BIRDLIFE PRESIDENT RIDGE Randburg’s Own Bird Club December 2014 – No. 59
KINGFISHER
December 2014
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December 2014
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IN THIS ISSUE Number 59
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From the Editor’s Perch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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The Chairman Tweets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Down in the Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Atlassing Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Wakkerstroom-KZN by Henk Nel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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A week in Umzuntini by Paul Hardingham . . . . . . . . . .
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You saw What ? in your Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Results – Wider Gauteng 100km Challenge . . . . . . . . .
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Outing Report – Mapungubwe by Alec Ryall . . . . . . . . .
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Outing Report – Wolfhuiskraal by Jane Irvine . . . . . . .
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Outing Report – Vaalkop by John Human . . . . . . . . . . .
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Outing Report – Botsalano by Dee Cuthbertson . . . . . .
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Outing Report – Birding Big Day by Maryke Ewen . . . .
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Outing Report – Christmas Bash by Paul Hardingham . .
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Random Thoughts by Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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SABAP2 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Let’s Go Indigenous – Trees of the Year 2014 . . . . . . . .
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Let’s Learn A Little . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Club Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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December 2014
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FROM THE EDITOR’S PERCH Most people right now are breathing a sigh of relief, “the year is over, thank heavens and we have several weeks of relaxation before we have face up to the New Year and all its problems!” But your Committee is already looking forward and planning for 2015. You see 2015 is our 20th year. Yes the Club has been in existence
20 Years. In 1995 Gill Hardingham was walking the dog and noticed activity – cars parked, people coming and going – at the entrance to a spare piece of land containing a dam and a lot of willow trees. When she asked what was going on she was told, “the Durao sand works is closing down and the water in this dam, which is fed by the spruit, was used to wash the sand that was mined there. Now the land is vacant; it belongs to the Randburg Town Council and we are wondering what to do with it.” And so the idea of a Bird Sanctuary was born. The residents in the surrounding complexes were asked what they would prefer: a public park or recreation space or ‘how about a bird sanctuary?” Almost 100% voted for a bird sanctuary and Gill volunteered to find a bird club to take it on. On this she drew a blank. She also endured some sarcastic comments about amateurs biting off more than they could chew, ‘you’ll never make it work’ etc etc. However she persevered and to her credit and to cut a long story shortish, The President Ridge Bird Club was formed – with 22 members and R91 in the bank. At the time we put a cap on membership of 100 family units and we have been there or thereabouts since day one. We have had 4 Chairpeople – Gill, Alec Ryall, Denise Holahan and now John Human – and they have all contributed hugely to the development of the Club. For example Denise, through sheer persistence, got the Club’s name and abilities recognised in wider birding circles. The other Clubs know our name and what we stand for. Which is? To develop our members’ birding skills and to encourage them to build up their life lists and have targets to aim for on each and every birding outing. So 2015 is to be a year of quiet satisfaction. ‘We have got this far and can see no reason that we shouldn’t continue in this vain’. However there are some big changes ahead, some which will affect the membership. John Human our Chairman will be telling you about them in due course but take it from me you will be happy with them.
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One thing is certain. We are going to celebrate in fine style with a Gala Luncheon in the early planning stages. This will probably be on a Saturday at a venue suitable to the quality and dignity of our members – no Craig I don’t mean the local KFC! BirdLife President Ridge is known as a friendly club and our aim is always to make members, especially new members, welcome. Please carry this through yourselves and if you see a new member at a lecture or on an outing, looking a bit lost, make a point of finding out who they are, what are their names and, while in the field, helping them with their birding. In the meantime, thanks to all who made this year a good birding year and here’s to making 2015 another year of fantastic sightings and many new lifers. PAUL HARDINGHAM EDITOR LETTER TO THE EDITOR I visited the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort recently and was disappointed to read the notice at the entrance: “Birders and photographers please note that the use of playback calls is not allowed in these gardens”. I was disappointed because the ethics of using playbacks has been clearly outlined, at least to birders, for some time. I was even more upset when entering the hide to find three photographers doing just this. The speakers had been placed on the corner of the viewing ledge and they were belting out a call while the photographers were taking photos. I understand that the same person was doing this as well on the path that leads to the hide. I quickly reported this to security but with their lack of urgency I doubt that they caught the offenders. The fact that the management of the gardens had to put up the notice in the first place indicates that this is happening frequently. It worries me that technology has made it very easy to use playback calls, and in the hands of unethical photographers/birders who don’t think (or really don’t care) about the consequences we will start to wonder why a species that was always at that particular spot is no longer there. Celia Human
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THE CHAIRMAN TWEETS By the time you read the Kingfisher you will have had a wonderful Christmas and holiday period and be ready for 2015 and some serious birding along with our Club’s 20th year celebrations. Thank you for 2014 and all the best for the New Year! Many outings were enjoyed this year and the participation shows the growing strength and health of our Club. While we have lost a few members due to locating themselves to new parts of SA, (don’t know why – Gauteng is the best – 420 plus birds says so) we remain on a growth path in membership. I am in the process of contacting all members regarding a membership change effective from January 2015 (described below – under BLSA) and have found the exercise of chatting to members enjoyable and interesting. The one thing I would like to point out is that a club is only as successful as the members make it – so do participate in your own way. This exercise was not to check up on participation levels and place a guilt trip on anybody for not birding 365 days of the year (like I am forced to do by Celia), but really to chat and explain the upcoming change, so for those (and there were a couple) who were worried about the call – quite simply don’t worry. Also don’t be concerned if you were away, I will call you on your return in January. By participating “in your own way” you are helping the Club to remain healthy and strong. There are many ways of ‘belonging’ to the Club and these include: reading the Kingfisher magazine, reading the network, visiting our web-site, joining the Committee, submitting articles and/or photographs, opening the Bird Sanctuary on weekends, working at the Bird Sanctuary, attending lectures, attending breakfast at the Bird Sanctuary, attending the Christmas function, attending day outings, taking photos at the Bird Sanctuary, having coffee at the Bird Sanctuary, attending weekend outings, participating in BBD and other competitions, listing species for SABAP2, donating money to help the Club operate in the black, just paying your annual fees timeously, belonging to BLSA directly, attending long away trips, participating in the M+WIG group……..and of course just taking my call! If you do any one of the above or all of them or in fact a couple of them – welcome to Birdlife President Ridge and thank you so much for your interest!
