paarl Sanctuary Count

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PROMEROPS 293

March 2013

MAY


Meet at 08h00.


Thurs 9 EVENING MEETING: “CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF COUNTING BIG BIRDS BY CAR”

Speaker: Donella Young

Wed 15 WEEKDAY OUTING: INTAKA ISLAND

Meet at 09h30.

Directions:

Leader: One of the Intaka Island bird guides


Sun 19 OUTING: TOKAI FOREST AND ARBORETUM

Meet at 07h30.


Although this venue has come under scrutiny lately with regard to the water pollution, thebirds still seem to be coping. This could be a good time of the year to find the unexpected.

Travelling from Cape Town on the N1, take the first off-ramp to Sable Road, making sure youfollow the Sable Road sign (there are 3 roads leading from the Century City off ramp). At the traffic lights turnleft into Sable Road, then drive on, following the curve of the road to the right when it becomes RatangaRoad. Cross the first two sets of lights and at the third turn right. Follow the road around the traffic circle to theparking area where we meet. There is a small entry fee with a discount for pensioners.

Ann has offered her valuable time to lead this outing. This is the best time to observe theBlack and Rufousbreasted Sparrowhawks in their courting displays. She hopes to assist the group in locatingsome of their nests as well as the nest of the resident African Fish Eagle. Remember there are no guarantees asto what will be seen on the day. Birds tend to be very unpredictable. This promises to be an invaluable outingand not to be missed. Arrive early to ensure parking and have your morning coffee in the car park. Bringalong a picnic basket and enjoy the breakfast in the Forest after the walkabout. There will also be a guidedtour of the Arboretum.

Meet at 20h00.

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The CAR (Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts) project was initiated in 1993 by David Allanand Cape Bird Club members in the Overberg. CAR routes were soon set up in other provinces and now 350routes are regularly monitored. It is time to look back at the results and celebrate what has been achieved bya dedicated team of citizen scientists, many of whom are Bird Club members.

BIRD COUNTS & HACKS IN MAY

See March programme for contact details

Sun 08h00 Kirstenbosch BIRP CountWildevoëlvlei CountZandvlei HackStrandfontein Count

Sat 09h00

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Thurs 9 08h30Sat 11 14h00Sun 12 08h00

Paarl Bird Sanctuary Count

JUNE


Meet at 08h00.



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Directions:

Leader: Ann Koeslag 021 762 5347

Co-ordinator: Mike Saunders

082 882 8688

Take the M3 from Cape Town andthen take the Tokai Road off ramp (exit 21) andturn right into Tokai Road. Follow straight alongthis road for a few km, passing through a trafficcircle and eventually meeting a T-junction infront of the Manor House where we will meet.

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CBC E-MAIL CIRCULATION LIST

Jo Hobbs

From time to time there may be unavoidable latechanges to our programme, so you may like to beadded to our CBC e-mail circulation list in order toreceive regular programme updates, remindersand other news. If so, please contact me [email protected] and I will arrange for yourname to be added to the growing list. We arelooking for a new volunteer to handle thesereminders so please contact me if you would liketo know more.

LOOKING AHEAD

PLEASE DIARISE THESE PROPOSEDCOURSE DATES:

B I R DWATC H I N G F O R A B S O LU T EBEGINNERS.

Dates: 24 and 31 August, and 7 September.

PARROTS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Date: 14 September.

This ever popular and muchrequested course will once again be presentedby Heather Howell and will run over threeSaturday mornings, plus a Sunday outing.

The outing will be on 8 September. Please tellyour friends and colleagues and anyone youknow who has expressed an interest in startingbirdwatching as a new activity. Cape Townbirding is at its best in spring! More detailsincluding venue and costs will be given in alater edition of

- a courseto be presented by Dr Steve Boyes.

Details will be madeavailable closer to the date.

Promerops.

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PROMEROPS 293

March 2013

BIRD COUNTS & HACKS IN JUNE

See March programme for contact details

Sun 2 08h00 Kirstenbosch BIRP Counth 0

Sat 09h00

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(note winter starting time)

Sat 8 14 0 Zandvlei HackSun 9 08h30 trandfontein Count

Thurs 13 08h30 Wildevoëlvlei CountPaarl Bird Sanctuary Count

Wed 12 WEEKDAY OUTING: ZANDVLEI NATURE RESERVE

Meet at 08h00.

