Weaver Colonies in Gauteng

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P O Box 641 WITWATERSRAND Cresta, 2118

BIRD CLUB Tel: 011 782 7267 Fax: 086 512 7696 Email: [email protected] ISSUE NO 231 AUGUST 2011 Web: www.wbc.co.za

Inside this issue: 2011 Committee:

4 Letter from the Chair Honorary President Murrie Slotar 5 The Tree by Dorothy Wheeler Chairman Andy Featherstone

8 Bird meets Grille by Shaun Smillie Vice-Chairman Lance Robinson Treasurer Sandy Goodall 9 Zimbabwe; Here We Come by Barbi Forsyth Courses Janice Isom 11 BirdLife South Africa‘s Annual Owl Conservation Barbi Forsyth Awards Evening Meetings Marguerite Waite 12 Where are the Records of the Old Website Lester Niss Johannesburg Record Scheme? by John Freer Club Secretary Lauraine Leigh 14 Animal Demography Unit by Les DEADLINE FOR DECEMBER 2011 Underhill ISSUE - 1st NOVEMBER 2011 16 First Spoon-billed Sandpiper Chicks Hatch in Captivity Contributions can be:

18 Holiday in Margate by Louise Barlow Posted to: The Editor, Witwatersrand Bird Club, P O Box 641, Cresta, 2118 20 Peanut Butter for iNyomani by Barbi Forsyth Delivered to: Delta Environmental Cen- tre, Road No 3, Victory Park 21 Weaver Colonies in Gauteng by H Dieter Oschadleus emailed to: [email protected] 22 Sponsored Live-stock Guarding Dogs by Deon Cilliers NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS Bokmakierie is published three times an- 23 Groot Marico by Louise Barlow nually. Contributions are invited from members in Afrikaans or English. English 25 Rarities and Unusual Sightings Re- names of birds should be those used in port: March 2011 by André Marx Roberts VII. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor, Club, the 29 Interesting Observations Committee, Members or those of BirdLife South Africa.

30 BirdLife Matters This issue of Bokmakierie has been produced and edited by Andy Featherstone 31 Trips and Outings and Lance Robinson.

Cover Photo: Lesser Jacana by Arno Ellmer Cover Design: Gina Wilgenbus 3

The rising cost of fuel makes it expensive

Letter to travel to venues and I would really like to encourage members to share lifts From wherever possible. This will have the added bonus of reducing our carbon foot- The print and reducing any problems with parking at the venues. When making a Chair booking, please indicate to Lauraine whether you would be prepared to give others members a lift, or would be willing Dear Members, to travel with someone else so that we can try and co-ordinate accordingly. I am pleased to report that the Club Com- mittee will remain unchanged for 2011 Response to the questionnaire that we with Murrie Slotar continuing as Presi- sent out has regrettably been poor, but dent, Lance Robinson as Vice Chairman we have reviewed the comments con- and myself as Chairman. All other Com- tained within those that were completed mittee members retain their current port- and Barbi Forsyth has prepared an folios. As Lauraine has decided to relin- analysis for our study and action. We will quish editorship of Bokmakierie, Lance advise on any changes as a result of the and I have taken over the task and hope survey in due course. that you like this new look edition! If you have any suggestions regarding the Finally may I please urge you to avoid magazine and its content, then please let paying your membership fees to Birdlife me know, all constructive criticism will be by cheque as there have been numerous welcome. cases of cheques being intercepted in the post and deposited into fraudulent The new system implemented for ad- accounts. If you are absolutely unable to vanced booking of outings and trips ap- avoid using a cheque then please send pears to be working well and your partici- via registered mail so that there is a re- pation in this process is greatly appreci- cord of your payment that can be tracked. ated. If we know in advance how many people are attending on the day, we can Enjoy the autumn bird life and hope to plan accordingly. So far this year our out- see you soon! ings have been fairly well attended and our evening meeting at the zoo was par- Andy Featherstone ticularly successful with over 40 members and guests listening to an extremely interesting presentation on Wattled Cranes. Keep up the good work!

As you will see under our BirdLife page there will be a Sasol Birds and Birding Fair at the zoo on the 28th and 29th May 2011. If you are able to assist us by filling a two hour slot at our WBC stand, on either of these two days, it would be greatly appreciated. Please email or phone Lau- raine, or myself, with details of when you would be able to assist and your contact details.

4 I arrived home from a Sunday outing to The Tree hear the sound of a power saw screech- ing at full volume from the back of the By Dorothy Wheeler building. It was a huge shock to find that three trees were already gone and the big There was no way to warn them or to give branches on ‗my‘ tree had already been them notice to vacate their habitat. This dismembered. They had crashed down all was the heartbreaking thought I had as I over, including into our courtyard, cover- looked into the huge, creeper-laden, silky ing the tubs of lemon trees and other oak that had filled the view from my bed- plants, and crushing the coils of barbed room window for years. It had become my wire on top of the garden wall. There were daily habit to change out of my work ropes around the trunk which was being clothes and lie on the bedroom floor with pulled downwards as the saw cut into the my feet up against the window sill to stare main trunk. into the branches and observe the bird life from my ‗hide‘. What a special few min- By the time they had finished there was utes each day. an enormous pile of debris stacked up in the neighbour‘s yard. At the end of the Now, as I watched the weavers carrying day I looked at this sight and noticed up material to complete yet another nest, I movement near the ground on our side. It felt enormous sadness knowing that the was the Hadeda nest with two live chicks! neighbour in whose garden the tree grew, The adults were calling frantically and try- intended chopping it down to make way ing to get to them, but the presence of for additional toilets for his crèche. workers on the other side seemed to deter them from coming down to ground Year after year I had listened to the Had- level. The smaller birds were flitting about eda pair conducting their noisy courtship amongst the leaves of the fallen or rousing the world at first light. The Grey branches. Go-away-birds had produced brood after brood - their clumsy chicks usually ending I phoned FreeMe and Jackie, who lives in up in the small courtyard patch below our Auckland Park, said she would come and flat block, where they received much help me in the morning and we could then noisy encouragement from several adult decide whether the chicks had been de- birds. Cape Robin-chats were permanent serted or not. She was quite amazing and residents along with Karoo Thrushes and arrived at 6 a.m. We noticed that there numerous Cape White-eyes. I would was no suitable perch for the adults who watch the pair of Red-eyed Doves billing seemed unable to reach the chicks who and cooing on the same perch each eve- were calling loudly. We went downstairs ning and on the right of the tree flashing and pulled a wooden stepladder into a po- about in their section were the Dark- sition so that they could perch on it to capped Bulbuls. The trilling of a Crested feed the chicks. We then called it a day as Barbet was a fairly new sound coming we both work. from the tree. There was even a Red- chested Cuckoo adding its call one year. In the evening, as my car drew near to A party of Red-faced Mousebird often flew our flat building, I could hear the adult in but they were never allowed to stay and birds calling and calling non-stop – as would then settle for the ‗Yesterday Today they had been ever since the tree came and Tomorrow‘ [Brunfelsia Pauciflora] down. I had a look and saw that they were growing below. calling from the roof of the next door house but, since the yard was full of work- After a few weeks I began to hope that ers, they seemed too afraid to come the neighbour had changed his mind, until