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BLSA BLSA have given bird clubs the option of becoming an affiliate club of BLSA and your committee has decided this is the route Birdlife President Ridge will follow. The main change is that we will do our own administration and will invoice all members in January 2015 (2015 will be a pro rata amount and will be the year we bring all members into line with January as the renewal month for all) – please pay Birdlife President Ridge directly – Nedbank Randburg. It also gives us an opportunity to increase Club fees to R180 per family per year, which is needed to sponsor lectures, website development, pay for maintenance at the Bird Sanctuary and various other obvious running costs. A small part of our new fee will be paid onto BLSA annually and they in turn will transfer this money to Birdlife International. Direct membership to BLSA is still an option an individual member may choose to continue with. All you do is wait for the renewal from BLSA and pay directly to BLSA-FNB (BLSA invoice will not reflect any mention of Birdlife President Ridge), but will mention subscription to the wonderful African Birding magazine. You may rather acquire your magazine at a slightly higher price at the local book store – this will ensure you get it timeously – who knows whether the postal service will improve in 2015? This way you get an excellent magazine on time. I would also like to put your minds at rest that our name stays the same, our relationship with BLSA remains positive (in fact the CEO of BLSA, Mark Anderson, will most likely join us at our AGM and our 20th year function). We will still participate in the annual Sasol Birding Fair and Jane and I will continue to attend the Northern Region Bird Club Forum meetings during the year. So the support for BLSA, who look after our Southern African birds, does not diminish. BLSA is now a very successful business and is recognised as such internationally. Feel free to give me a call (my numbers are in the back of this Kingfisher) or email any questions you have to blpr@pitta.co.za My challenge to you for 2015 is to find at least 20 new members, 1 for each year of our existence – so get out there and get your friends to join. Have a wonderful and prosperous 2015. JOHN HUMAN - CHAIRMAN INTRODUCING NEW MEMBERS Anne and Malcom Pipe Heather Trumble 7
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December 2014
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DOWN IN THE SANCTUARY – something stirred Members have been busy in the Bird Sanctuary over the past few months. On September 6, 30 members and two of their gardeners pitched up to do battle with the elements on Clean-Up Day. Errol and Kay Kilpatrick arranged the delivery of turf to cover the bank above the new retaining wall below a section of the new fencing between us and Shanwood Lake. This proved to be quite a task because of the steep slope. To date it has taken well and greatly improved this section of the Sanctuary. Shirley Tebbutt took to the water in a canoe and collected 3 black bags of plastic. Trees were trimmed and benches painted. The SASOL Hide was spring-cleaned, Aloes were donated and planted by Bruce and Carol Funston. Many other smaller tasks were completed. Henk Nel multi-tasked, cutting trees and atlassing at the same time. He identified over 50 bird species during the morning, including a Purple Heron. Just before clean-up day, our good friend and always there for us, Ian Cuthbertson, reconstructed several metres of the wheelchair path, which had either sunk or been damaged by passing traffic alongside the Shanwood fence. He also had the bridges and poles behind the SASOL hide creosoted. Many thanks again Ian. Hugh Morgan recently, very quietly and efficiently, sponsored and arranged for the huge Wattle tree trunk to be cut up and taken away. Well done and a big thank you Hugh. In October 28 children from Unika Primary school enjoyed a nature walk in the Bird Sanctuary. Also in October our Mr Chair, John Human, and his gardener sprayed the Phragmites in front of the SASOL Hide and more of the Bulrushes alongside the wheelchair path. They are slowly showing signs of deterioration as a result of the treatment. John also had a new sign made for the entrance gate displaying the opening and closing times. Alec Ryall fixed it to the gate in a prominent place. This was necessary because visitors seem unable to see or read the large signs above the fence! Interesting birds seen recently include: Malachite and Woodland Kingfishers, Purple and Squacco Herons and a juvenile Little Sparrowhawk. Sadly there are no birds nesting in the heronry so far this season. We think this may be due to the presence of a water mongoose as we have seen plenty of droppings recently. However the Yellow-billed Ducks, Common Moorhens, Red-knobbed Coots and Egyptian Geese have all managed to raise youngsters.
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The grass received its first cut of the season towards the end of November. The Sanctuary looks good and many visitors appreciate this quiet oasis in Randburg. On the down side we have been waiting all year for City Parks to remove the ever-growing piles of wood cuttings – from huge branches to twigs. We contacted the local councilor, David Potter and the monolith of the Municipality stirred. We had phone calls from the head of City Parks with assurances that the ‘matter will be dealt within our time frame’. But the wood is still there! We won’t let it go and will take up the battle in the New Year. Incidentally we have had only one grass-cut up to Christmas. Members are welcome to join me and the maintenance team on a Thursday morning for some light tidying up and plenty of chat with tea and coffee. And now a plea. We desperately need more volunteers to open the Sanctuary at weekends and to join the roster team. This very worthwhile assistance only requires you to open up once or maybe twice a year. Please give this some serious thought and contact me. It means you will get to the Bird Sanctuary early in the morning, which is a magical time of day and the sanctuary is at its best. When the time comes to lock up in the evening, you can take sundowners and some friends and watch the birds coming home to roost. Sounds like a good idea doesn’t it? Please give me a call: Gill; 011 462 9682 / 082 445 5413 GILL HARDINGHAM – Custodian
PLEASE KEEP THE SECOND HAND BOOKS ROLLING IN We will continue to sell ‘pre-owned’ natural history (birds, mammals, trees, flowers etc), coffee table travel books, photographic books etc. at lectures and other events throughout the year. Contact Celia Human on 011 704 3196 or email: chuman@pitta.co.za . Collection will be arranged
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SAPAB2 REQUEST AND SOME ADVICE TO ATLASSERS From Professor Les Underhill 1. Please maintain ‘sustainable atlassing’. We cannot afford for you to suffer ‘burn-out’ because we need you in 2015. Please keep on atlassing at the pace you enjoy doing it. 2. Please recruit new atlassers, teach them the protocol and get them involved. We are NOT near the END of the project, we are near the BEGINNING. 3. There is no pentad for which we have ‘enough’ data. 4. Please treat any pentad with fewer than four full protocol checklists as a top priority pentad. 5. If you are able to travel, please help fill the major gaps in coverage. Try to participate in gap-filling expeditions. Even better, take courage, and organise an expedition yourself. 6. If you are in an area where data coverage is poor, and you have the opportunity to make even a short list of species for a few minutes, please submit the records as an ad hoc list. 7. If you have seen a single species which you know is rare in a pentad (or might not yet have been observed), please submit it as an incidental record. If in doubt, submit. 8. If a pentad has not yet been atlassed in 2014, treat it as a priority. Try to get 2014 coverage up to four checklists in as many pentads as feasible. 9. Ask permission before you venture onto private land. And don’t atlas and drive at the same time. 10 Most importantly, your participation needs to be something that you enjoy doing. Professor Les Underhill, Animal Demography Unit, les.underhill@uct.ac.za
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WAKKERSTROOM-KZN BLITZ-TRIP by Henk Nel (Note: Jerome and I are fanatical atlassers, so all sightings either go onto an Incidental card, a Full Protocol (FP) or Ad-hoc Protocol (AHP) card.) Jerome Ainsley and I left Joburg on Wednesday the 19th of November at about 8:30 for a blitz-trip to northern KZN via Wakkerstroom. We headed East on the N17 to Bethal. Along the way we got White Stork just South of Bethal (2635_2930) and a bit further along the R35 (2650_2940) a family of Blue Korhaans. Wakkerstroom area: We started birding/atlassing the roadsides between Amersfoort and Wakkerstroom. It was quite windy, which made LBJ-birding a bit difficult. We did though get Pink-billed Lark, but not Botha’s or Rudd’s. The afternoon was spent atlassing 2710_3000 (FP), 2715_3000 (AHP) and 2720_3005 (FP). We visited a BirdLasser user, Judy Ryder and her husband at their lovely home overlooking the vlei, and after dinner at the hotel we went off to bed (Coot Cottages). Early rise to pick up Lucky our guide for the morning, and off to get the specials. We started with the Yellow-breasted Pipit (2720_3010 – AHP), followed by Botha’s Lark (2700_3000 – AHP) and Rudd’s Lark (2710_3000). Because of the quick successes, we decided to head off on the R543 and see if we can get a few more good ones. It turned out to be the perfect day – R543 gave us Denham’s Bustard, Secretarybird and White-bellied Korhaan. After dropping Lucky off, we headed back onto the R543 to Piet Retief/N2, getting another Denham’s. Roadside birding along the N2 to Mkhuze produced Black-bellied Bustard and African Openbill. Mkhuze: Late afternoon arrival in a very hot and humid Mkhuze was not enough to deter us from atlassing as we made our way to Mantuma camp. After checking in and freshening up, we headed off to Kumasinga hide (all in 2735_3210 - FP). The rain came down, but it didn’t stop us from ticking off one lifer after the other. An exhausting day ended with burgers at the Rhino Dino-O. The next morning we picked up Bheki (our guide for the morning) at the Ophansi gate, and headed straight for the fig forest, atlassing all the way (2735_3215 – FP and 2735_3220 - AHP). The fig forest is quite amazing, and although we didn’t get our main target bird, the Pel’s Fishing Owl, we got some really cool Mkhuze specials.
