BIODIVERSITY FESTIVAL: OUTINGS TO ROOIELS AND STONY POINT

Biodiversity Festival, Harold Porter Botanical Gardens

(Carin Malan, Cynthia Swain and Mike Graham of BirdLife Overberg assisted us by guiding groups of birders to the Rooiels site and Stony Point as part of the Biodiversity Festival at Harold Porter. Mike herewith gives brief feedback on these outings).

Visit to Rooiels, Saturday 29th May

Some 20 people enjoyed a pleasant 2 hours at the Rooiels Birding Site last Saturday. Any sane bird would have been tucked up in bed at that time of day as it was exceptionally cool on the shaded side of the mountain. Still it was a pleasant stroll along Porter Drive and despite the low temperatures some of the inhabitants came to greet us. Whilst the Cape Rock-Jumper proved as elusive as ever, the party did get good sightings of Verreaux’s Eagle perched up in the cliffs trying to warm up in the early sun (through my scope which proved very useful) and a very songful Cape Grassbird at close range. Orange-breasted Sunbirds were everywhere and were not afraid to swoop past at head height. I can’t remember ever seeing so many males and females in a small area.

There were several Cape Buntings perched on boulders or foraging in the fynbos, Cape Rock-Thrush also, but no Sentinel Rock-Thrush. Red-winged Starlings and White-necked Ravens were on the seaward side of the path and a glimpse of Zitting Cisticola was the last bird of the walk.

The eagles were a real bonus although we did not see the pair together or the carrying of twigs to the nest site. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and thanks to Carin Malan for her assistance.

Cape Grassbird

Verreaux's (Black) Eagle

Visit to Stony Point, Saturday 29th May

Cynthia Swain, myself and Carin Malan took a group to Stony Point before lunch to see the African Penguin. I have not seen so many as there was on this occasion. Almost every nest had a chick or even 2 and I guess there were many sitting on eggs. It was nice to see so many adults with 2 chicks, some much bigger than others so breeding seems not to be a specific period. It was interesting to note that one nest site had 2 chicks of greatly differing sizes. Were these brothers/sisters or was one adopted???? There were many White-breasted and Cape Cormorants there also and a pair of Thick-knees within the nesting sites. The numbers sighted seemed to fly in the face of the bird changing status from “vulnerable” to “endangered”. I hope that they breed well and increase in numbers as it is a bird that everyone can enjoy.

African Penguins at Stony Point

Spotted Thick-knee

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