February 2026 Meeting
At our February meeting, after the business of the AGM, we were treated to an eye-opening talk from long-standing club member Albert van Reenen, who is also an Honorary Ranger at Tankwa Karoo National Park. I’m sure I’m not the only one who knew very little about this park and came away with a lot of knowledge and a keen desire to visit one day.
The park is in the south west corner of South Africa and spans across the Western and Northern Cape provinces. Cederberg is to the West and Roggeveld Escarpment to the east. The habitat includes high elevations, a plateau and large floodplains. Most of the park is between 450m and 650m high.
Water is important in the park. There are two main rivers, the Renoster and the Tanqua, plus some smaller rivers. It can flood very quickly. The Ondebaaskraal dam is 35 cubic mteres when full. There’s also groundwater, including some springs which never run dry (notice a lot of the ‘…fontein’ place names) and waterholes. Elevation and rainfall increase towards the east, and the vegetation reflects that, including spring flower displays.
There have been 218 bird species listed, including three new ones in the last two years: Terek Sandpiper, Sanderling and Grey Plover. 34 vagrants and 60 rare summer residents or visitors have ben recorded. 58 species are near-endemic and many are western arid region endemic.
There will be a longer write-up in the next Batis edition (May 2026) including a list of birds you may be able to see.