Time to take stock of bird life

THE annual July bird count at the Walvis Bay lagoon on July 17 and 18 is again open to all birders and newcomers.

Last year’s winter count totalled 107 200 birds – the most ever counted in July. According to Keith Wearne of the Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia and organiser of the event, Greater Flamingos have been breeding well in Etosha.”We will have a few hundred juvenile Greaters to count,” he said.The Lesser Flamingos have not yet returned to Walvis Bay.Graham McCulloch in Botswana informed Wearne that the Lessers had a problem in March when their nests were flooded.They could only start breeding again at the end of March.”Whether they will make it back to Walvis before the bird count, remains to be seen,” said Wearne.It all depended on the amount of water remaining in the Makgadikgadi Pans at the end of July.The adult Lessers will stay if there was enough water as their preferred food would still be available.Wearne says shorebird quantities were unknown as a lot of their feeding areas in the Lagoon had silted up.A Gull-billed Tern was seen at the beginning of June, while two male Red-necked Phalarope in full breeding colours were spotted recently.The Walvis Bay lagoon is one of four Ramsar sites in Namibia .The name Ramsar refers to a town in Iran where the first convention on wetlands was held in 1971.Namibia has been a contracting party since December 1995.The other sites are at Sandwich Harbour, Etosha Pan and the Orange River mouth.These are all wetlands considered to be of international importance.The Walvis Bay Lagoon has become a major tourist attraction because of its bird life.However, according to Wearne, many people – including tour guides – still do not know what a Ramsar site is.Tour guides therefore often do not tell their clients what is expected of them at such a site.Ramsar’s mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international co-operation as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.”All visitors to such a site are requested not to disturb the animal life in any way, such as flying low, walking onto the mud flats surrounding the lagoons and river mouths or driving or sailing into flocks of birds.Please keep your dogs under control, preferably on a leash,” said Wearne.Continual disturbance will chase birds away from the site.”We would like to see the diversity of animal life remain in Walvis Bay to be enjoyed by both residents and visitors alike, for generations to come,” he said.The specific criteria used to identify a wetland of international importance are:1. It must support a minimum of 20 000 waterfowl at all times – Walvis Bay regularly supports a minimum of 70 000 waterfowl rising to over 240 000 between September and April.)2. It must always support substantial numbers of individuals from particular groups of waterfowl – Walvis Bay Ramsar Site supports between 50 to 60 different species of waterfowl including up to 75 000 Flamingos; 5 000 Black-necked Grebe; 2 000 Avocets; 1 000 Teal; 200 000 Terns; 35 000 Curlew Sandpiper and 8 000 Chestnut-banded Plovers.)3. It must regularly support one per cent of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterfowl – Walvis Bay supports more than one per cent of the world population of 18 species.These include the Chestnut-banded Plover, of which it holds between 65 to 70 per cent of the world population, and the African subspecies of Black-necked Grebe, of which it holds 40 per cent of the world population.) Waterfowl is a term used to cover all shore birds, such as Plovers and Sandpipers; all waders, such as Flamingos and Herons; all swimming birds, such as Ducks and Geese and all sea birds, such as Gulls and Terns.Please inform Wearne if you plan to join the count.His contact numbers are:tel. 064-205057, cell 081 269 3280, Fax 064-200728 or e-mail:cetn@iafrica.com.naAccording to Keith Wearne of the Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia and organiser of the event, Greater Flamingos have been breeding well in Etosha.”We will have a few hundred juvenile Greaters to count,” he said.The Lesser Flamingos have not yet returned to Walvis Bay.Graham McCulloch in Botswana informed Wearne that the Lessers had a problem in March when their nests were flooded.They could only start breeding again at the end of March.”Whether they will make it back to Walvis before the bird count, remains to be seen,” said Wearne.It all depended on the amount of water remaining in the Makgadikgadi Pans at the end of July.The adult Lessers will stay if there was enough water as their preferred food would still be available.Wearne says shorebird quantities were unknown as a lot of their feeding areas in the Lagoon had silted up.A Gull-billed Tern was seen at the beginning of June, while two male Red-necked Phalarope in full breeding colours were spotted recently.The Walvis Bay lagoon is one of four Ramsar sites in Namibia .The name Ramsar refers to a town in Iran where the first convention on wetlands was held in 1971.Namibia has been a contracting party since December 1995.The other sites are at Sandwich Harbour, Etosha Pan and the Orange River mouth.These are all wetlands considered to be of international importance.The Walvis Bay Lagoon has become a major tourist attraction because of its bird life.However, according to Wearne, many people – including tour guides – still do not know what a Ramsar site is.Tour guides therefore often do not tell their clients what is expected of them at such a site.Ramsar’s mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international co-operation as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.”All visitors to such a site are requested not to disturb the animal life in any way, such as flying low, walking onto the mud flats surrounding the lagoons and river mouths or driving or sailing into flocks of birds.Please keep your dogs under control, preferably on a leash,” said Wearne.Continual disturbance will chase birds away from the site.”We would like to see the diversity of animal life remain in Walvis Bay to be enjoyed by both residents and visitors alike, for generations to come,” he said.The specific criteria used to identify a wetland of international importance are:1. It must support a minimum of 20 000 waterfowl at all times – Walvis Bay regularly supports a minimum of 70 000 waterfowl rising to over 240 000 between September and April.)2. It must always support substantial numbers of individuals from particular groups of waterfowl – Walvis Bay Ramsar Site supports between 50 to 60 different species of waterfowl including up to 75 000 Flamingos; 5 000 Black-necked Grebe; 2 000 Avocets; 1 000 Teal; 200 000 Terns; 35 000 Curlew Sandpiper and 8 000 Chestnut-banded Plovers.)3. It must regularly support one per cent of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterfowl – Walvis Bay supports more than one per cent of the world population of 18 species.These include the Chestnut-banded Plover, of which it holds between 65 to 70 per cent of the world population, and the African subspecies of Black-necked Grebe, of which it holds 40 per cent of the world population.) Waterfowl is a term used to cover all shore birds, such as Plovers and Sandpipers; all waders, such as Flamingos and Herons; all swimming birds, such as Ducks and Geese and all sea birds, such as Gulls and Terns.Please inform Wearne if you plan to join the count.His contact numbers are:tel. 064-205057, cell 081 269 3280, Fax 064-200728 or e-mail:cetn@iafrica.com.na