The Garden Birds Project

The purpose of the Garden Bird Project is to keep track of the birds we’re seeing in our gardens in and around the Helderberg Basin. This helps to determine whether we are losing or gaining species. The project in our area is co-ordinated by Sally Perry.

Here’s Sally’s report on the 2025 recording.

This year [2025], seven garden bird lists were submitted, by Pierre Hofmeyr, Richard Koker, Alan and Bernice Green, Jenny Walker, Charles Britz, Sakkie Krynauw and Sally Perry.  I have had requests from two new people to join in with the bird listers and I sent them templates.  I hope they stay with it and send in their lists at the end of the year.

The top three spotters in terms of birds reported were, Pierre Hofmeyr with 55, Alan and Bernice Green with 53 and Richard Koker with 51.  Total number of bird species recorded was 105.

Pierre was the only person to record a Southern Red Bishop, Cape Bunting, Common Buzzard, Brimstone Canary, Familiar Chat, Cape Cormorant, Little Egret, Rock Martin, Spotted Prinia, Black Saw-wing, Streaky-headed Seedeater, Little Sparrowhawk, Lesser Honeyguide, and Greater Striped Swallow. and… drum roll please… a Common Tern.  This is the first Tern we’ve ever had on our garden bird list.

Richard was the only person to spot a Bokmakierie, a Steppe Buzzard, and…  another drum roll… A Zitting Cisticola.  This is also a first record on our list.  He also recorded a White-breasted Cormorant, a Glossy Ibis – that’s pretty rare on our lists, a Black swift, a Common Waxbill (we used to have a lot of those – maybe we’re not putting out seed feeders as much as we did) and a Cardinal Woodpecker.

 Sally recorded Red-knobbed Coot, Red-Chested Cuckoo (heard only) and African Darter.

 Jenny recorded a Black Crow, a Giant Kingfisher and a Rock Thrush.

 Sakkie saw a House Crow, which doesn’t appear on the lists very often, and a White Pelican.

 (Reading through this, I think possibly the Black Crow and House Crow are the same bird).

 Alan and Bernice Green listed a Klass’s Cuckoo, an African Black Duck, a Spurwing Goose, and a Paradise Flycatcher.  They were very pleased to be able to report a Fiery-necked Nightjar, saying ‘first visit’ on their sheet.  They also had a ‘first visit’ from a Cape Sugarbird, although other people recorded that too.

 Charles recorded a House Martin.

 So, each spotter had at least one bird that no-one else had seen.

 The following birds were seen by almost everyone: Cape Bulbul, Pied Crow, Laughing Dove (everyone) Red-eyed Dove, Fiscal Flycatcher, our beloved friend, the Egyptian Goose. Actually. I think they are very handsome birds and good parents.  Everyone saw the Gymnogne/Harrier Hawk and the Hadeda. Interestingly, six people saw Kelp Gulls.  We get them here on the fairway after rain when they arrive en masse to eat all the worms that have been flooded out.  Have we had a wetter-than-usual year?

 The Sacred Ibis and Yellow-billed Kite, Red-faced Mousebird, Spotted Eagle Owl, and House Sparrow also appeared on six lists. Everyone saw Cape Sparrow and Cape Robin-Chat.  People have said to me that Red-winged Starlings seem to be all over the place.  Everyone recorded them. Southern Double-collared Sunbirds and Cape White-Eyes were also on all the lists.

 Common Starling, Thick-knee and Southern Masked Weavers all made five appearances.

Cape Canary, Cape Turtle Dove and Acacia Pied Barbet, Cattle Egret, Common Fiscal, White-backed Mousebird, Spurfowl, Swee Waxbill, Pin-Tailed Whydah, made it to four lists. Jackal Buzzard and Blue Crane were seen by three people.  I’m pleased that Blue Cranes are making the lists every year.  We see them a lot here and my friends are always excited to report when they put in an appearance.

 I had the following from Pierre, which I think will interest you.

 “I’ve left my list with the old names but will have to apply the new names from 2026 e.g. White-breasted Cormorant now Great Cormorant, Yellow-billed Kite now Black Kite, African Hoopoe now Common Hoopoe etc. I’ve lost eight species from my life-list with many species now being lumped! An obvious change in local bird distributions is the decline in summer aerial feeders. In Gordon’s Bay, at least in summer, Barn and Greater Striped Swallows and raptors, for example, have had a massive decline. Would be interesting to know whether this just applies to Gordon’s Bay or whether it’s more widespread and indicative of a general decline in migrant bird numbers. Of interest is that I have a Cape Rock Thrush that returns every summer to use the same nest on my house”.

 Now, who is going to get the Virtual Trophy this year?  I’m torn between Pierre and his impressive knowledge and huge list and his returning Cape Rock Thrush, or the Greens with two new birds in their garden.  I think it must go to Alan and Bernice.  They were so pleased to be able to add them to their list.

 If you would like more information or to get involved, you can contact Sally on WhatsApp 073 280 0990 or email jperry@mweb.co.za

 Editor’s note: Richard Koker is the son of the late and much missed Ines Cooke. It’s great to see that he is continuing his mother’s habit of recording the birds in his garden