Robberg

When the two surviving oyc chicks were big enough to ring, Daniel joined me for the trip to Robberg to ring the little ones. Firstly I was quite disconcerted to not find them anywhere near the original nesting site, but we found them a fair distance away on some rocks, hiding in a crevice. We ringed the two chicks and put them back in their hidey hole.

Their handy hidey hole.

You can't see me!

Trying to get the little ones out to ring.

Daniel holding the two ringed chicks, keep your eyes open!

Robberg

The oystercatcher population at Robberg has been doing better than the gulls that I have been surveying, and it was a day of mixed feelings when I went to go and check on the Robberg oycs. Of the four chicks that had hatched, two were alive and doing well, and I was able to get some cool photos. The other two were not doing so well. One had disappeared and the other was dead, most likely from drowning.

Disheartening days

Alan Lee, a researcher from Percy FitzPatrick Institute working in Baviaanskloof joined the NVT team for a fynbos ringing session in Natures Valley. Keen to show him all the bird associated activities we undertake, I invited him to join me while I did some disturbance work with the African Black Oystercatchers and ringed one of the season’s chicks that was big enough. I was excited to show off the amazing area that I call home, but instead of a beautiful pristine beach the shocking reality of an urbanised coastal ecosystem was revealed. We saw a gull with a plastic bag wrapped around its wing, a juvenile oystercatcher with terrible avian pox (suspected cause) on its legs as well as an adult oystercatcher that appeared to have fishing line wrapped around its wing and/or leg with a length trailing behind. It was a disheartening experience.

Plastic bag wrapped Kelp Gull. Photo by Alan Lee.

Poxy juvenile African Black Oystercatcher. Photo by Alan Lee.

Oystercatcher trailing fishing line. Photo by Alan Lee.

A few days later I decided to go ‘dazzling’. Kellyn Whitehead, a new volunteer at NVT, joined me at Lookout beach one night with the intention of catching the juvenile oystercatcher with pox on its legs; I wanted to take it to the rehab centre at Tenikwa. Armed with headlamps and a spotlight we stalked the beach looking for our bird. Over an hour of traipsing through the colony yielded no oystercatcher and a few failed attempts at catching Crowned Lapwings. Then came a horrific discovery. Kellyn and I came across two dead oystercatchers. A pair. Wrapped together by fishing line. It was most likely the bird that we had seen earlier that week. The trailing fishing line had become entangled with its mate and the two had either starved or drowned, most likely the latter. It was utterly depressing. The death of two individuals of a Near Threatened species due to the negligence of our 'superior' race. This has reinforced my conviction to educate beach-goers, emphasising the care of our beaches to aid in the conservation of all the species that breed in this area.

14 years old!

The ORCA research team comprising of Chanel Hauvette, manager of the ORCA foundation, and Derek Aoki, a volunteer with ORCA from Los Angeles joined me to try and catch one of the adults incubating the last African Black Oystercatcher nest of the season. The disturbance trial went well and the trap was placed over the nest. The three of us beat a hasty retreat to sit on a washed-up log some distance away and discreetly watch the bird. It was a brave bird determined to protect her eggs and it didn’t take long before she was walking around the trap looking for the entrance. Soon the three of us were dashing over the sand to gather the agitated bird before she found the entrance of the trap. To my pleasure we had caught the adult which already had a ring on, this allowed me to explain to Derek the importance of what we were doing. We put a colour ring on the bird, and took all the usual measurements. Work done, Derek handled his first South African bird and released the oystercatcher. As soon as I got home I checked on the ring. The bird was ringed as a chick on 13 March 2000. The oystercatcher was 14 years old! A very exciting recapture for me! African Black Oystercatchers are able to live at least to 29 years old, so this bird has made good its survival thus far! It will be exciting to monitor this bird further, made easier by the yellow and black colour ring on its leg.

Derek releasing the bird after ringing.

The bird sporting its new colour ring.