5 down. I could make out only one chick third chick had been flattened by the and watched it trying to clamber up to the branch when it fell and the second chick adults. It got itself onto the wall and then was found dead – probably from dehy- disappeared from view onto the heap of dration or lack of food. I also saw a big branches that were going to be carted rat. away. After keeping it at her home for a day, It was vulnerable there because the re- Jackie took the rescued chick to join an- movers would probably not be too caring other one at FreeMe. of a Hadeda chick that could not yet fly. This was a crèche with small children I was glad that the small birds, which and a dog was often locked in the yard seemed unable to leave the space where during school hours. Jackie suggested the tree had been, managed to find ref- that I place the chick in a tree and give uge in the fig bush and in the leaves of the nursery school people her number so the fallen branch. This didn‘t last. When that if it fell down, or seemed to be in all the wood pile was cleared away, the trouble, they could contact her. neighbour cut down every bit of any other bush or shrub in his yard. I noticed Around 6 a.m. I went into the yard and a sodden Crested Barbet sitting on a retrieved the chick against the back- pole in the rain but I was happy to see ground of the frantic calling adults who that the bulbul pair were making their were on the house roof. It was raining way into our yesterday today and tomor- and I placed it high up on a branch, just row bush. as parents and toddlers started to arrive. I gave the FreeMe number to the carers Most evenings the bulbuls perch on the and departed for work. barbed wire loops on top of the wall. I occasionally see a rufous flash of robin Jackie advised that the adults would be chat, but in the mornings instead of the able to locate it and, because the chick morning chorus, there is only the faint was fully feathered, it had a good chance sound of far off doves and a rooster of survival. Hadeda chicks are notori- crowing from the confines of a truck ously difficult to rear. It seems that the parked on the roadside. Yes, poultry is adults provide something that no one being stored in a truck at night. else can. It was really interesting to see how the News upon my return from work that small birds didn‘t just fly off but seemed evening was that the chick had made its to try to stay in the area they had inhab- way along the wet lawn, back to the pile ited despite the loss of the tree and other of debris, so the staff had contacted vegetation. Jackie who had come and fetched it to safety. She told me that the adults would I am still getting used to the gap in my keep searching and calling for at least a life and now look up at moving clouds week and this was true. It was really har- and see an occasional bird winging its rowing listening to their non-stop calling way across the patch of sky. I suppose morning and evening – a repeated terri- there is some consolation in having ble loud single note, not the usual Had- bright sunlight coming into the room eda calls. It was a relief when darkness which had always been shaded by the descended in the evenings and they tree. would stop. I watched them coming down onto the wall and peering down at the fallen branch as they searched in vain. A

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workers were unable to free the bird, Bird Meets Grille they suggested he call FreeMe.

By Shaun Smillie — Staff Reporter Volunteer Jacky Wrighton could not get her hand into the grille, and the bird The following article is reproduced by spent the night stuck in the car at a re- kind permission of : pair centre.

An hour at the workshop the next day FreeMe Wildlife and the bird was free, with no injuries. and Rehabilitation It will be released at the spot where the incident happened. June 15 2011 at 12:05pm

FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

FreeMe Photos of the Week 19-25 June 2011

On Saturday it was released almost ex- actly where the accident occurred. Vol- unteer Sue said: ―The kite was quiet until we reached the area it was to be released in and then only did it start moving about in the box. There was another kite on the telephone lines and as soon as ‗our‘ bird was out of the box, the other The Kite trapped behind the Porsche bird came bolting over, was quite a fulfill- grille— Photo by Brenda Lacy-Smith ing sight to watch the two of them duck- ing and diving overhead! It didn't take too It is a mystery no one can quite explain a long for the two of them to fly off to- bird of prey got stuck behind the grille of gether.‖ a Porsche after colliding with the moving vehicle. This weekend, FreeMe, an animal res- cue organisation, plans to release the Black-shouldered Kite into the wild, three weeks after the incident in the Vaal area.

Jordan Giannopoulos had been returning home in his Porsche Cayenne, travelling about 90km/h, when the kite swooped down in front of him. He hit it as it flew away.

Giannopoulos stopped 1km up the road Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) - and checked the damage. Photo by Sue Gizjen

He found the bird inside the grille. It ap- Thanks to Darroll Brent for arranging per- peared to be unconscious. Unable to re- mission and forwarding this article. lease it, Giannopoulos drove slowly back to Joburg. When Porsche roadside assist

were SO late that all we managed was to Zimbabwe: Here We set up camp and eat cold sausage rolls.

