Copy
November 2015 Newsletter
View this email in your browser

CAPE BIRD CLUB NEWSLETTER                                 November 2015


We have another full newsletter this month.
Thank you to everyone who contributed reports and pictures

RAPTOR ID COURSE


There are still a few places available on the Raptor ID course to be held this Saturday.
Please book immediately!


When: 31 October 8.30 for 9.00 until 17.00
Where: Biodiversity Environmental Education Centre, 101 Bay Road, Mouille Point
Cost:
Club members: R200
Pensioners and Students: R160

Non-members: R240
Pensioners and Students: R200

Enquiries and Registration: Judith Crosswell 021 671 1787 (after 7pm)
                                            or e-mail: judith@kingsley.co.za

N.B. Booking will be confirmed only upon receipt of proof of payment by Fax or E-mail.
Full directions, parking availability etc will be sent with booking confirmation.

Registration may be done telephonically or by e mail  
EFT payments must be made to:
Cape Bird Club A/C No: 1046380400, Nedbank, Claremont Branch, Code: 10 46 09
Please provide as reference your: Surname & Initial + RAPTOR ID
 
 


CLUB ACTIVITIES


Wednesday 11 November: FUNDRAISER

Thanks to all who have bought tickets for "An Audience with Pieter-Dirk Eish." 
We still have 60 tickets to sell which in monetary terms means more than R11 000 for The Cape Bird Club Conservation Fund!
Buy your ticket now and enjoy a wonderful evening of fun and laughter while supporting the conservation of the birds you love.
If you cannot attend, a donation of any amount would be gratefully accepted.
Place: Theatre on the Bay, Camps Bay
Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2015 at 8:00 pm.

Tickets available in Row B, H, J (Stalls downstairs) BB and CC (in the circle) @ R170 each and DD @ R140 each.
All of these seats have excellent views of the stage as the theatre is small.
Contact Helen Fenwick
Email:
fenwickh@telkomsa.net or Cell: 0827051536


Saturday 7 November OUTING ― Rondevlei
Leader: Merle Chalton ☎ 079 343 1047 
Meet at 08h00. These regular monthly outings are for all Rondevlei enthusiasts and beginners are especially welcome. Duration 2½ hrs.
There is a small entrance fee.
Remember to bring a warm jacket or anorak - it can be freezing in the hides, even on the hottest days!

Directions: Travel down the M5 (Prince George Drive) towards Grassy Park and look out for Nando’s at the 5th Avenue traffic light. Turn left here into 5th Avenue and at the first set of traffic lights turn right into Perth Road and continue to Rondevlei at the end of the road.



Sunday 15 November           
OUTING ―
Keurbos Nursery, Elgin
Leader: Jessie Walton083 458 3790 or email jessie@keurbos.co.za
Meet at 08h00. (Gate will be open at 06h30 for early birders.) The farm has a few dams and 2 home-made bird hides, where you should see a variety of water birds as well as waxbills, Yellow Bishop, Cape Canary, and if we are in luck, otters. A walk in the garden could offer flycatchers, sunbirds, Cape Batis, Bar-throated Apalis, and possibly even an Olive Woodpecker or Brown-backed Honeybird.

Directions: Take the N2 from Cape Town through Somerset West over Sir Lowry’s Pass. Going towards Grabouw, pass the Pineview/Eskom turnoff, and then ‘The Orchard’ farm stall and Marsh Rose Mall on your left. Just after the ‘Peregrine’ farm stall on your right, turn right into Viljoenshoop Road. Continue without turning off for about 5km-(do not take the Appletizer fork)-then turn left into Highlands Road. Continue for 3km to the farm (Farm No. 65) on your right, with green entrance gates, where we meet.
 
Wednesday 18 November WEEKDAY OUTING - Eagle Encounters and Spier
Leader:  John Magner   ☎ 082 881 3845 or email 
johnmagner@netactive.co.za
Meet at 09h00 in the car park at Spier.  We will begin by birding along the river and then move on to Eagle Encounters to see the birds housed there.  At 11h00 we will attend the show, where you can witness the Eagle Encounters staff using age-old falconry techniques to train various birds, and get up-close views of some of Africa’s most magnificent raptors. 
The entrance fee, including the show, is R70 (R65 for pensioners).   
 
Directions:  Take the N2 out of Cape Town.  At the Baden-Powell Drive off-ramp, turn left towards Stellenbosch on the R310.  Approximately 6 km from here you will see the Spier Estate on your right.  Enter the estate and meet up in the car park.

