Seabird watching. The Kom. |
Kommetjie. |
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This page adapted from: Les Underhill, Avian Demography Unit. Seabird Sites of South Africa. The Kom, Kommetjie, Cape Peninsula. | 
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| With kind permission : (c) Less Underhill. Avain Demography Unit. http://www.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/seabirds.htm | ||||||||
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The Kom - "... it is one of the best sites on land from which to see seabirds." |
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"A
good spot from which to do seawatching is the nearby Slangkop
lighthouse." Seawatching is most productive when a northwest wind is blowing. The northwest wind blows frequently in winter. This wind has on onshore component. Cape Gannets, White chinned Petrel and Sooty Shearwater are the most frequently seen species; giant petrels, albatrosses and skews also occur more regularly when the wind picks up to near gale force. A good spot from which to do seabird watching is the nearby lighthouse. |
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| The
Kom, at Kommetjie on the western coastline of the Cape Peninsula, consists
of a sheltered bay almost entirely enclosed by a ridge of boulders. These
were once part of a Stone Age fish trap. The Kom is an important roost for
terns. When conditions are good, it is one of the best sites on land from
which to see seabirds. In summer, the Kom is utilized by palearctic migrant terns, mainly Common Terns and Sandwich Terns. In winter, it is one of the few places on the mainland where Antarctic Terns can fairly reliably be seen. Swift Terns join the roost here throughout the year. |
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| Before
the village of Kommetjie became a dormitory suburb for Cape Town and was
extensively built up, there were reliable nocturnal roosts of Sanderlings
and Curlew Sandpipers on the nearby beaches. Under suitable conditions of
the moon and tide, members of the Western Cape Wader Study Group mist netted
these species here and ringed the birds they trapped. A Sanderling ringed at Kommetjie on 11 March 1988 was recovered at its nest on the Taimyr Peninsula in the Siberian tundra on 2 July 1990. The shortest distance over the surface of the earth between ringing and recovery sites is 13 000 km; the bird would have flown a longer distance. This bird is now a specimen in the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University in Russia. This is only one of two records of South African-ringed Sanderlings on their breeding grounds (the other record is also from the Taimyr Peninsula). |
Photo
(c) Les Underhill Aerial view of the village of Kommetjie, looking south. The Kom is the patch of rocks on this side of the lighthouse |
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(c) Les Underhill Aerial view of the Kom at Kommetjie. |
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| The Kom - the small "bowl" from which Kommetjie got its name. This natural "basin" forms the perfect harbor for small boats. The Kom is situated in close proximity to the lighthouse and the delightful walk to the lighthouse starts here. This picture taken on a misty morning. | |||||||||
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| The Kom - seabird watching paradise! |
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| Seabird Tour. | |||||||||
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Where to go? |
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Larry's
Rump
Steak |
Kommetjie
Bay |
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Contact:
info@sunsetbeach.co.za |
Janthina |
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Siffie for Beach Hotel Rates | |||||||
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