Come Easter Sunday dawned beautifully clear, and the Easter Bunny had secreted Text and Photograph By Barbi brown paper packets of eggs all over the Forsyth camp site. Our Easter Olympic Games also revived our spirits. We left home at 02:00 on Good Friday 22nd April – which was a mistake. Six- On Monday morning, we got the call teen people in 3 vehicles with trailers ―The Navistar is ready to go‖ – the first ground to a halt in a MASSIVE traffic jam time we had been ahead of our schedule just north of Pretoria. Everybody else in 4 days. ALL ABOARD! We had Jef- was going to Moria. Two hours later we frey the captain, James the deckhand, managed to get off the highway and felt Francis the chef and Prince the tiny 18- we were making great progress – aver- year-old who piloted our second tender age speed = 28kms an hour! boat. My champion was Francis who ran the galley like the professional he is. We We reached the supposedly little-known became the best of friends as he waved border post with Botswana at Stockpoort. his magic wand over all the food that I We were number 181 in the queue and had spent hours planning. Nothing was sat patiently for 7½ hours while the too much trouble and his standard South African border police dragged their phrase was ―No problem‖. He baked us heels. Average speed now 12km/hour – fresh bread every day and his only con- we could have cycled faster! fusion was when I asked him to make Yorkshire pudding to go with the roast By the time we arrived at Woodlands, beef fillet on the last night. just outside Francistown, it was pitch dark. The whole team were tired & hun- We experienced the most wonderful, re- gry and we still had to put up tents and laxing days of our trip. Six days of fish- feed everyone. The campsite seemed ing, reading, sitting in the small swim- deserted until all the other late–comers ming pool, jumping off the houseboat started arriving from Stockpoort. roof, eating and generally having fun. We held our own Unofficial Royal Wed- The next morning we were finally over ding on Friday 29 April. We had Kate the border at Plumtree. Welcome to (my niece) and William (Guv‘s son). Zimbabwe – the land of reflective tape on Kate looked gorgeous in a white sheet, all vehicles, yellow reflective jackets for mosquito net veil and authentic plastic everyone and ―petrol, no diesel‖, or flowers, while William wore a lens clean- ―diesel, no petrol‖. ing cloth as a bow tie.

The roads in Zimbabwe have deterio- The birds were extra-special: rated since we were last there and the speed limit of 100 kilometres an hour is the calls of the African Fish-Eagles an over-exaggeration. We dropped fur- which reverberated through the ther and further behind our schedule. stark trees; We had expected to arrive at Warthogs the 100+ White Storks which made in Kariba at about 16:00. The owner of lazy circles over the Matusadona the Bush Camp had promised to have a NP; table laid with champagne under the the thousands of Collared (Red- trees for our daughter‘s birthday. We winged) Pratincoles which formed a

‗thunder-cloud‘ over a distant island; the White-fronted Plovers who greeted us every morning and evening with their sharp calls; the pair of Wire-tailed Swallows who inexplicably followed us everywhere, until the captain told me their nest is underneath the houseboat; the Secretarybirds and the gra- cious Saddle-billed Storks; the Black-crowned Tchagra – it Zimbabwe Sunset took me ages to find him one morning, and the The awesome sunrises and sunsets will Emerald-spotted Wood Doves – remain in my soul until I get chance to which I never saw, but their return to Zimbabwe! mournful calls are unmistakable.

An irate looking Chinspot Batis awaiting release from ringing — Dael Stojakovic

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BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA‘S ANNUAL OWL AWARDS

The BLSA Owl Awards function was Klipriviersberg Verreaux‘s Eagles. It is held at the Indaba Hotel on Friday 3 for the overall commitment to the June 2011. The function was attended Klipriviersberg Verreaux‘s Eagles that by many dignitaries, including Minister Bo is a worthy recipient. Bo has been Sakamoto from the Japanese Embassy, the main facilitator of the erection of an Nicky and Strilli Oppenheimer, CEOs Artificial Nesting Platform (ANP) at and senior staff from a number of com- Meyer‘s farm. The success hereof bodes panies (including Honda, N3TC, Avis, well, as the ANP is bound to open many new possibilities in an effort to divert large raptors from breeding on electricity pylons - particularly in the Karoo and Northern Cape.

Bo is also responsible for erecting Owl boxes via the Urban Owl Nest Project.

Boudewyn van der Lecq receiving his Owl Award from BirdLife Chairman Vernon Head — Dennis du Plooy

Sasol, Sappi, Fairbairn Capital, and Continental Outdoor Media).

Congratulations are extended to the re- cipients of the 2011 Owl Awards: Chris Lotz, Bo van der Lecq, David Sonnen- Lance Robinson receiving his Owl Award berg, Graham Brill, Keith Harrison, from BirdLife Chairman Vernon Head — Den- nis du Plooy Lance Robinson, Mel Tripp, Peter Law- son, Russell Hall, Sylvia Ledgard, Daniel Lance Robinson was acknowledged for Sims and Ronelle Visagie. spending an extensive amount of time to

furthering the aims of birding and bird Eagle-Owl Awards were awarded to Jon Smallie and Peter Sullivan and the conservation through WBC and BirdLife BLSA Staff Award to Daniel Marnewick. South Africa. As previous Chairman, in- cumbent Vice-chairman and committee Boudewyn van der Lecq and Teresa member, he also currently serves on Moore founded the Urban raptor Con- BirdLife South Africa‘s Council, on its servation Programme. Their spare time Executive Committee, and on the Impor- is spent monitoring the raptors in the tant Bird Areas Steering Committee. He greater Johannesburg area and they have been closely monitoring Jo‘burgs is also Chairman of the Gauteng/North lesser known pair of eagles, the West Bird Club Forum.

