Login
Visitors Counter
 | Today | 221 |
 | Yesterday | 864 |
 | This week | 4182 |
 | This Month | 37845 |
 | Last Month | 34431 |
 | Since 1 May 2010 | 120797 |
| 11/09 - November 09 (Programme) |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Jacques van Zyl |
| Sunday, 01 November 2009 00:00 |
Day Outings / Daguitstappies Evening Meetings / Aandbyeenkomste Special Events / Spesiale Geleenthede Weekend Camp / Naweekkamp Bird ringing / Voëlberinging From our organiser Dear Members
I find summer birding so much more pleasant: it’s easier to get up in the wee hours of the morning when the birds are already chirping their encouragement; the beautiful sunrises that await you and the fresh smell of dew. One doesn’t have to carry the extra weight of jackets, scarves and woollen hats, just your binoculars and a water bottle, light as a feather. Now if that’s not encouragement enough for you then perhaps the programme we have lined up for the next couple of months will encourage you to join fellow members in experiencing our wonderful summer birdlife in some fantastic birding spots. Anne Shaw who has been serving on our programme sub-committee has left us for a more tropical climate, the last I heard she was heading off with her husband Ray to Mauritius. Thanks Anne for all your time and commitment to the committee. We have two new recruits on the sub-committee, Susan Velthuysen and Wanda Lourens and they have already been hard at work helping me with this programme, Pauline and I look forward to working with them in the future. As I type this, I eagerly await the arrival of my first child, so needless to say I will certainly be up in the wee hours of the morning for the next couple of months, but thankfully it’s summer and perhaps my new baby and I can enjoy early morning bird outings together. How exciting, another list to start. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a blessed festive season. For those going on holiday, travel safely and I hope Father Christmas brings you a lifer or two! Regards Amanda Haggett-Haagner BLNG Programme Coordinator November 2009Sun 1 : Marievale Bird Sanctuary
Meet / Ontmoet: 07:00 Leader / Leier: Philip Calinikos SABAP2 Pentad(s): 2615_2830; 2620_2830 This sanctuary falls within the Blesbokspruit wetland and is a special venue for waterbirds. It regularly produces rarities such as Spotted Crake and Slaty Egret. Other specials include African Crake, African Rail, Great Crested Grebe, Greater Painted Snipe, Red-crested Flufftail and a number of others. Directions: Take the R50 to Delmas/Bapsfontein. Continue until the Bapsfontein four-way stop street. Turn right and follow the R51 to Springs. Continue to follow the R51 to Nigel. After passing Nuffield on your left, you pass an intersection with Rhokana street. Follow the R51 for another ±2 km, turn left and start following the Marievale signs. Meet at the picnic site. (± 1-1½ hours to get there). Dié reservaat is besonder spesiaal in terme van watervoëldiversiteit en word omring deur die Blesbokspruit vlei-kompleks.Ongewone en spesiale voëlspesies word gereeld hier waargeneem en sluit in Gevlekte Riethaan en Rooikeelreier, Afrikaanse Riethaan, Grootriethaan, Kuifkopdobbertjie, Goud¬snip, Rooiborsvleikuiken, asook vele ander. Aanwysings: Neem die R50 na Delmas/Baps-fontein, gaan tot by die Bapsfontein 4-rigtingstop. Draai regs en volg die R51 na Springs. Gaan voort en volg die R51 na Nigel. Net na Nuffield aan die linkerkant, gaan jy by die interseksie met Rhokanastraat verby. Volg die R51 vir nog ±2 km, draai links en volg die aanwysings na Marievale. Ontmoet by die piekniekplek. (± 1 -1½ uur se ry). Back to top Sat 7 : Year End Function
Meet / Ontmoet: 16:00 Venue: University of Pretoria Proefplaas Come and enjoy a social evening with fellow birders where we have a chance to swap birding stories, get to know fellow birders, buy some Christmas presents from ‘a book or two’ and stand in line to win our raffle. Please book with the club secretary. Fires will be provided. Please bring your own meat, salad, chairs, crockery, cutlery and glasses. Directions: Directions to the University of Pretoria Proefplaas: From Duncan Street, turn into South Street and drive past the Sports Centre. After the second boom, keep left at a fork in the road and turn right at the picnic site. Kom geniet ‘n sosiale aand saam met mede-voëlkykers waar jy die kans kry om stories te deel, mense te ontmoet, ‘n kersgeskenkie of twee te koop, en deel te neem aan ons “raffle”. Bespreek asseblief by die klubsekretaresse. Vure sal voorsien word. Bring asseblief jou eie vleis, slaaie, stoele, eetgerei en glase. Aanwysings: Aanwysings na die Universiteit van Pretoria Proefplaas: Vanaf Duncanstraat, draai in Suidstraat en ry verby die sportsentrum en die tweede hek. Hou links by 'n vurk in die pad. Die piekniekplek is regs. Back to top Sat 7 - Sun 8 : LBJ Identification Course
