Welcome to Somerset West Bird Club
Upcoming Events
Monthly Meeting October 2026 – Francois vd Merwe: Flamingo behaviour
Our October meeting is on Thursday October 1st. Our speaker is Francois vd Merwe, sharing his experiences on the impact on birdlife, particularly flamingos, on farmland. Francois observed some fascinating behaviour from the adult flamingos in ensuring their chicks survived when a dam dried up.
18:30 for 19:00, Somerset West Library Hall.
Please wear your badge.
Visitors welcome, R10 charge for visitors, which goes toward our PA system.
Refreshments and raffle available for small fee.
Car park attendant on duty.
Bird Watch / Count October 2026 -Paardevlei
Bird Watch / Count
Saturday October 10: Meet at 16:00: Paardevlei
Every month we welcome anyone who would like to join a birding walk at one of our local spots. We also count and record birds, but if you just want to join and enjoy the birds, that’s fine! We alternate between Dick Dent Sanctuary and Paardevlei.
Birdwatching / Counting at Dick Dent Bird Sanctuary and Paardevlei – April till September at 15h00; October till March at 16h00.
Dick Dent – park at the church, c/o Woltemade and Jennings Streets, Strand.
Paardevlei – park at Cheetah Sanctuary [34.091037°S, 18.813905°E]. Meet at the gate to the vlei adjacent to Lorenzo Marx coffee shop.
October 2026 – weekend away in Stanford
The committee is planning a weekend stay at Landmeterskop Farm, Stanford for the evenings of 16 and 17 October 2026. Stanford is an excellent birding destination because of the different habitats found in the area. Click on the heading for more.
Bird of the Year 2026
BirdLife South Africa announced that the Black Harrier is Bird of the Year 2026.
This is great news for us as its core range is in the Western Cape, and it is the most threatened near-endemic raptor in the country. As Bird of the Year we should see a focus on preserving this magnificent bird.
Click on the title to learn more.
Garden Birds Project
The purpose of the Garden Birds Project is to keep track of the birds we’re seeing in our gardens in and around the Helderberg Basin.
Click here for more information and to get involved.
Injured Birds
It’s always distressing when you find an injured bird – fortunately, there are some folks who are able and willing to assist.
Click here for more information.