Newsletter
December 2024
Chairman’s Chirp
by Ann Mawer
I hope this article finds you in good spirits. I am writing to provide an annual summary to the esteemed members of BirdLife Plettenberg Bay (BLPB), outlining our activities, achievements, and financial status over the past year.
Throughout the year our club has engaged in various initiatives aimed at promoting bird conservation and education within our community. We hosted several successful events, including birdwatching excursions, guest speaker sessions, and dinners which greatly contributed to our mission.
Our speakers have been of the highest standard. They gave their time and expertise to share information about many species. We heard about the 70-year-old Laysan Albatross, Wisdom. ‘Wild’ bee nests, The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula, etc.
We had walks at Plett Country Club, Hunters Estate, Ashford Farm, Hebron Nature Reserve, Goose Marsh, and many more. Our outings Team did us proud.
Bitou Birding Festival launched in late September. Over 200 birders participated in the activities. Thank you to our members and committee who gave valuable time to assist with guiding.
Our away trips were a sell-out. Riverbend was excellent and we had an impressive bird count.
Our biannual CWAC (coordinated waterbird) counts were conducted for the 26th year and the data was submitted.
November Featherchase went well and attracted a record number of members.
Financially, we have maintained a positive outlook, with an increase in both membership dues and generous donations. Our dedicated members have played a crucial role in these successes. A detailed breakdown of our financials will be circulated before our AGM 3 March 2025.
I extend my gratitude to each member for their continued support and passion for our shared goals. Together, we look forward to another productive year ahead as we strive to protect and celebrate the avian wonders of our environment.
Our condolences to members who have lost loved ones during the year. we wish you strength.
Thank you to our dedicated committee who gave their time and energy to keep the club interesting and enjoyable birding experiences.
Hot off the press: The Red-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorynchus) is Bird of the Year 2025!
May you have special December celebrations. We wish you all safe travels and a peaceful festive season.
The Red-billed Oxpecker
(Buphagus erythrorynchus)
Bird of the year 2025
You will never guess where this photo was taken!
This single bird was spotted in the late afternoon on the back of a big Nyala Bull at the Plett Nature Reserve on the 28th of September by John Home and Patrick Raymond while on their way to the Bitou Birding Festival Fundraiser dinner. A very rare bird to be spotted in the area.
PRESENTATIONS, DINNERS, OUTINGS AND AWAY TRIPS
by John Home
The Club has had a very busy few months with our Monthly meetings, Presentations and Dinners held at either Sky Villa Hotel or the Plettenberg Bay Country Club and with Outings and Away trips.
We had seven Monthly Meetings and Dinners since our last Newsletter in April and the Presenters were Jenny Cullinan on Bees, Mike Bridgeford, Albert McLean, Rupert Horley, Mark Brown and Zanri Strydom. All these Presenters are experts in their field, very good speakers and had amazing photographs and videos to support their talk. We owe them all a huge thank you for their time and efforts.
We also had Outings to Natures Valley, Natures Way, Cairnbrogie, Redford House, Hunters Retreat, Kwendalo and Plettenberg Bay Country Club and finally our Year End Feather Chase and Braai. (click here to see a report on the Feather Chase)
All these events were well supported by our Members, making it all worthwhile.
There were also two away trips to River Bend Lodge in the Addo Game Reserve area and both trips were fully booked.
Finally, many of our Members were very involved in the Plett Bitou Birding Festival which was held in late September. Some acted as bird guides on the various walks, helped with canoe outings or by just attending the various lectures that were held. (click here to see a report on the Bitou Birding Festival)
We look forward to 2025 and details of all future activities will be circulated in due course. In the meantime please diarise 3 March 2025 when we will hold our AGM with guest speaker Mark Anderson, the CEO of BirdLife South Africa will be our guest speaker.
SAVE THE DATE
AGM – 3 March 2025
with guest speaker
Mark Anderson
CEO of BirdLife South Africa
BirdLife Plett trip to River Bend Lodge – October 2024
Report by Patrick Raymond
Two years ago Birdlife Plett organised a trip to River Bend lodge, adjacent to Addo. This trip was oversubscribed, so we felt that it was opportune to organise a return visit. Management at the Lodge were very accommodating and offered us a very attractive rate, for an all-inclusive three day “birding safari”. We were offered two dates running concurrently – 18th to 21st 0ctober and the second trip from the 21st to the 24th October and both trips were fully subscribed in a fairly short time.
It was a little unfortunate that we happened to plan these trips on what turned out to be the wettest couple of the days so far this year!! However, we still managed to make the most of the time we had there.