Leeukop and Kyalami in the north, the Where are the Klip River in the south, Jan Smuts Airport in the east and Krugersdorp in the west. Records of the Old Johannesburg The scheme gave purpose to the in- volvement of some 30 of our members. It Record Scheme? continued under the management of suc- cessive collators for perhaps 18 years. Text By John Freer Many times I have enquired as to the In 1962 I initiated the Johannesburg Re- whereabouts of these Yellow Record cord Scheme. The objectives anticipated Cards without positive response. I was the basics of SABAP1 and SABAP2 on a lead to believe that they rested with the metropolitan scale. Avian (Animal) Demography Unit in Cape Town. Several referrals there brought no response until, at the Sasol Bird Fair on Members were issued with copies of a 28/29th May at the Johannesburg Zoo, checklist and were invited to report Dr Dieter Oschadleus of that unit was monthly on their chosen territory — be it able to tell me categorically that no bird their own garden, a local park, golf distribution records from the WBC were course or wetland. held there.

In the absence of Excel and computers, Can any member shed any light on the records were transferred manually where these records are? They become onto to yellow cards (see illustration) car- more important by the day with the wid- rying the check-list of species on the Y- ening interest in the effect of habitat axis and the months of the relevant cal- change in Johannesburg on the birds we endar year on the X-axis. find here now.

Each card represented a square (1km x The loss of these records would be a sad 1km) taken from the grid reference of legacy for all those members who con- Holmden‘s map of Greater Johannes- tributed so much of their time and effort burg. This covered the area bounded by to this prescient and important project.

tween ―statistics‖ and ―biology‖ – at the Animal Demography moment, three PhD students are developing new mathematical statistics to Unit — ADU solve problems arising out of our data. Greg Distiller, lecturer in UCT‘s Depart- Text By Les Underhill ment of Statistical Sciences is jointly at UCT and at the University of St Andrews 2011 is the year in which the ADU has its in Scotland, beavering away in an area 20th anniversary. Since 1991, the ADU called ―spatially explicit capture recap- has grown from a small project manage- ture.‖ Up to now, many of our analyses of ment operation, to a large group at the bird-ringing data ignore the reality that forefront of biodiversity research in South the mist nets are not always at the same Africa. Three pairs of words now guide places, and that we ignore the spatial in- our mission: digital biodiversity, citizen formation at our peril. Kristin Broms is in science, statistical ecology. the Department of Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management (i.e. Statisti- Be part of the ―early warning system‖ for cal Ecology) at the University of Wash- biodiversity ington, Seattle, where she is developing mathematical statistics that will improve The databases of the ADU currently total the methods we are currently using to more than 15 million records of digital compare SABAP1 with SABAP2. Her biodiversity – a record consists of a spe- theorems will enable us to test if there cies at a place on a date, and sometimes are factors which validly explain changes with a count attached as well. This is one in distribution between the two projects. I of the larger databases of its kind, any- serve on Kristin‘s PhD committee in Se- where in the world. The overwhelming attle. Alecia Nickless, based at the CSIR bulk of this digital biodiversity has been in Pretoria, is developing new mathe- contributed by citizen scientists, many of matical statistics to models carbon flux, them members of bird clubs. Our role is i.e. what happens to the carbon dioxide to build all the small individual contribu- in the atmosphere; her PhD lies at the tions into massive databases. SABAP1 foundations of climate change modelling. has seven million records, SABAP2 has Even the postgrads at the more biologi- three million, SAFRING has three million cal end of the ADU‘s statistical ecology records, etc. Data are of no value if they spectrum benefit from the close associa- remain imprisoned in a digital database. tion with statistical expertise which helps The outstanding feature of the ADU is to improve their data analyses. Since that we have the skills to turn data into 2000, the ADU has generated 21 PhDs, information and then turn the information a record that no comparable group can into conservation recommendations, and match. from there it goes on into conservation policy and conservation action. There is Ultimately, the diversity of skills at the an emerging discipline at the interface ADU comes together into a single theme. between ―statistics‖ and ―biology‖, and it We are building an early warning system is known (somewhat quirkily) as statisti- for biodiversity. With two decades of data cal ecology. Statistical ecology puts biol- to work with, we are now in a position to ogy into statistics and statistics into biol- look for trends, and to look for alarming ogy. The ADU is growing into the role of patterns in these trends. The statistical national leadership in the field of statisti- ecology is crucial to achieve this. The cal ecology. statistical analyses are data hungry, so the massive database of digital biodiver- Most of the ADU‘s postgraduate students sity is needed to obtain meaningful re- fall someone along the continuum be-

14 sults. And the reason why we have this dens on Saturday, 15 October – details huge volume of data is that it has been at http://20.adu.org.za. The main theme faithfully collected by citizen scientists. of this function is to celebrate the contri- So we invite all members of the Wits Bird butions made by our citizen scientists Club to become part of the team that is and to demonstrate that the data faith- building this biodiversity monitoring sys- fully collected over 20 years is being put tem. to good use. Please do attend the ADU at 20 years celebration in the Pretoria Botanical Gar-

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Jerôme Ainsley Northlands Christine McIntosh Honeydew Taryn Bentley Benoni Andrew Metcalfe Rivonia Heinrich Beukes Linden Teresa Moore Fairland John Cherrington Randburg Thomas Orr Melrose Justin Cohen Emmarentia Katie Roller Greenside East Peter Greaves Wilro Park Liz Spann Greenside Boudewyn van der Kiewiet Human Oakdene Fairland Lecq Stacey Human Oakdene Laetitia van Staden Fontainebleau Jenni Jankes Montgomery Park Lauren Vial Farrarmere John Jones Craighall Park Bill Viljoen Randburg

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION Janice Isom Ann and Robert Sears Val Odendaal John Sobey Howard Rayner Jeanne Thomas

A SPECIAL THANKS TO MARCELLE VAN WYK FOR HER GENEROUS DONATION TO THE RINGERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO ARJEN VAN ZWIETEN ON OBTAINING HIS PERMIT AS AN ‗A‘ GRADE RINGER