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It was then back to Kumasinga hide and the other hides along southern parts of the park. We encountered many raptors, including the Southern Banded Snake Eagle. After dropping off Bheki, we headed to Zululand Rhino Reserve via the P466-1, the road splitting Mkhuze and Phinda. Raptors were all over, and help contribute to a very productive FP card for 2740_3220. ZRR: The Manyoni camp in this private game reserve hosted BirdLasser’s inaugural NESST summit. The camp is all tents, with the big-5 roaming freely and Pink-throated Twinspots frequenting the water bowl right in-front the main tent. Game/bird drives in the mornings and late afternoons meant we capitalised on maximum atlassing exposure. Again lifers rolled in and so too the species count on 2745_3200. We were no less than 4 atlassers on the trip, which boosted this pentad’s FP cards from 7 to 11. This was also my 200th FP card. We also spent some time in an adjacent pentad (2740_3200 – AHP). We left ZRR/Manyoni on Sunday afternoon after a very successful summit and making amazing new friends. We also received local-intel on where to find Rosy-throated Longclaw and Lemon-breasted Canaries near Hluhluwe, so we decided to make the necessary detour on our way to Mtunzini. The staff at Hluhluwe River Lodge was very accommodating (2800_3220 – AHP) – they gave us access to the community land on the river (this is supposed to be one of the few places where all three Longclaws can be seen). Unfortunately for us, the wind was howling, and soon after we started walking down to the river, the rain came down. We only saw one Yellowthroated Longclaw, none of its cousins, but we did get Senegal Lapwing and Collared Pratincoles. Mtunzini: We arrived at our guesthouse in Mtunzini after a quick drive through the town, looking for the Palm-nut Vultures. We didn’t see any, and were a bit taken aback about stories of how they are “seen everywhere”. Fortunately for us, the owners at Mtunzini B&B are local birders, and gave us directions to where these vultures hang out late afternoons. We went for a brisk walk and got them! Victory was celebrated at the only open restaurant in town with Steve and Daff Untiedt, owners of the B&B. The next morning was spent at the Umlalazi Nature Reserve to complete a FP card for the pentad (2855_3145) and our target species, the Rufouswinged Cisticola – we achieved both goals.
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Then off to Ongoye forest (2850_3140 – FP and 2845_3140 – FP). After a few wrong turns, we eventually got there, and at our very first stop we heard the chock, chock of the Green Barbet. It did take a bit of working to get visuals, but we had great views once we did. We continued along the narrow and bumpy track all the way on top of the mountain, stopping at each section where it cuts through forest patches. Other highlights were: a very obliging Narina Trogon that allowed for great views, a group of 3 Southern Ground Hornbills, carrying food (chicks and snake) and an African Pygmy Kingfisher flying in and out of its hole. Durban: At about noon, we headed to Durban for a quick walk through Pigeon Valley. Our timing was off, so we didn’t see anything we hadn’t yet seen, but I can definitely see why this forest patch in the heart of Durban attracts so many birders – it is beautiful. I will definitely be back, hopefully in winter when those specials are around. Unfortunately it wasn’t all fun, I also had to do a bit of work: I had a quick getto-know with Steve Woodhall, and another quick meet-and-greet with Adam Riley – both ‘meetings’ were highly insightful, truly amazing individuals masters of their trade. Hilton: We spent the night at Gateside Guesthouse in Hilton – the oldest guesthouse in town, we were told. An early rise (again) saw us get to Doreen Clark Nature Reserve before sunrise, in search of the recently discovered Knysna Warbler. We searched long and hard, but couldn’t hear/find it. Adam and a small contingency arrived later, and not even then did we get it. A desperate last attempt saw me complete the loop track one last time, and there I got it right at the top of the hill. Well, it was calling behind a bush and refused to show itself – good enough for an atlas card (2930_3015 – FP), but not enough to get onto Jerome’s lifelist. Emmarentia: We left Hilton at about 10:00, made one stop along the way, and got to Joburg nice and early. As if we didn’t do enough birding, we headed straight to Emmarentia. The Broad-billed Roller was exactly where the Gautengers reported it – a nice Gauteng lifer to end an epic 6-day trip. The final score: 8 lifers for me, 18 for Jerome.
We are reliant on YOU to keep our web site current. PLEASE share your photos and interesting bits of news by emailing them to blpr@pitta.co.za 13
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A WEEK IN UMZUNTINI - by Gill and Paul Hardingham November 2014 We make a point of going to places where birds only found in a certain area, can be seen. One such is the KZN North Coast. In late November we were at Umzuntini just south of Richards Bay. Sheer heaven! We stayed at the Umzuntini Forest Lodge in wooden cabins set deep in the tropical, coastal, dune forest. We were surrounded by birds. As we arrived we opened the car windows and the bird calls flooded in. Calls we hadn’t heard for, probably, several years and we had to go back to learning and identifying them all again. The most frequently heard was the Yellow-bellied Greenbul, and the Purple-crested Turacos were all the time overhead in the tree canopy. The Red-capped Robin-Chat, (Natal Robin), and the Chorister Robin-Chat were low down in the shrubbery and imitating other birds, which was a little confusing. We heard one that, among its 12 or 15 calls did the Fish Eagle perfectly. Many people come to Umzuntini just to see the Palm-nut Vulture which, as the name suggests, lives in the Palm Nut trees there. However we saw one several times scavenging at the highwater mark on the beach. The Green Malkoha is very much a special for the area. The only other place it is found in Southern Africa is Northern Mozambique. He, for it was a ‘He’, was heard many times but not seen. Very furtive! The Trumpeter Hornbill with its mournful cry, (just like a baby needing to be fed), flew past every day. The other extra-special for the area is the Nerina Trogon. Gill on her early morning walks saw one practically every day. We also went to Eshowe to the Dlinza Forest and the aerial walkway just below the canopy. You walk among the birds and look down on the Spotted Ground Thrush which is only found on the narrow strip of KZN from Durban to Richards Bay and only at certain times of year. We didn’t see it this time but it was just magical to be up there in the tree tops. There were Blue Duikers foraging on the forest floor. We didn’t get to the Ngoya Forest but, heh, we’d already seen the Green Barbet! It was wonderful trip and we shall be back there as soon as we can – as we will to many other places in the RSA we have found and fallen in love with.
