Bird ringing course, Wakkerstroom, 30 Nov – 6 Dec 2002

Bird ringing course, Wakkerstroom, 30 Nov – 6 Dec 2002

Organised by SAFRING and BirdLife South Africa.

In December 2002 the third national ringing training course was held in Wakkerstroom. This time there were 23 attendees (ringers and trainees), ringing over 1200 birds in one week. Selected photos below illustrate some highlights.

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Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Dawn at the Flufftail hide, BirdLife SA Wetlands Centre, Wakkerstroom. At this time our nets were up and we were getting ready to extract birds from the nets. The vlei level was rather low due to lack of recent rain.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
The daily program was getting up at about 3h30 in the morning to be ready to leave at 4h00 for ringing sessions. Ringing continued to about lunchtime. After lunch the trainees attended lectures covering all the theoretical aspects of ringing with opportunities to ask questions. These lectures were held in the BLSA hall.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
After the lectures the trainees were given practical training to fine tune their field skills. On the first afternoon they were given practice in putting up mistnets in pairs, then on their own. Other practical sessions on subsequent afternoons included a demonstration of a typical ringing kit, a check on accuracy of their measurements, and mapwork.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
On Sunday evening Arie Williams, chairman of the Penslaners Unie, continued his tradition of recognising the help that spouses give ringers. This time the award was presented to George Viljoen’s wife, Rinie.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Many of the usual Wakkerstroom sites were tackled again. Since the water level was so low, it was possible to put nets at the bottom of the Amersfoort bridge instead of hanging the nets down from the top. Here many Cliff Swallows and Whiterumped Swifts and one Little Swift were ringed Nigel, Mike Ford.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
We ringed in Retirement Forest again, catching as many retraps as new birds. At one point we needed to escort donkeys past the nets.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
A trainee, Elizabeth, coming back with lots of birds when ringing in the grassland and vlei at the BLSA property.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Ringing table in Retirement Forest.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
There were lots of photo opportunities. Here Joubert and Joseph are photographing an Orangebreasted Waxbill.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
There were identification challenges. Females of Golden Bishop female on the left and Red Bishop on the right.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
More identification challenges were the cisticolas. Here is a Fantailed Cisticola – also caught were Ayres and palecrowned.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Glen Ramke brought us an immature buzzard, that had been picked up somewhere between Wakkesrstroom and Volksrust and could have been either Steppe or Forest Buzzard. After phoning a few raptor fundis we decided on Steppe Buzzard based on the underwing coverts.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Orangethroated Longclaw, BLSA grassland.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Little Swift, Amersfoort bridge.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Grassveld Pipit, BLSA grassland.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Grassveld Pipit nest, BLSA grassland, found by Shonie.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Quail Finch male, BLSA grassland, caught for the first time on a national training course at Wakkerstroom. The female has a grey throat and face instead of black.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Ethiopian Snipe, BLSA vlei. These had not been caught here previously – 12 were ringed this time. Common Quail were again noticably absent and none were caught (towards the end of the week some were heard).
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Starred Robin, Retirement Forest.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Cape Batis female, Retirement Forest.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Cape Batis male, Retirement Forest.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Bush Blackcap, Retirement Forest.
Wakkerstroom
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Rainy cold front moving over Zaaihoek Dam, Wakkerstroom area. On Friday morning we woke up at 3h30 to rain that did not stop until late in the morning, meaning we could not ring.

The most ringed species for the week were Red Bishop, followed by African Marsh Warbler and then Redbilled Quelea. The previous two years Red Bishop and South African Cliff Swallow were at the top of the list. Much fewer species were caught compared to previous courses here, due to not having access to the acacia site at Ou Murasie.

 

Ringing totals for the course (also 2 previous courses)