- GAIL SCHAUM

the world was always going to be a spec- First Spoon-billed tacular sight, but when a Heritage Expe- ditions boat docked in Anadyr last night Sandpiper Chicks not one, not two, but an incredible 17 Hatch in Captivity tiny, hatched Spoon-billed Sandpiper chicks emerged. The Spoon-billed Sandpiper (or Spoonbill Sandpiper), Eurynorhynchus pygmeus, is a small wader which breeds in northeast- ern Russia and winters in Southeast Asia. This bird is critically endangered, with a current population of fewer than 2500 – probably fewer than 1000 – mature individuals. The main threats to its survival are habitat loss on its breeding grounds and loss of tidal flats through its migratory and wintering range. This species may become extinct in 10–20 years. (Wikipedia)

The following article is reproduced by One of the first chicks to hatch - Martin kind permission of : McGill

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust The incredibly ambitious mission to col- Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT lect eggs from the rapidly dwindling num- www.wwt.org.uk ber of nests on the breeding grounds in Chukotka and transport them thousands And of miles via land, sea and air to the conservation breeding facility at WWT Slim- bridge hatching has reached an important milestone. www.birdguides.com Incredibly eight of the chicks actually

12 July 2011 hatched just as the team were preparing to leave Chukotka. The first critically endangered Spoon- billed Sandpiper to hatch in captivity in Describing his elation on docking safely in Anadyr, WWT‘s Head of Conservation Breeding, Nigel Jarrett said: ―We boarded the boat with the eight newly hatched chicks, 12 fertile eggs, consider- able anxiety about the trip on rough seas and a great deal of hope.

"We got off the other end with only three eggs, but an amazing 17 chicks and the remaining eggs poised to hatch any day, so I am as happy as happy can be.‖

A spoon-billed sandpiper hatching from its Things have gone as well as could possi- egg- Martin McGill

16 bly have been hoped so far, but saving day last week, but this belated present this species is still going to be an uphill more than makes up for that!‖ battle. The conservation breeding expedition, A couple of the hatchlings aren‘t quite as led by staff from the Wildfowl & Wetlands strong as the others and we will have to Trust (WWT) and Birds Russia, has sup- accept that we will lose some. port from the RSPB, BTO, BirdLife Inter- national, ArcCona, the Spoon-billed The survival rate for Spoon-billed Sand- Sandpiper Task Force and Moscow Zoo. piper chicks in the wild is extremely low. On average just four chicks fledge out of The project is funded by WWT and around 20 eggs laid and only one of RSPB, with additional financial contribu- these would survive to recruit into the tions and support from BirdLife Interna- adult population two years later. tional, the East-Asian Australasian Fly- these would survive to recruit into the way Partnership, the Convention on Mi- adult population two years later. gratory Species, Heritage Expeditions and the Australasian Wader Study Group Taking these newly hatched chicks from of Birds Australia. hatching to fledging will be enough of a challenge on its own. However, even this WWT has launched a public fundraising is dwarfed by the work that we and our appeal to save the Spoon-billed Sandpi- partners need to do to tackle the threats per, which you can donate to at http:// to the species in the wild. www.wwt.org.uk/support-us/please-help- us-to-save-the-incredible-spoonbilled- sandpiper-

Newly hatched spoon-billed sandpiper - Martin McGill

One of the tiny chicks in Nigel's hand- Elizabeth Tambovtseva from Birds Rus- Martin McGill sia is part of the team on the expedition. She said: ―The excitement from the team when the first egg hatched and a tiny chick appeared was off the scale – we haven‘t slept for days with the stress and worry so it was a pretty emotional experience.

All the partners have been working hard as a team to pull off this very important stage of the mission and it‘s paid off. I BirdLife International (2011) Species factsheet: Eurynorhyn- chus pygmeus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org didn‘t get a chance to celebrate my birth-

tails in a feeding frenzy at some type of Holiday in Margate outlet, a Black-collared Barbet and again, many Red-winged Starlings. In the By Louise Barlow peaceful estuary a large white egret, cor- morants, Blacksmith Lapwings and two There were masses of Bronze Mannikins smaller white egrets. at the birdfeeder under the wild fig tree in the woodland area just 3 kms down the At Margate on the grassy verge and coast of Margate. Gorgeous little birds above a footpath near a tree, at least a flying around, literally in swarms of 50 to dozen or more Little Swifts and African 100, skittish at the slightest sound, they Palm-Swifts dashing around furiously seemed to levitate in the trees, chattering (they're not called swift for nothing) wildly. There were Amethyst Sunbirds in small circles, nearly flying into us, and feeding on the remains of the Coral tree further on, a Pied Kingfisher sitting on a flowers, which the Speckled Mousebirds rock at the beach waiting for his catch - enjoyed too. Fork-tailed Drongo and while I sat on a rock watching him. Sorry, Square-tailed Drongo too, Burchell’s Cou- few seabirds that I could identify besides cal and Brown-hooded Kingfishers, and a a Kelp Gull. (Common) Fiscal Shrike sitting on the wire. Red-winged Starlings behaving I did my homework to the best of my abil- badly everywhere, Villages Weavers and ity as this was the first time identifying an African Hoopoe who had sadly lost its birds on my own, without a ‗professional‘ mate a week prior (it‘s feathers where and I spent extensive time studying them found in the garden). A Black Spar- with great enjoyment for two and a half rowhawk on the tall dry branches of Blue weeks I might add. If anyone 'begs to dif- Gum tree. On our walks: Dark-capped fer" please contact me, I'm willing to Bulbul, Black-Crowned Tchagra and learn. Those I wasn't sure of I never many other weaver birds. mentioned at all.

