Wildevoelvlei and more African Black Oystercatchers. |
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African
Black Oystercatcher showing distractive behavior during the summer
breeding season. The oystercatchers are very alert birds and quick to respond when approached especially during the breeding season. The flat dune that surrounds the Kakapo wreck behind Noordhoek Beach is a popular breeding ground and in summer pairs of birds can be observed running around with a only a few meters between their territories. The birds like the one above run away from their nests when danger approaches to distract intruders. |
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Wildevoelvlie.
Literally translated
from the Afrikaans means "wild bird lagoon". The picture left
shows a pair of oystercatchers with a variety of wetland dwelling birds in
the background. The area from Noordhoek Beach to the Beach House is well
known for its excellent bird watching opportunities. The photographs of the oystercatchers on the preceding page and the one left were all taken in March 2001. During a single walk to the Kakapoa shipwreck from the Beach House I saw 3 oystercatcher families each with two adults and one juvenile. The oystercatchers are fascinating to watch as they feed on the inter-tidal zone. |
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is easier to get closer to the birds after the breading season. When visiting the Kakapo wreck in summer we observed a young man walking across the vast sand expense between Wildevoelvlie and the beach. As he approached each pair's territory the birds became increasingly agitated and eventually two birds persistently "dive bombed" him. They would fly high up into the air and dive straight down towards the intruders face turning sharply away just before impact. The intruder however seemed oblivious to their efforts, seemingly in his own world! |
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| Photograph (c) John van Zijl. All other pictures on this page Andre Botha. | ||||||
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Where to go? |
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| Janthina for pictorial sitemap |
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Contact:
info@sunsetbeach.co.za |
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Siffie for Beach Hotel Rates | ||||||||
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