Monthly Round-up
We share useful information at our monthly meeting before we listen to our speaker.
On this page you can read a round-up of that information. We hope you find this useful if you missed a meeting.
NOVEMBER 2025
- Dick Dent bird watch / count 8 November: Meet at AGS Church at 16:00.
- This month’s Outing is on 15 November to Fernkloof, Hermanus. Meet at 6am at Vergelegen Plein. It is about 1.5 hours drive. Outing should be finished by 11.30am.
- Year End Function: All members are invited to the Year End Function at Kilberry Terrace, Helderberg Village on Friday, 28th of November at 17h00.
The venue has easy access, a covered braai area with chairs, braai place, firewood and ablution facilities.
Please bring your own “something” to braai, drink, plates, cutlery and glasses.
Access to HVillage has to be arrange beforehand by sending your name and cellphone number to Maresa Volsteedt 0836806502 before Wednesday, 26 November so that a code/pin can be send to your phone. Arriving at the gate you just give the security the code/pin and proceed to Kilberry Terrace.
Note: If you are driving with someone, only the driver needs a code. - Next meeting is our Photography Evening (Dec 4). Deadline for photos is Nov 20, the photos must be about birds please (!!) Send to baskothuis@gmail.com
- Redbilled Oxpecker Pins now available at R70 from Anna-Marie at the door.
- Batis Hard Copies available, if you did not collect they will be at the Hospice Shop by Saturday 8th.
OCTOBER 2025
- Welcome to our visitors, including some from the UK.
- Weekend away 17/18 October: Wilene will bring snoek for a braai on Friday evening, please bring your own salads, breads etc.
- New committee member: Marnè Volschenk is now our Secretary, welcome and thank you for stepping up.
- Botha’s Larks pins: Riël attended a conference and obtained 5 pins, R100 each if you would like one.
- Red-billed Oxpeckers pins: Will be available at next meeting.
- Marine Protected Area Count: 25 October, meet at 6am at the blue pillar on Strand beach. Wear removable shoes for crossing water.
- Bird of the Year 2026 has been announced as the Black Harrier, great news for our area.
- Bernice Green has had a back operation and will be unable to organise teas for a while, please send her your best. Thank you Judy Campbell for covering.
- End of Year function: November 29: Venue will be Kilberry Terrace at Helderberg Village. Details to follow, save the date.
- Kleinmond has a Festival running from 3 – 11 October. There is an expo in the library featuring a Tristan albatross and a King Penguin. Only during the week. Lots of other events, check the website https://kleinmondtourism.co.za/kleinmond-fynbos-festival/
- From Charles Britz: Update/change to the Paardevlei outing for 11th October. Start time change from 15h00 to 07h30. Meet at the small gate closest to the Cheetah Sanctuary. The 11th is eBird international Big Birding Day. We will combine the Paardevlei count with the eBird challenge Day. Inviting all eBird’ers to join and participate, but all Bird Club Members please join. I reckon it’ll be a 3 hour activity, so join for as long as you can. Paardevlei is looking good at the moment.
SEPTEMBER 2025
Monthly outing: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens 20 September to meet at Habitat Centre, Somerset Mall and departing at 07h00.
Dick Dent: 13 September meeting at AGS Church parking area near Dick Dent departing at 15h00.
AUGUST 2025
Sightings: African Black Ducks in Stellenbosch / Helderberg Nature Reserve, Blue Cranes seen in Stellenbosch
Donations: The committee has decided to make donations to:
- Secretary Bird tracking project (none are currently being tracked in the Western Cape)
- Eco schools to take a school group to Helderberg Nature Reserve by bus
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology to support the CAR count and BirdLasser
Weekend away to Kuifkopvisvanger, 17 – 18 October: We understand that accommodation is now fully booked, but there are cottages with multiple rooms / beds so if you are still interested please do call the venue directly and mention that you are part of the SWBC group. Contact details:
https://www.kuifkopvisvanger.co.za/
Email: kuifkop@kuifkop.com
083 759 7075
Speak to Delani
Boat trip: If you would like to join the river boat trip on Saturday 18 October, please let Maresa know. The cost is R275 – please bring cash, pay on the day on the boat.