At St Michaels beach: African Pied Wag-

Louise Bar- low, Murrie Slotar and Andy Feather- stone at WBC‘s Stand at the Sasol Birds & Bird- ing Fair (May 28/29th) – Nikki McCartney

19 Words fail me! Thank you for your over- Peanut Butter for whelming generosity. I had expected maybe a couple of jars of peanut butter, iNyomani but this was like the loaves and the fishes. I have attached a photo of Char- Text and Photographs By Barbi maine and the principal of the school at Forsyth what turned out to be a BIG hand- over! There is another one of Ursula with the children - and some of them are even smiling. Quite a difference from my first experience of this little school. So thank you everyone for the peanut butter, socks, jerseys, beanies, biscuits, fruit, milk etc.

Wits Bird Club members made a difference in 42 little lives on Monday 1st Au- gust.

Charmaine Uys (BLSA) and the Principal of iNyomani School

So how was your day ?

Cape colonies are bigger, from 1-65 Weaver Colonies in nests, average 10.0 (n=56). The Hand- book of the Birds of the World, Vol. 15 Gauteng (HBW) is the most recently published summary of weaver information and it By H. Dieter Oschadleus gives the following: ―one male apparently [email protected] built 52 nests during single breeding sea- son‖. So PHOWN already has valuable PHOWN (Photos of Weaver Nests) al- information to add! ready has over 800 records of 33 weaver species globally, and most of the records No species has enough data yet - more include colony size. In Gauteng there are records are needed to study variation in PHOWN records for the following spe- colony size geographically and in differ- cies: White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (1), ent years. Records from long ago can be Southern Masked Weaver (28), Thick- submitted if you have a photo, GPS loca- billed Weaver (2) and Southern Red tion, and date (nest count and other data Bishop (3). is preferable but if you don‘t have this, still submit the record). To browse re- In Gauteng the colony size for Southern cords and find out about submitting re- Masked Weavers varies from 1-38 with a cords, read http://weavers.adu.org.za/ mean of 6.2 nests per colony (n=28). It phown.php. appears that colony sizes in rural areas are higher than in suburban areas for this species. For instance, in the Northern

Cape Weaver at Nest –Andy Featherstone

lively and active dog. This has caused Sponsored Live- some behaviour problems with the sheep as he continued playing with them, biting stock Guarding ears and pulling out wool, even though Dogs we implemented various methods of rep- rimanding him from doing this. I decided

to replace Zylo with another pup (Zylo2) By Deon Cilliers last week and I moved Zylo to a herd of cattle in Limpopo. Zylo2 seems to be set- The following is an update received on tling in better. 1st June 2011 regarding the two Live- stock Guarding Dogs sponsored by Wits Bird Club. These dogs are a new mitiga- tion measure used as a tool to conserve and protect livestock, and thereby support the livestock farmer to reduce preda- tion

You don‘t really eat this stuff do you ....

―Seun‖ the other pup you sponsored in ―Seun‖ the Wakkerstroom area is doing well and is accompanying his herd of sheep in a ―Just a quick note to update you on the small grazing paddock, where he can be two Anatolian Livestock Guarding Dogs watched and actions taken to deter him sponsored by the Wits Bird Club. from any bad behaviour he might have such as excessive playfulness etc.

I will be visiting both later this week again and will send you some update pictures on my return.‖

‗Seun‖ looking sheepish

Zylo (name adapted from scientific name for Bokmakierie. Ed) was placed close to ―Look out it‘s that sheep, err dog again‖ Chrissiesmeer during April. He is a very

Information Centre, giving us keys and Groot Marico directions to our cottages. His name is actually Egbert and he turned out to be a Text by Louise Barlow, Photo- fine reader of HCB‘s stories. Santa and graphs by Doreen Wood Egbert are married and their surname is ―van Bart‖ – I kid thee not!

―Oom Schalk Lourens!‖ I gasped aloud, staring up at the two men sitting on the stoep. I strode up the stairs in a ‗time- warp‘, my hand outstretched to greet them; one a thin gaunt figure with a long, streaky and grey speckled beard and hair. I was thinking we could sit down and talk about old times whilst sipping Jerepico and find out the REAL story (I‘m used to talking to strangers, the stranger the better!). Real time, this can‘t be! Oom Schalk is a fictional character and Her- man Charles Bosman (HCB) has passed on. The men stood up grinning from ear- to-ear (were they having me on?) ready to greet me.

Herman Charles Bosman

Part of the road was the worst ever but we arrived safely at our destination close to the Marico river, to be greeted at the gate by several Groundscraper Thrushes. A lovely tranquil spot with tall trees, moss covered grassy verges, streams, ferns and friendly dogs only too willing to accompany us on our various walks. Having arrived early on the Fri- day, we took a leisurely walk along the banks of a gushing Marico river – so no skinny dipping here! We heard some babblers but never saw them.

The next morning it rained (one of us must be Queen Modjadji as it is a pre- dominately dry area!) but we didn‘t allow it to dampen our spirits, as by the time Egbert van Bart a.k.a. ―Oom Schalk we reached the Info Centre in town it had cleared. After sipping a thimbleful of Just then Santa (van Bart) came out to mampoer and honey (the real stuff came save the day; wholesome and smiling as later on) with delicious cheese scones she ought to be as the manager of the and koeksisters, we were taken to the HCB museum where, in fine expressive

Groundscraper Thrush Jan and Maryna Bezuidenhout sampling the local brew form, Egbert did justice to HCB‘s poign- ant and subtle humour. He also read a Blue Waxbill nibbled at seeds in a bird rather tongue-in-cheek poem about birdfeeder. ers (was he having us on AGAIN?), but you can‘t fool me; I spied from his chair I also found the time to see a Crested on the stoep, along a pathway into his Barbet scratching in the grass and a canopied garden, where a pretty little Brown-hooded Kingfisher posing on a rock.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher A butterfly also sampling the local brew ...