The Lodge once again organised a couple of very knowledgeable guides who took every opportunity to get us out, despite inclement weather. Needless to say, one or two drives ended up being a “little damp”, but nonetheless were great fun and quite productive.
Overall, a bird list of over 135 species were seen, with a couple more having been heard and caught in Mark Brown’s nets. Some of the more interesting ones were: Brown Scrub Robin, Dark-backed Weaver, Common Cuckoo, White-fronted Bee-eater, Yellow-fronted Canary, Jacobin Cuckoo, Lanner Falcon, African Firefinch, Brown-backed Honeybird, Yellow-throated Bush-sparrow, Willow Warbler and Red-throated Wryneck to name a few.
We were also treated to a couple of lectures in the evenings with Chris Viljoen following on with a very entertaining bird quiz on the last evening. On the final morning, Mark Brown set up his nets for ringing, and this proved to be one of the highlights of the trip. We were able to handle and learn about some unusual birds: Pygmy Kingfisher, Lessor Honeyguide, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Black Saw- wing and Olive Woodpecker to name a few.
The weather was unfortunate, but we were still able to enjoy a great time with like-minded people, great food (too much), a couple of drinks and of course a lot of laughs.
Some interesting sightings:
Brown Scrub Robin
Dark-backed Weaver
Common Cuckoo
White-fronted Bee-eater
Yellow-fronted Canary
Jacobin Cuckoo
Lanner Falcon
African Firefinch
Brown-backed Honeybird
Yellow-throated Bush-sparrow
Willow Warbler
Red-throated Wryneck
Pygmy Kingfisher
Photo: Common Cuckoo in pouring rain by Faith Bam
Photo: Pygmy Kingfisher by Jacqui Hobbs
Feather Chase and Year end Braai – November 2024
Report by Patrick Raymond
It is hard to believe that another year has come and is almost gone!!
The Annual Feather Chase once again took place on Saturday 17 November 2024 which turned out to be a perfect day for birding. We were fortunate to be able to base ourselves at the Plett Caravan Park where 15 teams arrived at 07H00 for the “briefing”. It was great to see a number of our newer members getting involved!!
Five birding hotspots were identified and manned by some of our more experienced Plett birders who were there to help, find and identify some of the amazing variety of birds we have in Plett. After four hours of birding (some very seriously) the teams arrived back at the caravan park, for final counts and ”adjudication”.
After some frantic speed checking of the bird lists it transpired that a combined list of 128 birds were identified in the four hour period with a couple of specials including Alpine Swift, Black Sparrowhawk, Goliath Heron, Spur-winged Goose, Emerald Cuckoo, Denham’s Bustard and Little Bittern having been seen.
This was followed by a short prize giving to the winning team, the team with the most original team name, and to the person who saw the most “lifers” on the day.
This was followed by the serious business of settling down to a couple of drinks, lots of chats and laughter and the braai. (Thanks Ant Mawer for preparing and getting the fires going). An additional 20 members arrived for the braai resulting in a group of about 75 people chatting and socialising around the fires well into the afternoon.
An enjoyable and fitting end to our year of birding and we look forward to seeing you out “Chasing the feathers”, until we meet again in the New Year.
Wishing all our members and friends a Safe, Happy and healthy Festive Season.
Bird photos by Neil Ebedes
MEMBERS’ ARTICLES
The Lily and the Lily-trotter
by Ian Thomas
Water lilies have a number of interesting adaptations to their watery home. Here we will focus on the upper surface of the leaf in particular, the stomata or tiny pores that are found there. These pores allow for the exchange of gases and water vapour between the plant and the environment:
The upper leaf surface has a water-repellent waxy layer. This helps the leaf to float, but also serves to prevent the stomatal pores from becoming clogged with dirt and grime. Any water that gets onto the surface rolls around cleaning up dirt as it moves. Clean grime free leaves breathe better and the plant is able to photosynthesise effectively. *
When an African Jacana or lily-trotter walks across a lily pad searching for insects, some water splashes off its toes onto the leaf. And because the weight of the bird usually causes the lily pad to sink slightly, water pours over its edges and through the split. So the bird’s hunting success is boosted from the support it gets from the water-lily pad and the plant benefits from a cleaner more competent leaf.
*SANBI article on Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea
Photos above: African Jacana by Ian Thomas
Lappet-faced Vulture
by Ian Thomas
Lappet-faced Vultures throw a big shadow – 6.5kg and a wingspan of 2.8m. They have massive bills and powerful feet and have been seen feeding on freshly killed small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Some of these may have been road-kills or pirated from other raptors, but many people believe that they occasionally attack live animals.
However, they are mainly scavengers and seem to prefer large carcasses like buffalo, eland and elephant. And even though they can dominate other vultures, they often wait around the edges of the throng or ‘wake’ – the collective noun for vultures that are on the ground feeding at a carcass.