White-fronted Plovers

I was very lucky while out on Lookout to come across two White-fronted Plover nests. These nests are always very difficult to find if you are not spending a lot of time watching the birds. One I found by chance moving through the colony checking up on birds and nests, and I came across the nest, which is hardly more than a shallow scrape in the sand. The eggs are very small and incredibly well camouflaged.

White-fronted Plover eggs.

While out trying to locate an oystercatcher chick I had stopped on a small dune to watch the parents and orientate myself when a pair of plovers began performing in front of me, even going to far as to attack the oystercatcher that was similarly trying to attract my attention and draw me away from their chick. At that moment plovers trumped oystercatchers and I began the search for what I assumed was a chick from the adults ardent behaviour. Looking at the size of the eggs, the chicks are likewise tiny! And terribly out of proportion! But it was really special to find a chick perhaps only a day or two old.

Fun fieldwork

They always look so cute and photogenic when they're small!

Plettenberg Bay beauty

I love where I stay!

Two cautious parents at Lookout with their successfully fledged chick.

It doesn't get better than this!

Swift Terns at Robberg.

A ray seen at Robberg.

An injured juvenile African Penguin at Robberg which was taken to Tenikwa.

Sunset supper at Robberg.

A beautiful day

We had a full day of field work, visiting both Lookout and the Peninsula (not uncommon for us) but it turned into a longer day than we anticipated and we boated back from the Peninsula later than expected, but the full moon was really just stunning as the sun was setting which made it worth it!

A new oyc chick joined the study group.

Oggling at oystercatchers

Throughout the breeding season Shirley and I were catching and ringing oystercatchers and gulls for the two projects. Whenever we had a bird in the hand we drew and inevitable crowd, most regularly children who were keen to see and touch the bird, and if they were lucky enough, given a chance to let it go once we had collected all the data. These photos were taken by Kelly Van de Voorde.

About to put a ring on.

Checking the moult.

Measuring head length.

Peninsula

Birds on the Peninsula were mostly safe from human disturbance as no-one would dare risk the wrath of the gulls in the colony, but the oycs on the beach were another story. One pair in particular were very close to the boat beaching area and were repeatedly disturbed. Shirley and I did our best to educate beach-goers to her presence, and some kind individual/s built a 'kraal' around her nest to show others that they were to stay away as she was breeding.

The oyc in her kraal.

Beautiful days.

Evidence of an octopus meal, with a colour ring from a previous project.

Peninsula

We had some interesting happenings on the Peninsula. Firstly an oystercatcher which was steadfast in her incubation, regardless of how close the people got! And a Kelp Gull which had become rather confused! It appears that it brought an oystercatcher egg to its nest.. Very interesting! I will be writing up a short note about this..

Spot the oystercatcher!

The cracked oystercatcher egg that was adopted.

A broody bird.

Come see!

Part of what NVT was hoping to accomplish over the holiday season was public awareness of the breeding birds that share our beaches and how important they are. The signs we put up at Lookout beach was a good start, as well as the various articles in local newspapers. What we also did was run the first of two open days in December targetting holiday makers. I was so worried that we wouldn't have anyone that would come to our advertised open day but we ended up with a good little crowd. Mark gave some introductory remarks and passed over to Shirley who ran through her disturbance work. We also were able to ring two oystercatcher chicks and show them off up close and personal, bringing home what we were talking about. Finally I spoke about everything that I was busy with, although there was not much data to look at just yet.. All in all it was a success and we hoped the second one would go as well!

Mark explaining what NVT is all about.

Shirley running through a disturbance simulation.

One of the chicks we ringed.

Checking out the sign.

Oystercatcher awesomeness

We had a wonderful morning of oystercatchers, I got some awesome photos of a foraging adult finding breakfast for the family. We then found one of the first hatched chicks, much excitement about that! The parents were quite agitated and so it was a good chance for a photo session.

Breakfast.

What a cutie!

A watchful pair of parents.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork continues even on the wildly windy days, though we don't stay out too long!

Breakfast buffet! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Happy fieldworker with our motor boats! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Just a little windy! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Gulls +1! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Hazards of working with gulls. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.