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YOU SAW WHAT?............in YOUR garden Tshwane Bird-Friendly Garden with the Dells -2014 After setting up home with many chores to be done, we decided to put up the bird bath immediately and as soon as we found the bird feeder, purchased at the bird fair. Placing the bath was a challenge as we do not have much shade. The only tree is an Australian Bottle brush, which to our surprise is loved by the Speckled Mousebird, Cape White-eye, Bronze Mannikin and the Southern Boubou. We are planning to plant an Acacia caffra on the pavement, the seedling is now 3cm high but we can’t wait that long! The first call in the morning is the Southern Boubou. We are sure there are more of them than there are doves. After a few weeks we decided that under the bottle brush we would place the feeder and bird bath (in the shade). Tshwane is a lot more sub-tropical. Jean loves the bushveld and the birds found in these areas. Sightings in the small garden so far have been: Speckled Pigeons nesting on top of the bay window, the Doves, Blackbackled Puffback, Cape Glossy Starling, Bronze Mannikin, Speckled Mousebird, Southern Boubou, Southern Masked-Weaver, Sunbirds, European Bee-eater, Greater Honeyguide, Cape White-eye, Burchell’s Coucal, Diderick Cuckoo to name a few. Call only: Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Grey Go-away-bird, African Grey Hornbill, Plovers, Crested Barbet, Redchested Cuckoo on 12.11.14
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You saw what? …… in YOUR Garden (continued) In the local spruit (3 houses away from our home), are a pair of Egyptian Geese with 9 goslings. We have watched them grow over the past few weeks. Other birds in the spruit are White-throated Swallow, Southern Red Bishop, Common Moorhen, Common House-martin, African Hoopoe, Grey Heron etc. Our home is on the border of the Bronberg and a friendly lady informed me, apparently there is a pair of Verraux’s Eagles nesting up there. To our delight a pair of Lesser Striped Swallows have come back to roost in an old nesting sight under our caravan afdak. We have observed them daily rebuilding their mud home. Some advice; try not to remove their nest at the end of the season. They always come back to the same nesting site. It is the night calls that have surprised us the most. Hearing a Fiery-necked Nightjar calling (Jean thought it was the message beep of her cell phone). SpottedThick-knees are common night visitors, especially under our bedroom window. Jean is an avid indigenous, water wise garden freak. Moving to this home, we have decided to keep some old established non-indigenous growth and to replace half with new indigenous plants. The birds are feeding on all of them. In time we will probably see many more varieties to increase the list in our small suburban Tshwane garden.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Celia Human Having participated in Birding Big Day for the last 10 years, John and I were not going to let a family wedding stand in our way. So we took part in the category, “In your Hood” and spent 2 hours logging birds in our garden and a further hour at the spruit down the road while taking our dog for a walk before we had to dash off to the wedding. The Cape Robin-Chat, Red-eyed Dove and Karoo Thrush were the first to start the dawn chorus. In half an hour we had 15 for the list and by the time Luna (the dog) thought it was time for his walk, we were on 25, which included Black-backed Puffback, White-bellied Sunbird, African Olive Pigeon, African Grey Hornbill and Southern Boubou. On our walk we clocked up another 13. Back home the African Paradise Flycatcher showed up and an African Black Cuckoo called mournfully. It was lovely to have 3 cuckoo species; Redchested, Diderick and Black all in our garden. Our total for the 3 hours was 48 species seen and heard. Brilliant! 16
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You saw what? …… in YOUR Garden (continued) On My Stoep in Robindale by Henk Nel At last it’s spring! Mornings are crisp, fresh and sunny – warm enough to do the obligatory email correspondence from the stoep before I need to get kids dressed, fed and off to school. I call this my golden hour, roughly between 5:30 and 6:30 – it can easily yield a species count of 30-plus. So while typing away on my iPhone, I experience the morning chorus in all its glory – diligently keeping my atlas card ticking. Best is, any day can produce the first migrant sighting of the season. So far, this spring was very good to me. I recorded my first migrant, a Willow Warbler on the 25th of September and two days later the Red-chested Cuckoo was calling from next door. Now, in mid-October, the morning chorus starts with our resident Cape Sparrows calling from their nest next to our bedroom window. By the time I get to the stoep, the African Green Pigeons are sitting high up in the trees making sure they get the very first sunrays their croaking frog-like grunts playing off against the melodious calls of the Cape Robin-chats. Other early morning visitors include the barbets, Darkcapped Bulbuls, Hadeda Ibis, Pigeons and Doves, and the Karoo Thrush. The garden bully is never far away – the Burchell’s Coucal takes it time stomping on the Ivy decorating the perimeter walls, hoping a lizard or chameleon will show itself – or even visiting the Cape Sparrow nest to see if there are any eggs for breakfast. Recent surprises included a Black-headed Heron sitting right on top of a Pine tree – very odd sighting. As good as the mornings are, the surprises are mostly spotted in the afternoons. I’ve never in 5 years had Bronze Mannikins in the garden. These days they are regular visitors to the palm tree next to the pool. It’s about the same time the Cardinal Woodpecker pecks his way along the Jacaranda tree’s branches, until the Southern Masked-weavers’ constant bombardments make it head onto the Coral tree in the neighbour’s yard. The Orchid Tree with its big pink flowers attract Amethyst and White-bellied Sunbirds, Cape White-eyes, Grey Go-away-birds and the very noisy and territorial Fiscal Flycatchers. If I’m lucky, I get to see the pair of Brown-backed Honeybirds displaying and twirling, the Black-headed Oriole calling from next door and the swallows and swifts coming in for their last meal before the night’s rest. It was on such an occasion, whilst on my back on the lawn, scanning the skies above tracking the swallows when I spotted a blurry bird high above. A quick focus adjustment gave me a new garden lifer (another migrant arrival), a Steppe Buzzard! Definitely the highlight of the new season’s garden-birding. 17
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The late-afternoons also sees the Rose-ringed Parakeets and Rosy-faced Lovebirds flying over to their roosting sites in the koppie across the street. Other fly-bys include Reed Cormorants, Egyptian Geese, Cattle Egrets and Sacred Ibises – probably moving between the sanctuary and the golf course. The Streaky-headed Seed-eaters and Black-throated Canaries prefer the Pine trees, using it as a pit-stop to catch their breaths before hastily flying away before sunset. And then comes night. Every so often the Spotted Eagle-Owls perch on the roof – their ‘who are you’ calls fighting to be heard among the hysterical calls of the Spotted Thick-knees making their way to the bird park up the street. RESULTS FOR THE WIDER GAUTENG 100KM CHALLENGE 2014 Info: This is a year-long challenge to record how many species you see (heard doesn’t count) within 100km radius of Pretoria and Johannesberg city centers. There are 455 possible species (excluding vagrants) and 523 (including vagrants). In 2014 there were 92 participants. The winning total was 447 by Jerome Ainsley with Michael Johnson second on 443 and Lisl van Deventer third on 442. 15 people recorded over 400 species. Five of our Club members took part. Henk Nel coming in first on 382 followed by Celia Human on 381, John Human on 373, Jane Irvine on 358 and Peter Sharland on 245. The most common species seen
The least common species seen
Egyptian Goose Hadeda Ibis Crowned Lapwing Reed Cormorant Blacksmith Lapwing
Red Phalarope Collared Pratincole African Goshawk Common Whimbrel Grey Penduline-Tit
This challenge (not a competition) is a fantastic way to make your local outings interesting and a sure way to increase your identification skills and perhaps pick up a lifer or two. All you need to participate is access to the internet. A bonus is that you can use the listing site to record all your Southern African birds seen for the year. It is very easy to register; go to www.niall.co.za click on year lists and then Gauteng 100km and follow the prompts. Or phone Celia on 011 704-3196 for assistance. 18