When all the other species of vulture are finished feeding or their numbers on the carcass have notably diminished, they move in. Using their massive bills they feed on skin, cartilage, tendons and ligaments which the other vultures are not equipped to tear off. A full crop can contain up to 1.5kg of meat which is around 23% of the weight of a 6.5kg adult.
Photo: Lappet-faced Vulture by Ian Thomas
Bird Song Makes the Heart Sing
by Dr. Matthew Zylstra, Programme Director, Kwendalo Institute
Birding feels good. It keeps us active, aware and curious. For most of us, that’s a given. What’s often less known is the mounting scientific evidence that’s showing why it’s good for us and how birdwatching – and listening – in particular ways can be even better for us.
Alongside the benefits of physical activity and being outdoors more, birdwatching specifically has been shown to promote better mental health (e.g. improved mood, stress reduction, paranoia), cognitive performance, and reduced mental fatigue. This mental renewal is also called ‘attention restoration’ and is often mediated by the ‘soft fascination’ of being effortlessly absorbed in an endeavour. Given that for well over 97% of human history our neurophysiology was intimately evolving with wilder nature, birding – particularly when tuning into birdsong – is one the surest routes to reawaken this paleo-perception in ways that can assist the nervous system.
The therapeutic benefits of birdsong are gaining growing recognition. When BP service stations across Europe used birdsong in their bathrooms, customer service satisfaction rose by 50 percent. A Colombian bank played bird soundscapes and approval ratings rose from 64 to 90 percent. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport pipes in birdsongs that are amplified in real trees in the airport’s quiet lounge. At a children’s hospital in Liverpool, birdsong is played in the hallways of a morning to help calm the young anxious patients.
A recent study followed almost 1300 participants for over 3 years using the Urban Mind app. The app asked participants three times a day whether they could see or hear birds, followed by questions on mental wellbeing. Results found that hearing or seeing birdlife was associated with improvements in mental wellbeing in both healthy people and those with depression. These results were not explained by co-occurring environmental factors such the presence of trees, plants, or waterways. One of the researchers concluded that birdwatching is a “multi-sensory experience that seems to enrich everyday life, whatever our mood or whereabouts [and is] precious and time-lasting.”
Such studies (and others which focus on the joy of birdwatching) suggest that visiting places with birdlife should be seriously considered as a reliable nature-based intervention and formally recommended by healthcare professionals to improve health outcomes.
This growing evidence base also implores us to create and promote biodiverse spaces that provide safe havens for birdlife, especially in our urban areas to support those of us increasingly struggling with mental health and our birds who are losing vital habitat.
For more detail on the science behind birding and wellbeing, watch into this webinar that Dr. Matthew Zylstra gave earlier this year for BirdLife SA’s “Conservation Conversations”.
Dr. Matthew Zylstra, Programme Director, Kwendalo Institute. Matt is coordinating “Nature Referrals (NRx): an initiative aimed at empowering healthcare professionals to recommend nature-based interventions, like birdwatching, into their everyday practice. insitute@kwendalo.co.za.
Top Tip:
Next time you’re birding you might like to try allocating some time to sit still in a safe and comfortable place. Close your eyes, take a few easy breaths and becoming aware of the birdsong in your midst. Tune into the quietest and loudest calls in every direction around you. In your mind, create a little soundmap, and imagine where on your map you’re hearing the different calls. Are they moving about? What vibe are you picking up? Do they feel like they are in baseline or are they alarmed? Can you sense any companion calling? Listen in to these layers of sound as they come but don’t try too hard – keep it joyful and effortless. When you’re done, gently open your eyes with a soft open gaze and note how you’re feeling. How do birds make you feel better? What more can we do for our feathered friends?
KWENDALO PROVES TO BE A “BIRDING HOTSPOT”
by John Home
The magnificent bird hide at Kwendalo was officially opened early in January 2024 and since then a smaller hide has also been built at one of the dams on the property.
Both hides have been most successful and more and more Members and visitors are making use of them.
Kwendalo is proving to be one of the birding “hot spots” in Plett.
The most amazing sighting to me is the Black-crowned Night Heron colony which has moved in to breed. There are at least 10 pairs breeding and recently several chicks have hatched. (see photos)
Other special birds are the Little Bittern, African Jacana, African Swamphen (Purple Gallinule), Purple Heron which also has chicks, Cape Shoveler, all the various Warblers, ducks and many more.
The total birdlist for Kwendalo now stands at 120 and this number is growing fairly regularly.
