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| 1 September
Tuesday Spring Day Outing Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens
Bar-throated Apalis – photo by Warwick Tarboton |
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| We have all probably visited the botanical garden to stroll amongst the magnificent gardens, or to watch the resident Verreaux’s Eagles soaring overhead. The garden offers a diverse range of habitats, from cliff faces and grasslands to water, woodland, and bushveld, attracting a wide variety of birds. This will be an opportunity for members to enjoy a leisurely walk around the gardens and be helped in identifying some of the birds that frequent the gardens. | ||||||||||
| Book: | witsbc234@gmail.com | |||||||||
| Meet: | 08:00 at the entrance | |||||||||
| Cost: | Pensioners free, R100 adults, R50 students/children payable on entrance (card only, no cash) | |||||||||
| Leader: | Andy Featherstone (083 259 0231) | |||||||||
| Saturday 5 September
South African Bird Fair 2026
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| 6 September
Sunday Outing Winters Way Farm, Magaliesberg
Cape Vulture – photo by Warwick Tarboton |
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Looking for a Special for your Life List? Is there a bird that you really want to see for your Life List? Let the club know, and we will try to tailor a trip to find it. |
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| Winter’s Way Farm is situated on the slopes of the Magaliesberg Mountains and features a diverse range of mixed woodland habitats, including productive acacia scrub and grassland areas. Cape Vultures can be seen soaring along the ridges, and Verreaux’s Eagles are frequently spotted. The Yellow-bellied Greenbul has recently arrived in this area (this is still in Gauteng province), and we will also be looking for other woodland species such as the Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, White-throated Robin-Chat, and Arrow-marked Babbler. The grasslands provide a habitat for the Rufous-naped Lark and a variety of familiar bird species. Our hosts, Gavin and Tertia Amos, invite you to bring your picnic lunch along to enjoy at the pool area after the walk. | ||||||||||
| Book: | witsbc234@gmail.com (gate code will only be provided to those who have booked) | |||||||||
| Time: | 06h45 for 07h00 | |||||||||
| Leader: | Lance Robinson (082 927 9785) | |||||||||
| 13 September
Birding with a Purpose Sunday Atlasing Day
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| Atlasing days are held once a month to atlas the pentads falling within the Greater Gauteng area. You don’t have to be an expert to join in; you can travel with an experienced atlaser and learn how to atlas. If you would like to learn more or take part, please contact Werner van Goethem on 082-462-7108. | ||||||||||
| 15 September
East Rand Bird Club’s Tuesday Evening Meeting Senses of Birds with Reggie Venter
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| Reggie became interested in the senses of birds by chance and has developed his talk from a casual introduction to their sight to a full-blown presentation on their other senses as well. He was initially worried that the talk might be too technical and scientific, but he has discovered that audiences respond very well to this fascinating subject. | ||||||||||
| Time: | 18h30 for 19h00
ID/Driver’s license to be scanned at the entrance. |
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| Meet: | Country Life Retirement Village, Brentwood Park | |||||||||
| Cost: | R20 members inclusive of tea, coffee & snacks. R30 non-members. Tea, coffee, and snacks will be served after the presentation | |||||||||
| 17 September
Thursday Evening Meeting Saving A Sentinel: The Rise of a Pan-African Effort to Conserve the Endangered Secretarybird with Melissa Whitecross
Secretarybird – photo by Warwick Tarboton |
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| As wide-ranging predators of open landscapes, Secretarybirds reveal the critical importance of maintaining landscape-scale connectivity and intact habitats. This growing body of work underscores the value of coordinated cross-border collaboration in addressing the conservation challenges facing one of Africa’s most distinctive and threatened raptors. This talk presents an overview of the work being undertaken by the Pan-African efforts spanning southern and East Africa by the Secretarybird Working Group (SWG) over multiple ecological contexts. Melissa will talk about the importance, the challenges, and the successes of the group with which she has been so involved. | ||||||||||