Barn Swallow—Bird of the Year 2011

Thrush Nightingale. Lysternag- Rarities and Unusual tegaal : brief views of one bird were enjoyed on the Zaagkuildrift road, 13 Sightings Report: Mar 2011 (EM and others). March 2011 River Warbler. Sprinkaansanger : one bird was found on the Zaagkuildrift

road, north of Pretoria, 13 Mar 2011 By André Marx (J&LG); with a further 6 birds found in this area, 27 Mar 2011 (EM and oth- The heavy rains during late December ers). and January resulted in a change in con- Grey Wagtail. Gryskwikkie : a soli- ditions in many wetlands throughout the tary bird located at the WS Botanical region, with reports of flooding in many Gardens in Johannesburg was a major areas, and the consequent increase in surprise and in the ensuing weeks reports of rain migrants. It has been a many local birders managed to see it, good summer for migrant species gener- 27 Jan 2011 (G birders); This sighting ally, with a spate of very interesting na- considerably boosted attendance at tional and regional rarities occurring in the gardens with figures provided the region, as highlighted in this report. showing a threefold increase during Please continue to send any records, the first weekend . and if you are unsure about its 'rarity status' just ask and I will send you the list of regional rarities for the greater Gau- teng region.

National Rarities / Nasionale Rariteite

Eurasian Bittern. Grootrietreier : the booming call of this species was heard at Marievale during the CWAC count there and is a significant observation as it confirms the continued presence of this bird at this site, 30 Jan 2011 Grey Wagtail / Gryskwikkie WS Botanical (BPR). Gardens – Gareth Hazell Western Marsh-Harrier. Europese Vleivalk : one bird was at Marievale, a regular locality for this species, 15 Jan Regional Rarities / Streeksrariteite 2011 (NP); a female bird was present at the Kgomo-Kgomo floodplain, 13 Marabou Stork. Maraboe : one bird Mar 2011 (NP). was seen in farmland on the western Striped Crake. Gestreepte outskirts of Pretoria, 23 Feb 2011 (ES). Riethaan : at least one bird was at the European Honey-Buzzard. Wespe- Kgomo-Kgomo wetland which had be- dief : one bird was at Northern Farm, come extensively flooded after good 05 Dec 2010 (RS); a single bird was at rains, 19 Feb 2011 (RGd). Rietvlei NR, 03 Feb 2011 (GCx,TS); Green Sandpiper. Witgatruiter : one two birds were at Golden Harvest, bird was at Northern Farm, a locality Randburg, 15 Feb 2011 (NP). where this bird turns up annually, 05 Montagu's Harrier. Blouvleivalk : Dec 2010 (RS); a single bird was at one bird, a male, was observed north- Borakalalo NR, 18 Dec 2010 (CR); east of Ekangala, near Bronk- with one bird seen on the Zaagkuildrift horstspruit, 31 Dec 2010 (JBc). road, 08 Jan 2011 (EM).

Black Harrier. Witkruisvleivalk : this Other Interesting Observations / An- species was seen on the road to Grey- der Interessante Waarnemings lingstad, near Devon, on the eastern border of Gauteng, and is an unusual Pink-backed Pelican. Kleinpe- record for summer, 30 Jan 2011 likaan : a bird at Vaalkop Dam, NW (CK,PP). Province, is most unusual at this local- Buff-spotted Flufftail. Gevlekte ity, 30 Dec 2010 (F&RP). Vleikuiken : a report was received of Long-crested Eagle. Langkuifar- a bird that had been present in a garend : one bird was seen on the road to den in Hennops Park, Centurion, for a Delmas, near Devon, eastern Gauteng, number of months, 19 Jan 2011 (LH 30 Jan 2011 (CK,PP); one bird was at via TC); subsequently the bird was Florida Lake, Roodepoort, 24 Mar seen at dusk when it was possible to 2011 (LS). photograph it, 3 Feb 2011 (AM, CK, Brown Snake-Eagle. Bruinslan- PP, RM). garend : one bird soaring over the Klipriviersberg NR, southern Johan- nesburg, is unusual for the area, 15 Jan 2011 (HS,LRo). Shikra. Gebande Sperwer : this species was observed in a garden in Kempton Park when it caught a Cape Robin-Chat, 07 Jan 2011 (BO); two im- mature birds at Delta Park, Johannes- burg, is unusual for the area, 23 Feb 2011 (GLd). Peregrine Falcon. Swerfvalk : a pair Buff-spotted Flufftail / Gevlekte Vleikuiken of birds was regularly seen in the vicin- photographed in Centurion — Clive Kaplan) ity of the museum and city hall in central Pretoria until late March when they Denham's Bustard. Veldpou : a re- were still present, 12 Jan 2011 (TC). cord of one bird at Wolfhuiskraal, ap- Red-footed Falcon. Westelike Rooi- proximately 70km north of Pretoria, is pootvalk : one bird was at Wolfhuisk- most unusual, 08 Jan 2011 (EM and raal, north of Pretoria, 27 Mar 2011 others). (EM). Sanderling. Drietoonstrandloper : a Red-winged Francolin. Rooiv- single bird was at Kgomo-Kgomo, 16 lerkpatrys : at least one bird was at Jan 2011 (MG,RGd). Northern Farm, 07 Jan 2011 (EM). Collared Pratincole. Rooivlerk- Great Spotted Cuckoo. Gevlekte sprinkaanvoël : a solitary bird was at Koekoek : an interesting record is of the Kgomo-Kgomo floodplain, 23 Mar two juvenile birds being fed by Com- 2011 (EdB); with further sightings be- mon Mynas on the Wallmansthal road ing reported in the next couple of days north of Pretoria, 13 Jan 2011 of what was probably the same bird (G (N&KGvD,PB). birders). This is an extremely rare spe- European Nightjar. Europese Na- cies for the region and this is the only guil : one bird stayed in a garden in regional locality to date where its pres- the Kyalami area, Midrand, for a few ence has been confirmed over the last weeks, 01 Feb 2011 (RS). couple of years. Woodland Kingfisher. Bosveldvis- vanger : one bird was at the Cumber- land Bird Sanctuary, Bryanston, 05 Feb 2011 (AM).