Directions:

Leader: Simon Fogarty 021 701 6303


Thurs 13 EVENING MEETING: “PHENOMENAL FROGS of the WESTERN CAPE”

Speaker: Cliff Dorse

Meet at 20h00.

Sun 23 OUTING: CAPE OF GOOD HOPE NATURE RESERVE

Meet at 08h30. Note:

Directions:

Leader: TBA Coordinator: Mike Saunders 082 882 8688

As there were certain logistical problems with access during the Christmas outing to thisvenue, it was decided to return here in the winter.

From Main Road Retreat turn into Military Road at the “ Lavender Hill “ sign and continue overthe level crossing. At the first set of traffic lights turn right into Coniston road. After 200 metres turn right alonga dirt road at the Zandvlei sign. Continue until you reach a Municipal Depot. Drive through the smaller of thetwo gates, over a cattle grid, past the buildings to the parking area, where we meet.

Broadly speaking, birders have a general interest in all fauna. Frogs however, are a naturalprogression for someone interested in birds. As with birds, frogs call, they are very attractive and many arefound in specialised habitats and are challenging to find. What's not to like?! Join us to for a talk on thesephenomenal critters. The talk will focus on the frogs of Cape Town and the Western Cape and will highlightidentification features and species of conservation concern.

This date is not the normal 3 Sunday of the month as 16 June is a public holiday andfalls on a long weekend.

This is our annual sortie to Cape Point to do some land-based seabird watching, when the seabirds get blowninshore by the winter gales. It is one way of increasing your Seabird Lifers List without risking seasickness.There will be several spotting scopes available. After this we will move along to one of the picnic sites to enjoybreakfast and some bushbirds and waders. Bring along your Wild Cards for free entry as the gate fees arerather hefty.

From Simonstown continue in a southerly direction along the M4 to the Cape of Good HopeNature Reserve. We meet in the parking area just beyond the pay point.

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JUNIOR PROGRAMME

How old are the Juniors?

Who are the Juniors?

- first Sunday of each month.

Booking is essentialCo-ordinator: Heather Howell

They could be any age as long as they are school children. Regrettably, wecannot accommodate pre-schoolers. With mixed levels of competence, the outings are divided into twogroups. The deputy co-ordinator, Matthew Orolowitz, leads the advanced birders while I attend to theneeds of the beginners.

They are any children who are becoming interested in birds,. All are welcome. (Special worksheets are available on request for those who wish to

advance their birding skills at home.)We have one outing per month on the (Put it in your diary!) Binoculars

are not essential at first but will become an essential tool for serious bird watching. Children should bringsomething for the tea break but note that we do not snack on the path - only during our tea time!

Notification of venues and starting times are confirmed by email in the week prior to the outing.Because parents have to provide transport, they are encouraged to come along with their children but it isalso fine to drop them off and fetch them at the appointed time. All outings last for 1½ hours unlessotherwise stated. - at least 24 hours ahead.

(021) 788-1574 E-mail: [email protected] co-ordinator: Matthew Orolowitz

whether they aremembers or not

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APRIL

Sunday 3 Macassar Waste Water

Treatment Works Meet at 08h30

Directions:

Sunday 7 Hillcrest Farm Meet at 08h30

Directions:

,

From Cape Town:

From Muizenberg:

Travel on the N2 towards Somerset West andturn off at Exit 38 (Macassar Road - the first off-ramp after the Engen Service Station) and turnright. Go through the robots and about 500metres ahead look out for an electricity sub-station and turn left. Continue for ± 1 km to theentrance of the works. We meet outside thesecurity gate. We will leave the vehicles insideand walk around the pans.

Travel along Baden-PowellDrive towards Somerset West. You will pass asmall Sewage Works. Very soon after, turn rightinto Macassar Road. Continue for 5 km andthen look out for an electrical sub-station. Turnright. and continue for ± 1 km to the entranceof the works.

Follow the N1 towards CenturyCity and take the Malmesbury (N7) turn-off.After 4 km turn off to Plattekloof Roadtravelling north. After 1 km you will reach atraffic island. Turn left onto the M13. Continuefor 6.5 km passing Contermanskloof Road,Durbanville Hills Cellars and Lafarge. After asharp right hand bend you will see HillcrestFarm on your left. Drive to the restaurantparking area, where we meet. (The journeyfrom Fish Hoek took 50 minutes.)