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OUTING REPORTS MAPUNGUBWE 7th to 12th September 2014 by Alec Ryall Gill, Paul and Shirley, Jane, Joe, Del and I took off around 6 AM on Sunday morning in two cars heading up the N1 via Pietersburg (Polokwane) and Alldays to Mapungubwe, the Sanparks nature reserve bordering Botswana and Zimbabwe at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers. Kay, Errol and Trina followed an hour or so later. As usual, our chauffer and leader Jane, navigated unerringly to our destination and we were so early in booking in that the Chalet was not ready for occupation. We had to wait for the Chalet to be cleaned by the staff before we could settle in. Errol and his companions however took a wrong turning and almost ended up driving off a bridge which had been washed away some time ago. Fortunately, having picked up the “wide-awake” skills of a birder, Errol was able to avoid an accident and arrived safely, although a bit later than expected! The Chalets at the Leokwe Camp are very comfortable with plenty of storage space for groceries etc. and have a number of shelves in the dining/kitchen area and in the spacious bedrooms for all our books, bino’s and camera equipment . This is usually a problem in other time-share and resort accommodation, so “well done SANPARKS”. The Camp also boasts a small swimming pool, shady deck and viewing platform from which we spotted a large nest on the nearby cliffs occupied by three Black Storks. The family appeared to be an adult female and two, almost fully grown juveniles. We all did our own thing that afternoon and suppertime. On Monday we made various trips to the “Tree house” boardwalk which runs parallel to the Limpopo and to the Confluence View Site which has a walk to a number of wooden platforms providing great panoramic views of the joining of the two rivers and the surrounding bushveld. Restrooms, a “tuckshop” with limited supplies of cold drinks, potato crisps etc. and picnic facilities make this spot useful for a break from driving around the reserve. Tuesday morning the group, in our three vehicles, travelled a circular route past the boardwalk, the Confluence View Site along the Limpopo River through the main reserve area to the Reserve Museum and main entrance gate and back to Leokwe Camp. One or two anxious moments were experienced along the river road when we encountered a breeding herd of elephants and had to gingerly maneuver past one of the larger bulls to be able to continue along our planned route. 19
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We visited the museum in the very unusual and apparently quite uniquely constructed building clad in local rock. All of the tiles used in the construction of the domed buildings were manufactured and laid by local labour. Interesting artifacts from excavations carried out years ago by the Pretoria University are on display. Videos and posters tell the history of the early inhabitants and subsequent changes which took place over the years prior to final proclamation of the current Nature Reserve. Lunch of toasted sandwiches was enjoyed at the Museum Restaurant and then we returned to camp. The Mapungubwe area was originally proclaimed a National Nature Park by the Smuts government and subsequently returned to farming by the Nationalists when they came to power. When the decision to re-proclaim the reserve was made many years later based on the history of the early inhabitants and the “World Heritage” status of the area, the owners of a farm in Mapungubwe refused to sell back to the Authorities. This farm now splits the park into two virtually separate sections with different external entrances. The west portion has a camping area and a tented camp. A visit to this western part of the reserve was planned for Wednesday and because of the distance between the sections we had our packed lunch at the camping site. The tented accommodation is delightful, looked very comfortable and should be remembered for future visits. Some of the roads in the reserve are traversable in a normal car but the majority are only suitable for 4 X 4 or vehicles with high ground clearance. As we had a long trip back home on Friday it was agreed not to organize anything specific for Thursday. Each party would do as they pleased. Some of the group visiting the Boardwalk had to wait quite a while for a huge breeding herd of elephants to move away from under the boardwalk and the boardwalk car-park before they could return to camp. On Thursday evening, while mouth watering smells rose from the braai fire, the ladies did a re-con of the bird sightings and our count at that stage was 158 species for the week. On our way home on Friday two more were added to our list giving a final count of 160. In addition to this good bird count we clocked up a list of 18 animals 4 lizards and a snake. At our chalet we were visited during the day by a fearsome looking “Carpenter Bee Robber Fly” which feeds on Carpenter Bees and on a couple of evenings as our braai fire died down the local Small Spotted Genet appeared on the wall of the patio. Experience has shown that birding and nature outings organized by our Club, either day, weekend or longer periods, are always enjoyable and rewarding and this one was no exception. 20
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Outing Reports (continued) WOLFHUISKRAAL - Weekend 17/19th October by Jane Irvine Wolfhuiskraal is always a popular venue. 9 members arrived after lunch and we set ourselves up in the old farm house and en-suite rooms. It is a working farm so you might stumble on a pig giving birth, (we did – P&G), or have a mongoose pee on your boots, (we did - P&G), or see a barn Owl in the roof of the barn, (we did- P&G). Walking around the farm house & cattle pens, the birding was good with waxbills, flycatchers, spurfowls - Swainson's, Natal and Crested –francolins, hornbills everywhere mostly Redbilled. Henk arrived to spend Friday night and we enjoyed a sociable braai in the evening. Early rise and Henk called to say he thought he had seen an Owl flying nearby, then we found 3 Southern Whitefaced Scops-Owls in the trees close to the cottage gate. They stayed around until we left. After all that excitement we birded along the Zaagkuildrift Road towards Kgomo-Kgomo. The pan was dry but swifts and swallows were flying around over and under the bridge. We walked into the fields and flushed Quail Finches and much to our surprise 3 Chestnut-backed Sparrowlarks. African Pipits and Capped Wheatears were everywhere plus juveniles popping out of the nesting holes. We spent a few hours across the road from the farm but there was not much around except a much discussed Wahlberg's Eagle. After a long walk around the lower part of the farm and after a cooked breakfast, we packed up and left for home. The good thing about Wolfhuiskraal is, you drive back along Zaakgkuildrif Road thereby affording an extra period of birding. Chances of seeing warbler specials and the Whitethroat, which unfortunately we didn’t. Total species seen & heard 96. IMPORTANT NOTICE IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE YOUR AUGUST 2014 ISSUE OF KINGFISHER DUE TO THE POSTAL STRIKE THEN YOU DO NOT HAVE THE LATEST PROGRAMME (SEPTEMBER 2014 – MAY 2015) PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO blpr@pitta.co.za IF THIS IS THE CASE 21
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VAALKOP DAM – 16 March 2014 by John Human After disappointment when the outing to Vaalkop was cancelled in 2013 due to flooding and no access to the birding side of the dam, it was finally on for 07.00 on Sunday 16 March 2014. 13 members and 1 visitor arrived after a drive that seems to get longer from Randburg each year due to potholes, poor roads and of course new speed humps that are generally not marked and certainly not well painted – takes a good hour and a half now. We quickly paid and doubled up for the drive into the birding side of the reserve – a few cars were safely parked at the entrance gate. The bird list had already started at the gate with White–browed Scrub Robin, Red-faced Mousebirds and various other birds doing their early morning thing at the entrance. Left turn and off we went over the side of the dam wall (oops – well not quite) and down to the water edge for a short walk to see how many waders we could spot. Cormorants, Egrets, Spurwing and Egyptian Geese, Ruff, Spoonbill, Whiskered Terns, Three Banded Plovers gave us a promising start. The weather was perfect and heading for a lovely hot day. Back in the cars and a quick open air toilet stop for Chris Dell and Craig Napier proved that men can more than multi task – bird, speak on cell and do the loo thing all at once! We are, after all, the superior race – we like to believe this anyway – so don’t spoil our fun as we are easily disappointed. Below is a picture of this amazing feat, as men we like proof of these things.