No. Species 2000 2001 2002
67 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus 2
82 Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus 5 5
84 Hadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagedash 1
96 Yellowbilled Duck Anas undulata 1
99 Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota 1
130 Blackshouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus 1
152 Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus 1 2
154 Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo 2 2
189 Common Quail Coturnix coturnix 4
238 Threebanded Plover Charadrius tricollaris 3
245 Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus 1
247 Wattled Plover Vanellus senegallus 1
250 Ethiopian Snipe Gallinago nigripennis 12
316 Cape Turtle Dove Streptopelia capicola 2 1 1
317 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 3 4 1
322 Cinnamon Dove Aplopelia larvata 3 2
343 Redchested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius 1
344 Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus 2 1
351 Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas 1
352 Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius 2 1
367 Cape Eagle Owl Bubo capensis 2
368 Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus 4
383 Whiterumped Swift Apus caffer 17 10 35
385 Little Swift Apus affinis 2 1 1
390 Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus 6 11 6
395 Giant Kingfisher Ceryle maxima 2
397 Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata 4 5 4
431 Blackcollared Barbet Lybius torquatus 10 4 1
440 Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator 1
442 Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor 1
443 Sharpbilled Honeyguide Prodotiscus regulus 3 1
445 Ground Woodpecker Geocolaptes olivaceus 1
450 Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens 2
452 Olive Woodpecker Mesopicos griseocephalus 2 3
453 Redthroated Wryneck Jynx ruficollis 1
474 Spikeheeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata 1 2
488 Redcapped Lark Calandrella cinerea 1
493 European Swallow Hirundo rustica 1 18 50
495 Whitethroated Swallow Hirundo albigularis 10 18 14
502 Greater Striped Swallow Hirundo cucullata 5 4 2
504 South African Cliff Swallow Hirundo spilodera 305 196 92
506 Rock Martin Hirundo fuligula 2 1
508 Sand Martin Riparia riparia 2
510 Banded Martin Riparia cincta 4 2
517 Forktailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis 2
521 Blackheaded Oriole Oriolus larvatus 1 1
527 Southern Black Tit Parus niger 2
542 Bush Blackcap Lioptilus nigricapillus 20 11 9
545 Blackeyed Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus 27 14 3
551 Sombre Bulbul Andropadus importunus 2
552 Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyana 1
553 Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus 17 9 5
569 Buffstreaked Chat Oenanthe bifasciata 1
573 Mocking Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris 1
575 Anteating Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora 1 5
576 Stonechat Saxicola torquata 3 3
578 Chorister Robin Cossypha dichroa 5 11 1
581 Cape Robin Cossypha caffra 55 33 15
589 Starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata 26 5 11
595 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin 1 2
599 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 10 5 6
603 Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus 1
604 Cape Reed Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris 13 18 17
606 African Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus 84 132 140
607 European Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris 3 1
608 European Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus 2 4 4
609 African Sedge Warbler Bradypterus baboecala 24 39 40
610 Barratt’s Warbler Bradypterus barratti 7 4
618 Grassbird Sphenoeacus afer 1 4
622 Barthroated Apalis Apalis thoracica 14 9 7
627 Bleating Warbler Camaroptera brachyura 1
629 Fantailed Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 26 1 7
634 Ayres’ Cisticola Cisticola ayresii 3 1 1
635 Palecrowned Cisticola Cisticola brunnescens 9 2 5
637 Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapilla 1 1
642 Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana 1
646 Levaillant’s Cisticola Cisticola tinniens 13 28 49
648 Lazy Cisticola Cisticola aberrans 3 2
1049 Drakensberg Prinia Prinia hypoxantha 8 3 5
655 Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta 1
665 Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens 2 1
666 Yellow Warbler Chloropeta natalensis 3 5 7
671 Yellowthroated Warbler Phylloscopus ruficapillus 7 2 2
672 Cape Batis Batis capensis 10 9 8
682 Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis 9 7 2
686 Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis 2 6
688 Longtailed Wagtail Motacilla clara 2
692 Grassveld Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus 2 1 1
701 Yellowbreasted Pipit Hemimacronyx chloris 3
703 Orangethroated Longclaw Macronyx capensis 2 2 2
707 Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris 12 5
708 Redbacked Shrike Lanius collurio 1
709 Southern Boubou Laniarius ferrugineus 3 1
712 Puffback Dryoscopus cubla 1
717 Olive Bush Shrike Telophorus olivaceus 1 3 1
722 Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus 2 1
734 Indian Myna Acridotheres tristis 1
735 Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea 1
736 Plumcoloured Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster 3
745 Redwinged Starling Onychognathus morio 1
746 Pied Starling Spreo bicolor 16 6 6
751 Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa 2 8 1
758 Greater Doublecollared Sunbird Nectarinia afra 8 2
760 Lesser Doublecollared Sunbird Nectarinia chalybea 9 6 3
772 Black Sunbird Nectarinia amethystina 4
775 Cape White-eye Zosterops pallidus 68 54 19
787 Southern Greyheaded Sparrow Passer diffusus 1 4 2
788 Yellowthroated Sparrow Petronia superciliaris 1 1
799 Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis 43 48 45
803 Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus 110 149 127
805 Redbilled Quelea Quelea quelea 12 129
808 Red Bishop Euplectes orix 550 422 279
812 Golden Bishop Euplectes afer 19 5 41
813 Redcollared Widow Euplectes ardens 11 6 4
816 Redshouldered Widow Euplectes axillaris 18 49 57
818 Longtailed Widow Euplectes progne 28 46 49
833 Bluebilled Firefinch Lagonosticta rubricata 2 1
838 Orangebreasted Waxbill Sporaeginthus subflavus 6
843 Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild 23 12 6
844 Quail Finch Ortygospiza atricollis 2
846 Pintailed Whydah Vidua macroura 4 3 4
854 Cuckoo Finch Anomalospiza imberbis 1
857 Cape Canary Serinus canicollis 8 6 36
858 Forest Canary Serinus scotops 7 2
859 Yelloweyed Canary Serinus mozambicus 2
874 Goldenbreasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris 3
Total ringed 1795 1523 1269
Retraps 145
Species 96 91 69
Attendees ~60 ~50 23
Dieter
Dieter is a qualified Bird Ringer and trainer, registered bird guide, and Weaver expert. Dieter is able to act as a bird guide for day trips in Cape Town, and is able to customise birds tours in South Africa and beyond.