New bird hide at Rooisand Nature
Reserve - bordering Arabella Spa near Betty's Bay
27/5/10:
Marje Hemp, Birding Africa's Cape birding specialist, attended the
inauguration of the new bird hide and board walk. She excitedly
reports back about constructing with alien timber, watching Osprey
and visiting the Biodiversity Festival. To book a guided day trip
to Rooisand, please email info@birdingafrica.com
or phone 021 531 9148.
On Friday
28 May 2010, Birding Africa attended the launch of the new
bird hide and a 400m wheelchair-friendly board
walk at Rooisand Nature Reserve. Alien timber cleared
from nearby reserves was used, and people from nearby informal
settlements were trained and employed to construct this birding
site. Funded by the Arabella group, the hide was designed by
architect Vernon Head, Chairman of the Cape Bird Club
and Vice Chairman of Birdlife South Africa. The Arabella Starwood
Hotel is the first five-star hotel in South africa to be granted
birder-friendly status by Birdlife South Africa.
Prize sightings for the afternoon were Greater Flamingo,
African Spoonbill and Great White Pelican
in the Bot River Lagoon, African Fish Eagle,
African Marsh Harrier and an Osprey.
It is not certain if this Osprey is overwintering or possibly
breeding in the area. Over 100 species can
be spotted here. Also seen was part of a herd of 23 wild horses
that roam freely in this area.
Part of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO-registered),
and along the Overberg Birding Route, Rooisand
is easily reached from Cape Town airport (63 km) or Hermanus
(14 km). It's situated on the Bot River estuary
(also known as the “Botriviervlei”), bordering Kleinmond
Estuary and the Arabella Western Cape Hotel
& Spa. Open 7:30-19:30, access is free of charge.
To book a guided day trip that
includes Rooisand, contact Birding Africa. This visit can include
other key birding sites in the Overberg: Rooiels,
Harold Porter Botanical Garden at Betty's Bay
and the African Penguin colony at Stoney Point.
Please email info@birdingafrica.com
or phone 021 531 9148 to book.
Marje also attended the Overberg's Biodiversity Festival 2010
at Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens in Betty's Bay.
Visitors enjoyed free biodiversity lectures, guided hikes, a
bird identification course and educational exhibits, such as
those by SANBI, Cape Nature Conservation, Cape Bird Club, Dyer
Island Trust, Overberg Bird Route and the Whale Coast Marketing.
Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour company
customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed holiday birders.
We combine interests in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany and
other natural history aspects and will guide you to Africa's and Madagascar's
most diverse birding destinations. Our guides'
knowledge of African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength
and together we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations
with the birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent.
We've even written two acclaimed guide
books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best birds.
Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and we are dedicated
to making professional, best value trips filled with endemic species and
unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997, we've run bird watching tours
in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders, small
birding groups and top international tour companies. We've run Conservation
Tours in association with the African Bird Club and work with and
consult for a number of other top international tour companies and the
BBC Natural History Unit.