 

BIRD COUNTS AND HACKS


Sunday 1 November: Kirstenbosch BIRP Count. 
Meet at 08h00
Leader: John Magner (082 881 3845)

Sunday 8 November: Strandfontein Count 
Meet at 08h00
Leader: Dick Barnes (021 689 1106)


Thursday 12 November: Wildevoelvlei Count
Meet at 08h30
Leader: Eric Barnes (021 782 5429)

Saturday 14 November: Zandvlei Hack

Meet at 14h00
Leader: Gavin Lawson (021 705 5224)

Monday 16 November Athlone WWTW Count (Please note new date)
Meet at 13h00
Leader: Dick Bos (021 423 2546)
These counts will take place weather permitting

Saturday 21 November: Paarl Bird Sanctuary CWAC
Meet at 09h00
Leader: Yvonne Weiss (021 872 4972)

KIRSTENBOSCH BIRD WALKS


Wednesday 11 November

These bird walks led by members of the Cape and Tygerberg Bird Clubs have been so popular over the past 2 years that it has been decided to continue them into 2015.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about our Kirstenbosch birds is welcome to join the walks.
The walks are free of charge but the entrance fee for Kirstenbosch is payable if you do not have a BotSoc Card.
This month the walk will take place on Wednesday 11 November
Meet at 08h30 at the Information Desk at Gate One.

Leader: Cathy Jenkins
Please contact Linda Hibbin on 021 788 1528, or e-mail 
hibbins@telkomsa.net if you have any questions

MEMBERS’ ANNUAL CELEBRATION & QUIZ EVENING!

 
Date:Thursday 10 December 2015 18h30 for 19h00
Venue: Pinelands Town Hall
Cost: R75 per person payable at the door.

The committee invites all members to join them for a glass of sherry, a show of 
members’ slides, a friendly team quiz, and pizzas.
Our new format, introduced last year, received rave reviews! So if YOU weren’t there, don’t miss out again this year! Many new friendships were made at this informal, and fun event.
After a welcome glass of sherry, you will be assigned to a team for the quiz. Each team will have an ‘expert’ birder.
Members’ slides will be shown between 18h30 and 19h00 and again after the quiz as folk are enjoying their pizzas and wine, beer or fruit juice.
There will be prizes for the winning team and also some spot prizes.


For catering purposes, it is essential that you let us know if you will be attending. 
To book, please phone Joan Ackroyd on 021 530 4435 no later than 5th November 2015.


Calling all our photographers!
Have you taken some great birding photos that you are proud of or that illustrate the spirit of our club?
You may submit up to four photos (each about 1 MB in size) to be included in the PowerPoint slide show.
Please ensure that you photos are labelled on the image.

Send your photos to Priscilla Beeton (pbeeton@mweb.co.za) by 28 November, attaching each photo to a separate email.

UYLENVLEI RESORT CAMP


33 people attended the camp at Uylenvlei near Stanford, which took place from 24 to 27 September 2015.
Here are a few pictures taken at the camp.

Look out for a full report in a future edition of Promerops.
The Braaimaster aka John Magner (Leader and Organiser Extraordinaire!)
Photo by Leon Strydom
Bank Cormorant
Photo by Frank Hallett.
Diederik Cuckoo
Photo by Frank Hallett
Bar-throated Apalis
Photo by Frank Hallett
Sandwich Terns
Photo by Graham Pringle
Common Greenshank
Photo by Graham Pringle
Common Whimbrel
Photo by Graham Pringle