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The next stop gave us a large group of Black-necked Grebe, which of course was a lifer for a few members. Great Crested Grebe were also present further out and seem to be a regular at Vaalkop. Curlew Sandpipers were darting along the shoreline and the majestic African Fish Eagle called from nearby. We were also able to spot Wood and Common Sandpiper, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, Kittlitz Plover, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Herons including Green-backed, Grey, Black, Squacco and Goliath. African Jacanas moved around the lily pad areas. At this point we asked Gill Isaacs to test the road forward in her fancy new 4x4 – surprisingly she declined – so I then suggested she should, like all good off-road folk, “walk” the obstacle. Again she declined! Probably because she would need a wetsuit as the water was around 1 metre deep and flowing seriously fast. But I will say it anyway – chicken! (Well it’s a bird isn’t it? – Ed’) We then spent some time adding bushveld birds to our list which included my favourite, Scaly-feathered Finch – so cute – and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, the lovely Namaqua Dove, Long billed Crombec, Burchell’s Starling, Chestnut-vented Titbabbler, Blue Waxbills, Grey Tit-flycatcher, White-fronted Bee-eaters and many more. Back to the entrance after only 1 wrong turn, collect the other cars and then we birded at the weir and on the fishing side of the dam, where we settled under thorn trees for a slow lunch and chat. Marico Sunbird showed itself – stunning bird. And the list kept going up during lunch. By the time we were ready to leave we had accumulated 80 species and had enjoyed a lovely day at Vaalkop. It really is a good birding venue. We will have to return as we missed the target bird for the day – the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater.
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BOTSALANO November 7 to 9 - by Dee Cuthbertson Botsalano is always a lovely place to go. They have rustic & isolated camping areas as well as the tented camp. We stayed in the tented camp, very nice tents with showers and toilets en suite. The little water hole in front was not very full but we did have animals coming down to drink. The first night there, we were all woken up by Black Wildebeest making a huge racket on the other side of the water but it actually sounded like they were galloping back & forth on our verandas. We thought they were chasing something and it turned out that they had ousted what might have been the alpha male challenger. He was next to the water the following day with only a red hartebeest for companionship. He would occasionally stand and make a yipping sound. So I am afraid I spent a lot of time watching him and not the birds. Despite that we saw or heard 118 species over the weekend. Ian & I ticked a lifer - the Dusky Lark. Yay! A springbok had died and so the vultures came in, mainly White- backed but we did see Cape and Lappet-faced Vultures too. The other interesting sightings were a Greater Kestrel on its nest and Great Spotted, Jacobin, Diderick & Black Cuckoos – definitely summer? While sitting having tea one afternoon we were visited by a busy little snake, as usual it made a bee line for those who hated snakes! Joe assured us it wasn’t dangerous but we kept our distance anyway, took lots of photo’s. (Editor’s note: that’s funny. When we were there with M-WIG, we also had a snake visit us. Probably the same one and he lives under the platform your tent is on). We saw a lot of the birds while we were just sitting outside or walking around the tents. Acacia Pied Barbet, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Burnt-necked Eremomela to name a few. Having heard that the Rhino were relocated from Borakalalo we were happy to see quite a few on our drives. Every day we saw something new or heard a new bird, so a very successful weekend all around. Carol Funston had her birthday on the Sunday and shared a delicious birthday cake with us. Oh I forgot! On the last night there we had the same racket from the Black Wildebeest as the first night but when we woke up the next morning, they were all grazing peacefully on the other side of the dam & the Red Hartebeest were left in peace.
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Birding Big Day at Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve - 29 November by Maryke Ewen After a week of rain, Saturday the 29th dawned bright and beautiful. Ten of us met at the gate of the Reserve and drove/ walked down to the Dam, stopping at the bird hides on the way. The first new bird hide is in the veld, next to a pond, the second on the edge of the dam. At the picnic place we were joined by Jane, Craig and Tiffany who had been birding in the Seringveld area, which is adjacent to the reserve. Between 13 of us we saw and heard 129 species. Unfortunately we did not see the Black Cuckooshrike which was our target bird for the outing. Among others we saw a Spotted Eagle Owl, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Longbilled Crombec, Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-throated Petronia, African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-chested Snake Eagle, the Cardinal and Golden Tailed Woodpeckers, Black and Brown-crowned Tchagras. We were lucky enough to see six different types of Cuckoo; Black, Diderick, Great Spotted, Klaas’s, Levaillant’s, Red-chested. All in all a great Birding Big Day. We entered in the ‘Community’ category where up to 20 team members was allowed. Results will be posted on BirdLife SA’s website (www.birdlife.org.za). Thank you to club members and their families who parted with their hard earned cash and donated towards BirdLife SA fund raising. R890-00 was raised.