different races were noted, 02 Apr 2011 (AM). Red-backed Shrike. Rooirug- laksman : a female bird was at Delta Park, Johannesburg, only the third record in 17 years of observations there, 13 Dec 2010 (GLd). White-browed Sparrow-Weaver. Koringvoël : one bird at Northern Farm was a first record at this locality, 06 Mar 2011 (RS); with another bird also being seen at this locality, 11 Mar European Nightjar / Europese Naguil near 2011 (BLNG). Kylami - Gareth Searle Cuckoo Finch. Koekoekvink : a juvenile was at the Klipriviersberg NR in European Roller. Europese Trou- southern Johannesburg, 15 Jan 2011 pant : one bird was at the Klipriviers- (HS,LRo); one bird was at Rietvlei NR, berg NR in southern Johannesburg, 30 03 Feb 2011 (GCx,TS). Dec 2010 (SK). Dusky Lark. Donkerlewerik : one bird was seen near Kgomo-Kgomo, 05 Feb 2011 (NP); one bird was found on the Uitvlugt loop road south of Rust De Winter Dam, 13 Mar 2011 (LvD). Groundscraper Thrush. Gevlekte Lyster : at least 3 birds were in the Klipriviersberg NR area in southern Jo- hannesburg, 15 Jan 2011 (HS,KLa,LRo). Capped Wheatear. Hoëveldskaap- wagter : a first sighting at Delta Park, Juvenile Cuckoo Finch / Koekoekvink at Johannesburg, in many years of obser- Klipriviersberg NR - Hanneline Smit vation at this locality is a very interesting record for the area, 03 Dec 2010 Purple Indigobird. Witpootblou- (GLd). vinkie : one bird was in a Glenvista, Common Whitethroat. Witkeel- Johannesburg, garden, 14 Feb 2011 sanger : a bird seen at Golden Har- (LRo). vest, Randburg, is unusual for the area, 06 Dec 2010 (NP). Observers / Waarnemers: Olive-tree Warbler. Olyfboom- sanger : a very interesting record for André Marx (AM) the Glenvista area southern Johannes- BirdLife Northern Gauteng members burg, 06 Jan 2011 (LRo). (BLNG) Dark-capped Yellow Warbler. Geel- BirdLife President Ridge members sanger : one bird was at Northern (BPR) Farm, 06 Feb 2011 (AM). Bernie Orr (BO) Yellow Wagtail. Geelkwikkie : four Clive Kaplan (CK) birds were still at Rooiwal, north of Pre- Casper Rootman (CR) toria, during the club outing there, 27 Elba Swart (ES) Mar 2011 (BLNG); at least 12 birds Errol de Beer (EdB) were at Northern Farm when at least 3 Etienne Marais (EM)

27 Faansie & Ronel Peacock (F&RP) Steve Kench (SK) Gauteng birders (G birders) Tamar Cassidy (TC) Geoff Lockwood (GLd) Tony Simons (TS) George Cox (GCx) Hanneline Smit (HS) This column is mainly concerned with Jason Boyce (JBc) observations of rarities and interesting Johann & Lizet Grobbelaar (J&LG) sightings made within a 100km radius of Kevin Lavery (KLa) Gauteng, however observations made Lance Robinson (LRo) further afield are also welcome. While Lia Steen (LS) the majority of reports are included it is Lisl van Deventer (LvD) sometimes necessary to exclude some Liz Herholdt (LH) depending on whether the subject matter Michal Groenewald (MG) has already been well reported. Occa- Neithard & Kathrin Graf von Dürckheim sionally records are sourced from the (N&KGvD) Internet. All are encouraged to complete Niall Perrins (NP) rarities documentation for regional and Phil Penlington (PP) national rarities. Members are invited to Pieter Botha (PB) submit details of sightings to André Marx Richard Montinaro (RM) at 083 411 7674, e - m a i l Rob Geddes (RGd) [email protected] Ron Searle (RS)

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill — Anthony Cavanagh

Spotted Thick-knee — Anthony Cavanagh

Interesting Observations:

Mike Fullerton reports:

About 6 African Olive-Pigeons have been active in the Olive trees on the island across from our house for the past 3 or 4 weeks. There must be a source of food in the trees. I have tried unsuccessfully to photograph them as they hide in the foliage when they notice my presence. Today, one of them visited one of our water features and I was fortunate to get a few close up pictures. Beautiful birds aren‘t they!

Howard Rayner reports:

During a WBC outing to Norscot Koppies and Kingfisher Nature Reserve on 2nd March, we saw Gabar Goshawk, Little Sparrowhawk and a juvenile Shikra, which was a new bird for the reserve. At 5.50 am on 14th March I was drinking my early morning coffee when I heard a distant shriek of what sounded like a African Fish-Eagle. There were two further calls and confirmation was later had when Alison Curtis who lives on the boundary of NKKNR also heard it. Magui and Carmen also saw a African Fish Eagle flying on 30th March near Leeukop Prison. The biggest surprise was in mid-June when a juvenile Ver- reaux’s (Black) Eagle was seen catching dassies at NKKNR over the space of two weeks.

Alison Hanson reports:

Alison had a female Thick-billed Weaver in her garden in Honeydew on 9th May.

BIRDLIFE MATTERS

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WBC outing to Montecasino Bird Garden July 24th

‗Hey, guess what a little bird told me‘ - Andy Featherstone - Rose Fowler

Montecasino Bird Garden July 24th

‗Feeling a little hen pecked ?‘ - Murrie Slotar - Rose Fowler

Verreaux‘s Eagle interaction at the Klipriviers- burg outing 9th August - Henriette Sutcliffe