We are thinking of braaing together on the Friday evening, Wilene offered to bring snoek. Nearer the time we will arrange for contributions – bread, salad etc.
Outing Saturday 16 August: Hartenberg, a new birding destination. It is a walk of about 2 – 3 km, flat and not strenuous, but may be wet. Meet at Habitat Centre at 7am for car sharing, expect to arrive at Hartenberg at about 8am. They request to log sightings on iNaturalist if you can. There is a coffee shop.
Bird watch/ Count 9 August: at Paardevlei, meet 3pm at gate to vlei.
JULY 2025
– 12 July Bird watch / count at Dick Dent, 15:00, meet at AGS church
– 19 July outing to Lourensford. Meet at 7.30 at Lourensford, park near wine cellar. Likely to be a tractor trip and numbers may be limited, more info to follow.
– Nature Reserve is hosting winter talks on some Saturdays at 14:30. 12 July, 19 July, 16 Aug, 20 Sept. Theme oceans and mountains. Free, no booking required, refreshments available. Donations welcome. Refer to HNR website for more details.
JUNE 2025
1. Sat 7 June book launch at Harold Porter botanical garden book shop. Book is ‘Top birding hotspots in Southern Africa’. See poster above. RSVP today (Friday 6 June) to get free entry into the garden. Email hpbookrsvp@gmail.com to RSVP.
2. Sat 14 June bird watch / count at Paardevlei, meet 3pm at gate to vlei.
3. Sat 21 June outing to Van der Stel Pass near Botrivier. Meet 7am at Vergelegen Plein mall. Bring snacks and drink.
4. Article in next edition of Bolander about Paardevlei.
5. Sitings: Olive Woodpecker, Hamerkop (near Radloff Park and in HNR) and Pelicans in flight.
MAY 2025
Outing 17 May: Meet at Vergelegen Estate at 07:30. Use Delivery Gate to the right after crossing the bridge, sign in and drive to restaurant parking lot. Park furthest away from restaurant so as not to inconvenience patrons. We will carpool from there and leave at about 8:00. The drive should take 4 hours. Bring snacks and drink.
CAR Count: Will take place on weekend 26/27 July.
Request from a PhD student Rynhardt Le Roux for bird ringers to support field work. Eastern Cape in May, Western Cape in June. Looking for people with experience in ringing, handling, working in the field in remote conditions. Unpaid position. If interested or for more info contact Rynhardt direct: lerouxr@cardiff.ac.uk or rynhardt07@gmail.com
APRIL 2025
MPA bird count – 29 March 2025 – Thank you to everyone who came to assist. It was our biggest group ever for that count.
Monthly bird count – 12 April at Paardevlei. Note winter meeting time of 15h00. Gather at gate near Cheetahs.
Monthly outing
•Change in schedule as Vergelegen cannot accommodate us on the 19th.
•Outing will be to the cannons at Sir Lowry’s Pass.
•Gather at Vergelegen Plein at 07h00.
•Will be a hike – 4 to 5 km from the vehicles to the cannons and back. Wear comfortable shoes.
•Possibility to see Rockjumpers.
•Pack lunch and water / drinks.
Change in Year End Function date
•New date is the last Saturday in November.
•Please make a note of this.
•Reason for change:
*1st weekend in Dec is Birding Big Day with a lot of club members participating in this global event.
*2nd weekend is the monthly bird count at either DD of PV.
*3rd weekend is usually very close to Christmas.
Club outing of December – since the YEF will move away from the club outing date, Riël will arrange an outing. People with holiday visitors are encouraged to tag them along to the outing.
Annual weekend away
•Weekend of 17 to 19 October 2025.
•Looking at visiting Nuwejaarsrivier.
•Looking at accommodation again at The Dunes.
•More info to follow.
MARCH 2025
1. 2025-03-08 – Dick Dent at 16h00. Park at AGS church. The idea is also to walk across Broadway and explore in the newly excavated area next to Victoria Park. It is very sandy with all the excavation work at DD, so please wear shoes fit for the terrain.
2. 2025-03-15 – Monthly outing to Strandfontein sewage works. Assemble at Habitat Centre from 06h45 for departure by 07h00. Pack a picnic basket and drinks.