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BIRD CLUB CHRISTMAS BASH - December 6th by Paul Hardingham 37 members, both new and old, (in the nicest possible sense), gathered at about 09h30 on the Saturday morning at Chez Human, now more popularly known as ‘BISTRO HUMAN’, for a Christmas Breakfast . Celia and John, with the help of Celia’s friend Julia, must be heartily congratulated for all the preparations they made to make this bash a truly memorable occasion. Nothing was forgotten, from the table decorations to the prizes and the quiz, (tricky questions I admit), to the champagne and orange juice. John had the foresight to ask several of us to bring our skottles in case the power went off – which of course it did; just after the first course of cereals and fruit. There was a gasp of horror and 2 seconds silence but then the chat resumed as if nothing had happened. Once again, with foresight, Celia’s this time, she had pre-cooked the sausages and the musical fruit -sorry the baked beans. So they had only to be heated up on the gas stove or in the skottles which, by now, had been set up on the stoep. Lunn, Paul and Alec cooked the bacon and tomatoes, Chris kept us supplied with raw material and Errol cooked the eggs to order. So it all, literally, went down well. The place mats, made by Celia, had the quiz questions on the back and a colour photograph of an interesting bird on the front. There was also a lucky draw with prizes ranging from chocolates and biscuits to bottles of wine. The winner of the Quiz was Denise Holahan with Chris Dell and Jen van Dongen tied in second place. We were thoroughly spoilt and, as a bonus, Celia and John wouldn’t let us wash up! A note on the finances. We charged R85 a head and came out just about even. That’s what happens when you have a financial man as Chairman. There are lots of photos on our web site, www.blpr.co.za. PAUL HARDINGHAM DONATIONS RECEIVED FROM Paul Hardingham Peter Sharland Esme Solomons Alan Keevy Richard Hancock
THANK YOU 26
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Aloe Creek Pristine Gauteng Bushveld, Birding and Fishing
Cell: 072 795 8033 mail@aloecreekfarm.co.za www.aloecreekfarm.co.za Situated close to Rust de Winter within the Dinokeng area, 100km from Johannesburg, with good roads leading up to the venue. A high clearance vehicle is recommended for the latter part of the road to the venue
SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION IS OFFERED IN TWO UNITS Lebeo Cottage: R450 per night for a maximum of 2 persons. R150 per extra person per night. Children between the ages of 2 and 12 years pay half price. Kudu View House: R750 per night for a maximum of 4 persons. R120 per extra person per night. Children between the ages of 2 and 12 years pay half price.
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RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A NEW SEASON’S BIRDING – December 2014 by Paul I quote Peter Lawson, a top Lowveld Birder - “This is the best birding time of the year so make the most of it. The migrants are all back, birds are in full song and have their bright plumage and it is a wonderful time to be a birder. The dawn chorus is fantastic but somewhat early. Don’t grumble about that – wake up and enjoy!! You can catch up on your beauty sleep later” This may not be quite so true for those who are woken each morning by Hadedas, but, heh, nothing’s perfect. So between Ibis squawking listen out for the Robins, Barbets, Doves, Lapwings, Thickknees, (terrible name), Cuckoos, Boubous and the myriad other species we are fortunate to have all around us in Gauteng. We were up at 4h45 recently to lead a group in the Rietfontein Nature Reserve, (where FreeMe is), and it has to be the very best time of day. We go to bed early, we get up early, we get OUT early, especially when we are away on a birding trip. We can’t believe it when we look at our watches. We have been birding for 3 hours and it’s still only 9 o’ clock! Special birding stuff for this time of year: We put up a sisal birding log, attached to a young Combretum Erythrophyllum that is now just able to support it. After a day or two of checking it out, the male started trying to break into the little circle that the tree fellow and carved out for him. Much too hard and we thought, “gosh he’s going to give up and go elsewhere”. So I got out the ladder and dug out the circle of bark and we waited. Sure enough back he came and started making his home in earnest. Now they are established and the wife is busy, busy ‘down in the depths’. He has had to contend with roving males looking for an easy conquest and on just the one occasion, a Lesser Honeyguide took a look but found the nest well along the path of parenthood and went off to look elsewhere. If he has been successful and his female had laid an egg in the nest, when hatched the young Honeyguide has a sharp hook on its top mandible with which it destroys the Barbet’s eggs or young if any have hatched. Once it is developing, the Honeyguide loses the hook but before he does he removes the dead chicks and egg shells so that he has the place to himself. The adult Barbets then work their butts off trying to satisfy the appetite of the young Honeyguide. The Red-chested Cuckoos are here and calling. They will eventually call all day and night. They also parasitize a whole host of birds, the most favourite of which is the Cape Robin Chat and the Karoo Thrush. We have watched a great fat cuckoo chick sitting on a fence and complaining while a pair of Robin Chats worked themselves to a frazzle trying to sufficiently feed this greedy little blighter. Who said life is fair? 28
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Finally……..we all like to think that the birds that come to our feeders are ours exclusively. They are not. Just like you there are a hundred people in your area also feeding them and they can’t handle it all. So the left-overs are happily scoffed by the Rock Doves. Now we are told that these creatures carry diseases, Psittacosis being one of them, which can be transferred to humans. You will say, “I just throw out a small amount of seed or bread crumbs and they eat it all”. No! They don’t eat it all. There are remnants buried in cracks in your paving, deep down in the grass stems, under stones or plants and these attract rats, who incidentally also like to eat the pigeon droppings, (yuk). Then what? You complain that you have rats in your house. So don’t encourage the pigeons. They are a danger to life and limb!
There are an incredible 845 species of birds in South Africa. Therefore, no matter where you are, you live side by side with birds. You can see them in your garden, on the way to work, up in the mountains, on the beach and in the bush. Just look out of your window and step out of your front door, and you will see and hear birds. The experts at BirdLife South Africa have whittled down the list of South Africa's birds to 52 species and invite all South Africans to “meet some of your neighbours” and vote for their favourite bird in a fun and feathery poll. Voting starts on 30 November 2014 and closes on 28 February 2015. Go to www.birdlife.org.za for more information and to cast your vote.
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SABAP2 news from Peter Lawson in Mbombela We are coming to the end of 2014 and are pleased to report that we are still ahead of the targets set for us by the Animal Demography Unit (ADU) for this year. To be on target by the end of September we should have submitted 75 per cent of the 1 250 cards we have been aiming at, but we were ahead of this with 78.56 per cent. Pentads covered by that date had escalated to 93.43 per cent, so we are well ahead of target. Thanks for this must go to our team of registered observers and assistants, but also to the many citizen scientists who have diligently been atlasing to the east of 31 degrees and north of 26 degrees. It is due to your efforts that we stand where we are at present and this is most appreciated. I would also like to thank those who have contributed to our funding and for the accommodation provided in different areas. Without this assistance we most certainly would not be in the position where we stand at present. Remember that all data submissions are important, even if a pentad has been frequently atlased. The more cards submitted the more meaningful the results, so keep on submitting your findings. These final three months of the year are crucial to recording migrant arrivals as well. It is an exciting time, with birds being more vocal and active because summer is the breeding season for many species. The first rains have been late in the Kruger National Park this year but the drought has now broken and our lists will grow. In my previous report I mentioned the Marula South Region had just a short way to go for all six Sections to turn green. There are now only four pentads out of 69 that are not yet green. Of these, two require just one card each and two require two cards. That sounds as if just a couple more visits will suffice but it is not that simple. Firstly the pentads take time to negotiate and secondly they are in poaching hotspots, but we are getting there and should be able to pop the champagne cork before the year ends. Further north progress is also being made and we have major plans for all four registered observers over the next couple of months. If all goes well my next report will be showing remarkable results, so keep watching this space for updates! Peter Lawson, peter@lawsons-africa.co.za Editor’s Note: These people really take their atlasing seriously.