Meet / Ontmoet: 09:00 Venue: University of Pretoria Proefplaas Who better to teach you all about those pesky LBJ's than Faansie Peacock? Join us for a weekend course on identifying LBJ's for only R250 pp. Please book with the club secretary. Wie beter as Faansie Peacock om jou alles oor LBJ's te leer? Kom ervaar die roepe en kenmerke van ons LBJ's vir net R250 pp. Bespreek asb. deur die klubsekretaresse. Back to top Tue 10 : ACSA'S Bird Strike Avoidance Project
Meet / Ontmoet: 19:00 Melissa Hoffman and a retired Border Collie will show us how ACSA airports mitigate the risk of bird strikes with aircraft. Directions: Directions at the end of this programme. Melissa Hoffman en haar afgetrede skaaphond wys ons hoe ACSA die risiko van botsings tussen voëls en vliegtuie verminder. Aanwysings: Aanwysings aan die einde van program. Back to top Fri 13 – Sun 15 : Camp at Ezemvelo
SABAP2 Pentad(s): 2540_2855; 2540_2900 Ezemvelo NR, near Bronkhorstspruit, consists of an interesting transitional zone between highveld and bushveld and offers good grassland birding. Some of the birds to be seen are Eastern Long-billed Lark, Denham's Bustard, White-bellied Korhaan, African Finfoot and Half-collared Kingfisher. Accommodation is in self- catering cottages (R390 pp, includes reserve and vehicle fees) or camping (R160 pp, includes camping, reserve and vehicle fees). Please book with the club secretary. Ezemvelo NR, naby aan Bronkhorstspruit, bestaan uit 'n interessante oorgangsone tussen hoëveld en bosveld (sogenaamde ‘Bankenveld’) met ‘n wye verskeidenheid grasveld¬spesies. Sommige van die meer interessante voëlspesies is Grasveldlangbeklewerik, Veldpou, Witpenskorhaan, Watertrapper en Blouvisvanger. Verblyf is beskikbaar in selfsorgeenhede (R390 pp, insluitend reservaat- en voertuigfooie) of kampering (R160 pp, sluit in staanplek, reservaat- en voertuigfooie). Bespreek asseblief by die klub-sekretaresse. Back to top Sat 21 : Tswaing
Meet / Ontmoet: 07:00 Leader / Leier: Stephan Terblanche The Tswaing or Soutpan Crater and Museum are fascinating geographical and ecological sites to visit. The 220 000 year old meteorite crater is the main attraction, but the variety of habitats are home to an amazing diversity of bird species, and this has resulted in Tswaing becoming one of the most popular birding venues near Pretoria. Because the reserve is visited often, a checklist of over 320 species of birds has been compiled. Directions: To facilitate the entry permits, you must please book with the club secretary for this outing. She will need your car registration details and number of passengers. Entrance fees only payable on arrival. Directions will be supplied once you have booked. Tswaing of Soutpan-krater en museum is 'n interessante geografiese en ekologiese gebied om te besoek. Die 220 000 jaar oue meteoriet-krater is die hoof aantrekking. Die verskeidenheid habitatte huisves 'n besondere uiteenlopende aantal voëlspesies, dus is Tswaing een van die gewildste voëlkykplekke naby Pretoria. Die reservaat word dikwels besoek en daar is reeds 'n voëllys van oor die 320 spesies saamgestel. Aanwysings: Om toegangspermitte te reël, moet jy asseblief by the klubsekretaresse vir hierdie uitstappie bespreek. Ons het jou kar se registrasie besonderhede nodig sowel as die aantal passasiers. Ingangsfooie sal daar betaalbaar wees. Aanwysings sal na bespreking gestuur word. Back to top Sat 28 : Birding Big Day
Enquiries / Navrae: Peter Wilgenbus Enquiries / Navrae: Sadie Halbhuber This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.birdlife.org.za This is an important date on BLSA’s fundraising calendar. For those that feel a bit daunted by the crazy birders that compete for 24 hrs, racing around their 50 km radius to see as many birds as possible, why not take part in the more relaxed ‘Garden Category’. One should record all the bird species seen or heard in your garden during the 24-hour period, birds recorded flying overhead cannot be included and one must spend a minimum of one uninterrupted hour of observation in your garden. Complete the team and sponsor¬ship form and submit it together with your bird list to BLSA. BLSA are offering lucky draw prizes to all participants. BLNG is offering additional prizes to our top three participants in the ‘Garden Category’, so submit your lists to Peter Wilgenbus and the winners will be announced at our evening meeting in December. Hierdie is een van die belangrikste datums op BLSA se voëlkyk-kalender. Vir die wat nie kans sien vir die volle 24-uur kompetisie om so veel moontlik spesies binne ‘n 50 km radius te sien nie, bied ons die geleentheid om in die meer ontspannende ‘Tuinvoël’ kategorie deel te neem Vir die Tuinvoël kategorie moet deelnemers allle spesies aanteken wat binne die grense van die tuin gesien of gehoor word. Die minimum tydperk is een ononderbroke uur en slegs voëls wat in die tuin aangeteken word is geldig, dus nie die wat net oorvlieg nie. Deelnemers moet die span- en borgvorms invul en aan BLSA stuur. BLSA bied ‘gelukkige trekking’ pryse aan alle deelnemers. BLNG bied ook addisionele pryse aan die drie beste deelnemers in die Tuinvoëls kategorie wat by ons aandbyeenkoms in Desember toegeken gaan word. Stuur asb. u lyste aan Peter Wilgenbus. Back to top |