MAY

JUNE

Sunday 5 Eagle Encounters Meet at 10h30Directions:

Sunday 2 Strandfontein Meet at 08h30Directions :

Take the N2 out of Cape Town. Atthe Baden-Powell Drive off-ramp, turn lefttoward Stellenbosch on the R310. Approx 6 kmfrom here you will see Spier Estate on the right.Enter and turn left. Look out for the EagleEncounters sign. The parking area at the venue isfor coaches so park in the car-park and walk tothe venue. We will meet outside the entrance.

Take the M5 andexit at the Ottery turn-off. Continue downOttery Road past the Hypermarket. At thejunction with Strandfontein Road (M17), turnright. Continue 4.2 km down the M17. At thispoint the signage becomes confusing! At 18Avenue make a u-turn to the right, back-trackingfor about 100 metres and then turn left at the“Environmental Centre/Zeekoevlei” sign.Continue along this road as far as it goes until youcome to the Environmental Centre with a largemural. We meet in the parking area.

Take Baden-Powell Drive(R310 coastal road) towards Somerset West.Continue on this road, keeping right at the trafficcircle where the road to Capricorn Park peels offleft and continue on the R310 to the traffic lightsat Strandfontein Road (M17). Turn left andcontinue along Strandfontein Rd for 4 km andthen turn left at the “Environmental Centre/Zeekoevlei” sign and follow the directions above.

From Rondebosch

From Muizenberg:

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PROMEROPS 293

March 2013

29



GLEN HOUSE, KNYSNA

Self-catering units situated in the secluded villageof Lake Brenton opposite Yellowwood BirdSanctuary. Facilities include M-Net, separatebraai areas, covered parking, patio and peacefulgarden surrounds where bushbuck still roamfreely. Seasonal rates from R150 pppd. ContactPat Booysen, Tel. or Fax: 044 381 0048, Cell 072129 3684 or e-mail [email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE FOR SALE

MAKAPA LODGE, CAPE PENINSULA

LIBRARY FOR DISPOSAL

Wide selection of predigital era lenses for Nikoncameras in good condition. Also tripods and arange of good quality tripod heads. Contact:Peter Steyn, Tel. 021 6743332 or [email protected].

Volume 9 (2001) to Volume 20 (2012). Completerun since the name change from

, at which stage thecontinuation of the volume sequence from

was retained. All as new inslipcases. Contact Peter Steyn, Tel. 021 6743332or e-mail [email protected].

Nestled against a mountainside adjacent to anature reserve with large indigenous garden.Makapa Lodge offers luxury B&B suites or selfcatering log cabin with magnificent views.Convenient starting point for Simons Townpelagic tours only 15 minutes drive. Birderfriendly establishment. www.makapa.co.za Tel021 785 3512 e-mail [email protected]

1) R15,000 BARGAIN for some 120 booksincluding 9v HANZAB, 9v BWP, 16monographs + sound recordings.

2) DONATION of a 'ton' of journals andmagazines including long runs Ibis, Ostrich,BBOC, RSPB, World Birdwatch ++.Contact Clide Carter, Simon's Town, [email protected] or 021 786 3887.

AfricaEnvironment & Wildlife

AfricaEnvironment & Wildlife

31

PROMEROPS 293

March 2013

CBC SMALLS

CBC Small Ads is a free service to members

(max. 50 words).

(“Repeats” strictly subject to space being available).

Cost to non-members R60,00 for 50 words,

plus heading, additional words pro rata.

Cash with order please.

For ad bookings/enquiries, Tel/Fax: (021) 981-1275or email [email protected]

GROOT WINTERHOEK MOUNTAINS

Pristine fynbos, waterfalls, bushman caves, wildlifeand excellent birding including resident pair ofBlack Eagles, Eagle Owls, Nightjars and more.Gorgeous walks and views. Two fully equipped s/ccottages sleeping 6 and 4 in the Winterhoekmountains above Porterville, looking down ontoBeaverlac and Oliphants Valley. R900 and R600per night. Contact: [email protected] or visitwebsite at www.ratelfarming.co.za

The deadline for our June 2013 issue will be 10 April 2013

AURORA - WEST COAST

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