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LET’S GO INDIGENOUS The selection of the Tree of the Year is now a joint effort by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), The Botanical Society and the South African National Bio-diversity Institute (SANBI). The trees of the year for 2014 are the White Ironwood and the Lavender Tree. Lavender Tree, Laventelboom, iNkunzi, mudedede, inkhuzwa (Heteropyxis natalensis)
masepha,
thathasani,
The lavender tree is a neat and well-shaped deciduous to semi-deciduous tree with a slender upright growth habit and a small rounded crown. The roots are non-invasive and the trees grows steadily to +- 5 to 10 metres tall and 4 to 5m wide; depending on rainfall and climate. The long, dark green glossy leaves have a subtle lavender scent when crushed. In spring the growth is flushed red and in autumn they provide good seasonal colour by turning yellow to russet-red, with the leaves persisting for most of winter before dropping. Anytime from December to March panicles of inconspicuous but sweetly fragrant cream to pale yellow flowers appear; followed by tiny dark-brown capsules, bearing numerous seeds. The single main stem is crooked; and the attractive bark is pale grey, often almost white, maturing to creamy-tan, with a contorted and flaky appearance. This versatile and most attractive tree can be used almost anywhere but is particularly useful where space is limited, or in beds where sun-loving smaller plants can still grow happily underneath. Because it has non-invasive roots, and is a small to medium-sized tree, it is suitable for small gardens as well as large landscapes. It can also be planted in large containers and is a good choice for bonsai. The flowers attract bees, wasps, butterflies and many birds. This low maintenance tree thrives in high and low rainfall regions, but the spring and autumn colours develop best in dry regions. Mature trees are hardy but young trees must be protected from frost for the first year or two. It is extremely water-wise and will tolerate drought for up to six months once established.
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White Ironwood, Witysterhout, Muruvula, Muhondwa, umZane, Umdlebe, Umngamazele, umOzana, Isutha (Vepris lanceolata) The white ironwood is a truly beautiful evergreen tree or shrub. It varies greatly in height, depending on climate, and rainfall. Naturally in more exposed coastal and arid regions it remains stunted, growing +-5m tall; while in forested areas it may reach up to 20m. The narrowly elliptic leaves are densely covered with gland-dots and have a lemony scent when crushed. The white ironwood flowers from December to March, but the small greenishyellow, star-shaped flowers are inconspicuous. Male and female flowers are borne on different trees. The small 5mm fruit ripens from May to July, turning black when ripe; and is also covered with gland-dots and has the same lemony scent as the leaves. The bark is smooth and grey to dark grey in colour and the wood is hard, heavy, strong, elastic and even-grained with a whitish to pale yellow colour. The ironwood is one of the best choices for small gardens with its lovely shiny evergreen leaves which shimmer in even the slightest breeze, and their wonderful lemony scent. It does not have a very aggressive root system; grows well in containers; and responds well to pruning, so can be kept to any size; doing well as a bonsai. If planted closely together and clipped regularly it can even be coaxed to form a lovely screen. It can also be grown underneath the canopy of other trees in groves and wild or forest gardens. This water-wise plant provides light shade and is a valuable food source for birds in winter when food is scarce, and your plant will come alive at this time with feeding birds. It also attracts butterflies, bees and other insects to the garden. The ironwood does extremely well in coastal gardens and is wind tolerant. It is easy to grow in full sun or semi-shade; and is semi-hardy to frost if planted in a sheltered position away from freezing winter winds, and is covered for the first couple of winters. Although it is water-wise and tolerates drought in its natural habitat, it will not flourish in very arid regions of the country. It adapts to most well-drained garden soils, but when planting, be sure to incorporate lots of compost to the planting hole and a generous amount of bone meal to give your plant a good start. Mulch well and water regularly for the first year or two for a quick growing, strong young tree.
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LET’S LEARN A LITTLE
Rachis
The name given to the central shaft of a feather, often used as a reference to the exposed part of the shaft only.
Rallying
Exhibited by wood-hoopoes where members of a family group sit close together on a branch (or on branchlets in close proximity) and, while facing in the same or opposite directions, rock back and forth with the head and bill tucked down. They simultaneously launch into a cacophony of raucous ‘cackling’. Used to advertise presence or in ‘calling’ competitions with other groups to secure an area.
Recurved
Curving upwards, usually used to describe the bill of certain birds.
Remiges
These are the longer feathers (primaries, secondaries, tertials) on the trailing edge of the wing that enable flight.
Retrices
The name given to the flight feathers of the tail, generally used for steering.
Rictal Bristles
Short, stiff bristles at the base of the bills of insectivorous birds, presumably assist in catching prey.
Rocket-display
Exhibited by the male Red-crested Korhaan at any time of the year but more frequent when breeding. Many males may display simultaneously, each in adjacent ‘arenas’. Males run forward and launch vertically into the air for 10 to 30 metres, and then suddenly fall backward with feet outstretched and belly feathers erect. They drop vertically with closed wings, opening again to break their fall as they glide to land.
Rod cell Light sensitive cells in the33eye that are responsible for nighttime acuity at the expense of colour
KINGFISHER
December 2014
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CLUB COMMITTEE PRESIDENT CHAIRPERSON VICE CHAIR TREASURER NETWORK MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY SANCTUARY ROSTER MINUTES SECRETARY PUBLICITY/KINGFISHER PROGRAMME SUBCOMMITTEE Co-ordinator Programme Secretary Outing Organisers MEMBERSHIP LIAISON
Jan Fourie John Human Paul Hardingham Errol Kilpatrick Diane Lovell Denise Holahan Gill Hardingham Peter Sharland Diane Lovell Paul Hardingham
044 384-0295 011 704-3196 011 462-9682 082 326-9278 011 478-2452 011 791-7154 011 462-9682 011 782-8600 011 478-2452 011 462-9682
Jane Irvine Trina MacGregor Errol Kilpatrick Ian Cuthbertson Dee Cuthbertson
011 782-9923 082 587-4863 082 326-9278 011 447-8602 011 447-8602
JUNIOR CERTIFICATES BirdLife President Ridge has set in place a scheme to award pupils and scholars, ages 0 to 18 years, JUNIOR CERTIFICATES for sighting a minimum of 150 Southern African bird species. Further certificates will be awarded (increments of 50) as the young peoples’ life lists increase. Encourage your children to start their life lists now! Apply to Celia Human for more details: 011 704 3196
FOR MORE PICTURES AND OTHER NEWS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE: www.blpr.co.za
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KINGFISHER
December 2014
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