3. 2025-03-29 – Summer bird count at MPA. Anyone welcome to come and assist. Meet at 06h30 at the big blue structure on the beach near the Lourens River mouth. This count takes place twice a year [summer and winter] and stats are sent thru to the FitzPatrick Institute. The previous count could not take place as just one person was there. For a citizen science count to be valid a minimum of three people is required. The club wants to establish a fixed MPA counting team. Please contact any of the committee members if you are willing to assist.
4. CAR counts – Donella Young gave a very interesting overview of the bi-annual CAR counts in the Overberg. People who are willing to become part of this great initiative can contact anyone of the committee members. Counts usually takes place the last Saturday in January and July.
Read more about Donella’s talk in the Events section of the website.
FEBRUARY 2025
Thank you to Marinda and all concerned for the Quiz night in January.
MPA Bird Count: On 22 February there is a bird count at the Strand MPA starting at 6am. Meet at the blue pipes. We please need at least 3 people. LATER MOVED TO 29 MARCH DUE TO NOT ENOUGH ATTENDEES
Outing: Our outing this month is to Delheim Estate on 15 February. Meet at Habitat Centre at 7am. Restaurant will be open after the walk but it will be on your own account this time. It may be busy so suggest make a booking.
Paardevlei: The City has cut the amount of biodiversity area in its plans. There is more high density building planned now.
Dick Dent: There has been a fire. Contractors are busy working there in connection with the Lourens river work. They will be stockpiling earth in the reserve.
Birdlasser: Charles Britz spoke to us about the Birdlasser app.
It is a South African product for bird atlasing. The info recorded feeds into the FitzPatrick institute at UCT.
There are many other apps but they are more international e.g. eBird, Merlin, Birda. eBird is generally used by international visitors. iNaturalist is also an option and includes other animals and plants as well as birds.
It is beneficial to use Birdlasser because of the info feeding into UCT. The app can be downloading from Play Store / App Store. You can create a Trip Card and record sightings from an outing or an Annual Card for an area such as your garden or somewhere you regularly visit. There are various views for your sightings such as a map view. The sightings build up into a lifelist for different regions or overall. You can search by bird or place sighted.
Birdlasser is used to record Birding Big Day sightings and for SABAP2 (SA Bird Atlasing project).
The AGM then took place. See About Us section for the full report.
JANUARY 2025
Marinda led the popular annual Quiz Night. Full report in the Batis 109.
DECEMBER 2024
December Outing: Saturday 7th December Year End Function at Jessie Walton’s house at Keurbos, Grabouw.
January 2025 meeting: First meeting of 2025 will be on Thursday 9 January in the library hall and will be our Quiz evening.
Subs: Subs are due by 1st January – details in November round-up below.
Everyone must have a great festive season and those travelling, please travel safely.
NOVEMBER 2024
November Outing: Saturday 16th November at Lourensford Estate. Details to be circulated once the outing is confirmed. Please refer to the WhatsApp Notices group & emails
Bird counts: Dick Dent this Saturday, usual arrangements apply
Paardevlei: Reserve status proposed, this is partly thanks to the bird counts Sakkie and team have carried out.
Flock to Marion: If anyone is going on the trip please connect with each other
Batis 108 was sent out this week, printed copies are available tonight for those that have them. BirdLife magazines are also available.
Year End Function – Saturday Dec 7th at Jessie Walton’s farm from about 11am.
Where: Keurbos Nursery, Restanwold Farm, 65 Highlands Road, Elgin
It’s a Bring & Braai event so please bring:
- Food and drink
- Crockery, cutlery and glasses
- Braai tongs, tools etc – braai grid if you have one
- Wood also appreciated
Subs are due on January 1st 2025.
The annual club fees for 2025 have not increased.
R160 per person or family per year for the Batis via e-mail.
- R220 per person or family per year for a hard copy of the Batis
- R1 945 per person or family for life membership with Batis via e-mail
Use your name as reference when paying by EFT. Sorry – no cash payments
Bank details:
Somerset West Bird Club
Absa – Account no 9016949256
Branch code 632005
Please email Sakkie your proof of payment at sakkie@krynauw.net
Life members and Honouree members do not need to renew.