After a walk around the pathways and visiting the hides there is an opportunity to visit the Green Café for a cup of tea or coffee, or a cold drink and you can even have a light meal
Kwendalo is definitely worth a visit.
Olive Woodpeckers On The Nest
by Patrick Raymond
A couple of keen local birders were fortunate enough to spend a couple of hours, in some cases days, observing a pair of Olive Woodpeckers at a nest feeding their young.
As is typical of the species, they nest in an excavated hole in a tree, usually a soft wood. Olive Woodpeckers are usually monogamous and will incubate the eggs for about 15 days after which both adults actively feed the chicks during the day. According to Roberts, in the early stages of feeding they will visit the nest about 1.8 times per hour and this rate will increase to 7,5 times per hour in the latter phases of the chicks development.
Olive Woodpeckers feed by foraging and probing in trees from which they extract a fair variety of insects, grubs and larvae. While observing the nest we could see that both the parents were involved with the feeding of the young and over time collected and fed a thoroughly un-appetizing smorgasbord of “peculiar creatures” for their youngster. (Refer to pictures).
Clearly this regular supply of creatures did the trick as the youngster fledged after about 25 days. We stopped observing the nest site after fledging, but apparently the “baby” would have stayed in the area for about three months before dispersing.
Photos: Olive Woodpeckers by Patrick Raymond
Bitou Birding Festival Takes Flight
by Stephan van Wyk, Bitou Birding Festival Organiser
The first-ever Bitou Birding Festival soared to new heights, exceeding our wildest expectations! What started as a dream to celebrate bird life and conservation blossomed into a well-supported event that drew in not only local enthusiasts but also bird enthusiasts who flocked from as far as Gauteng and even the Netherlands. With over 460 tickets sold, more than 250 participants joined the event.
Guests enjoyed a variety of activities, from birding walks through beautiful local habitats and expert talks on topics like raptor conservation and climate impacts on bird populations, to canoe trips on the Bitou and Keurbooms rivers. There were also exciting pelagic trips to observe seabirds in their natural oceanic habitat and a unique bird-ringing demonstration by Dr. Mark Brown, offering a close-up look at the tagging, recording, and release process.
The festival wasn’t just about enjoying nature; it also made an impact. The fundraising dinner and Raptor Rescue tour raised R15,920 for Plett’s Raptor Rescue Centre. A big thank you to all who supported the event, from the amazing BirdLife Plettenberg Bay volunteers to partners, speakers, and attendees!
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped bring this festival to life. From our dedicated BirdLife Plettenberg Bay volunteers, venue partners, and insightful speakers to the attendees and local conservation groups Conserve Eden and NVT, the support was truly invaluable.
Exciting plans are already underway for next year, including new activities and birding routes. We look forward to welcoming both seasoned birders and newcomers to the next Bitou Birding Festival!
GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS BY SOME OF OUR MEMBERS THIS YEAR
1. Chanel Gemae Visser
Chanel Hauvette Visser a member of the Club and Field Ranger with Cape Nature was recently awarded “THE BEST MARINE RANGER IN AFRICA” by the Game Rangers Association of Africa.
The citation reads as follows “Chanel leads marine conservation at Robberg Nature Reserve, managing hundreds of animal strandings annually, biodiversity monitoring and community engagement “.
2. DR. MARK BROWN
Mark Brown has co-authored a magnificent coffee table book called ”Roberts Sunbirds and Sugarbirds” The photographs, illustrations, drawings and details about these birds is amazing. The book is available at all good Book Stores.
3. MIKE BRIDGEFORD
We all know Mike for his wonderful presentations at Club dinners. He has unbelievable knowledge about birds and is a great photographer. This year he saw his 850th Southern African bird species, a Ross’s Turaco. This is an amazing achievement which not many “twitchers” can lay claim to.
Photo: Ross’s Turaco by Mike Bridgeford
BirdLife SA Birding Big Day:
The Club entered a team in this year’s BirdLife South Africa Big Birding Day event which took place on Saturday 7 December 2024. The team was entered in the 6km radius competition. Sadly only 126 species were seen or heard whereas in the past two years, a total of 149 and 153 species were recorded. The special bird of the day was the Maccoa Duck. The team was however placed 20th in South Africa which is not too bad.
Bird photos by John Home
CHAIRPERSON: Ann Mawer – 082 446 4200
VICE-CHAIRPERSON: Patrick Raymond – 083 377 9580
TREASURER: Darryl Harrison – 082 651 8985
SECRETARY: Pippa van Noppen – 082 878 6662
HONORARY PRESIDENT: Mike Bridgeford – 083 266 7634
COMMITTEE:
Newsletter Editor: John Home – 082 554 5002
Design and Layout: Stephan van Wyk – 072 554 3995