| Book: | witsbc234@gmail.com | |||||||||
| Time: | 18h30 for 19h00 | |||||||||
| Meet: | Linden Bowling Club | |||||||||
| Cost: | Members free. R50 non-members. Tea, coffee, & snacks will be served. There is a cash bar. Please contact Diana Cowen at diana.m.cowen@gmail.com if you are able to contribute a platter of eats. | |||||||||
| 19 September
Saturday Outing Deneysville & Surrounds
Double-banded Coursers – photo by Warwick Tarboton |
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| Deneysville is located on the north-west corner of the Vaal Dam and close to the start of the Vaal Dam birding routes. Selwyn will take us on a tour of the main birding sites, stopping at various locations to search for the special birds of the area, which include Double-banded Courser, Blue Korhaan, Secretarybird, Blue Crane, Karoo Scrub Robin, Orange River White-eye, and Spike-heeled Lark. | ||||||||||
| Book: | witsbc234@gmail.com | |||||||||
| Time: | 06h30 at the Astron Energy filling station Main Street | |||||||||
| Leader: | Selwyn Rautenbach (072 152 5160) | |||||||||
| 27 September
Sunday Outing Wilge River Valley
Spectacled Weaver – photo by Warwick Tarboton |
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| This scenic drive traverses some of the most diverse birding habitats in the region, including prime Highveld grassland, only a stone’s throw away from an impressive gorge cloaked with moist woodland. The road descends into Trichardspoort with its spectacular red cliffs towering above forest-like riverine woodland. The kloof has a distinct subtropical flavour, which is reinforced by the presence of African Goshawk, Spectacled Weaver, and Ashy Flycatcher. This outing will be limited to 5 Vehicles. | ||||||||||
| Book: | witsbc234@gmail.com | |||||||||
| Time: | 07h00 at the Zusterstroom / Amanzintaba turn-off from the R25 | |||||||||
| Leader: | Werner Van Goethem (082 462 7108) | |||||||||
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WhatsApp group for Wits Bird Club members Please follow this link to join the group created to send reminders for meetings, courses, and outings. Joining the group is completely voluntary, but we trust it will help keep members up to date on our offerings and provide last-minute reminders. Only Admins can post in the group, so that it is not used for replies or general chat. Please continue to email the secretary (witsbc234@gmail.com) for other matters. |
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PAYMENTS FOR ALL COURSES & OUTINGS TO BE MADE TO:BANK – NEDBANK HYDE PARK BRANCH CODE: 198-765 ACCOUNT NO: 1913 257 789 NAME OF ACCOUNT: WITS BIRD CLUB |
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| MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
Please note that as of 1 October 2024, all membership invoicing is handled by Wits Bird Club. BirdLife South Africa no longer issues membership invoices, and all payments are to be made to Wits Bird Club. Membership of BirdLife South Africa will be invoiced separately by its membership division. If you have not received your renewal invoice on the due date, please let us know. If you receive an email from our new accounts email address, witsbc47acc@gmail.com, sent by Sandy Francis (Bookkeeper), please be assured that this is a legitimate email address belonging to Wits Bird Club. |
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| President Ridge Bird Sanctuary
Volunteer Duties |
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| Weekend of 5 & 6 September: Bev Macleod
Weekend of 12 & 13 September: Abdul Petersen |
Weekend of 19 & 20 September: Don & Wendy Mattison
Thursday 24 September Public Holiday: Gill Isaac |
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| Weekend of 26 & 27 September: Celia Human | ||||||||||
| Thank you to all our volunteers who perform opening and closing duties at President Ridge Bird Sanctuary. | ||||||||||
| The Protection of Personal Information Act (aka POPIA)
Came into effect on 1 July 2021. The act requires that we obtain your consent to communicate with you in the future. If you are happy to continue receiving emails from us, then there is no need to do anything. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list or change your mind at any time in the future, please contact the club secretary at witsbc234@gmail.com |
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