Bird Club Outing to Zandvlei – 20 October 2015

by Margaret Maciver
Photo by Margaret Maciver

15 birders met at the entrance to Zandvlei on Tuesday the 20th, all with the realisation that it was going to be a very hot day with no wind forecast!  
One couple who had phoned me the day before for directions were holidaying in Cape Town from the UK, and had actually found the outing mentioned by googling bird outings in Cape Town!
We headed for the elevated platform which looks over the lake, but it was disappointing to see four large dogs running into the water and chasing every single bird away.  These dogs and their owner/walker came from the Marina Da Gama area on the other side of Zandvlei.  The birds did start to return but the dogs just kept running through the water keeping them away, so we left.
Fortunately a coolish breeze had come up and conditions became near perfect for birding by now.
We headed right through the reserve to the old jetty area near the Fish Eagle perch, but neither he nor his partner showed up that day.  We did however, see plenty of Darters, Cormorants and of course Coot  in this area and had a Little Bittern fly across a wide stretch of water, giving us a good view!  There were White-throated and Greater Striped Swallows and a few Common Terns plus the usual large numbers of Gulls in the water.  Two Jackal Buzzards and a few Yellow-billed Kites flew over us a few times.  A small flock of Spoonbills entertained us while Little Egrets seen still retained their pretty breeding plumes on their heads.  Everyone was also able to watch Pied Kingfishers diving for their breakfast.
Going around the final water pan, we saw Cape Teal, Blackwinged Stilts and a Mallard Duck plus a few hybrid Mallards including some with chicks.
We finished after spending over two hours strolling around amongst Cape Robin Chats, Karoo Prinias, numerous Sunbirds and plenty of Little Rush and Lesser Swamp Warblers.  Tea was taken under the large palm tree where everyone could watch the Weavers at work.  

Over 43 species had been seen – a most enjoyable way to spend a summer morning!
LBJs display nicely at the Tienie Versveld outing
Photo by Hayley McIntosh

Sunday 18 October, over 30 members gathered (this included several families that had been to the Family Camp at Geelbek, West Coast NP since Friday), at Tienie Versveld. A 7.30 early start was necessary before it became too hot.
 
October is somewhat too late for the flowers, as this, as most might know is a small botanical reserve managed by SANBI & BotSoc.
Usually quite wet in winter up to August, wellies have been de rigeur in visits in other years, but this year was very dry. Local farmers say the driest for 150 years!
So clearly no waterfowl were evident, although the small dam, now merely a large puddle did hold a small flock of Greater Flamingo, two Blacksmith Lapwings and a Three-Banded Plover.
Two hours was spent wandering the paths across the reserve with much time spent observing the display flights and calls of African Pipit, Capped Wheatear and Cloud Cisticola... This was the real challenge and delight of the day, getting everyone onto the cisticola, which could be heard calling all around but difficult to pick up as tiny bird fluttered its way high into the sky, ever upward towards the clouds. The delight was palpable from all, when finally we succeeded. This was a lifer for many members present and young Jonty Wright with a SA life list of over 700 species and only 12 years old was most pleased.
 
A few keen members then joined me to visit Rooi pan, salt pans at Yzerfontein, which also was quite dry, with some standing water, but hosting one of the largest roosting flocks of Hartlaub's Gulls, I have ever seen... Hundreds and hundreds.  A small flock of Sandwich Terns took flight, sparkling brilliant white against the cerulean sky, reminding us of their Afrikaans name for terns...Sterretjies.
 
Finally, a visit to the coast just south of the town to check some rocky outcrops.
The cool sea breeze, now most welcome, the usual coastal species were evident, but no Bank Cormorant and only a handful of Common Terns mixed with Sandwich and a few Swift Terns. Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling, migrant shorebirds, had arrived.
Southern Right Whales were surfacing just off the breakers and a pod of Dolphins gave us a passing parade, a farewell and end to quite a pleasant and varied outing.
 
Mel Tripp 

The Family Camp Report will be published in the next issue - something to look forward to!
The photos above were taken by Hayley McIntosh
Top: Sandwich Terns
Bottom: Capped Wheatear
The Rietvlei Open Day will be held on 14 November 2015.

This is a joint initiative between the Table Bay Nature Reserve, Milnerton Aquatic Club, Friends of Rietvlei, SANCCOB and PinkDrive.

Contributions for the Newsletter

Please send any contributions for the newsletter (interesting sightings, photographs or any interesting news items)  to Cheryl Leslie at cdleslie@kingsley.co.za.
Photographs should not exceed 1MB in size.

Postal and Email addresses

Please ensure that we have your correct postal and email address, otherwise you may not receive the Bird Club newsletter or reminders.

Address changes:  Please notify BirdLife promptly by post at P O Box 515 Randburg 2125 or fax to 011 789 5188 of any change in address to ensure that you continue receiving Promerops.Email changes:

Please contact BirdLife at
membership@birdlife.co.za if you change your email address with a copy to ackroyd.joan@broadwalk-mews.co.za
Copyright © 2015 CAPE BIRD CLUB, All rights reserved.

You can also contact the club on info@capebirdclub.org.za
Visit our website at www.capebirdclub.org.za
Visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/263638220371252/

unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp