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WhatsApp group for Wits Bird Club members
Please follow this link to join the group that we have created to send reminders for meetings, courses and outings. Joining the group is completely voluntary, but we trust it will help to keep members up to date with our offerings and with last minute reminders. Only Admins can post on the group, and it is not to be used for replies or general chat. Please continue to write to Lauraine at the office for other matters. |
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| HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2025! | ||||||||||||||||
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16 January
Thursday Evening Meeting African Skimmer – photo by Lance Robinson |
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| The Sekoma Island Experience, Zambia. Lance will take us on a photographic journey along the mighty Zambezi River and tell us about birding on a “Robinson Crusoe” island, surrounded by abundant flora and fauna. This report back on the November 2024 excursion will tempt you to sign up for the next Sekoma Island Experience trip! | ||||||||||||||||
| Book: | witsbc234@gmail.com | |||||||||||||||
| Time: | 18h45 for 19h00 | |||||||||||||||
| Meet: | Linden Bowling Club, | |||||||||||||||
| Cost: | R30 members inclusive of tea, coffee & snacks. R40 non-members. Drinks are available from the Bar. | |||||||||||||||
| 21 January
East Rand Bird Club’s Tuesday Evening Meeting Hooded Pitta – photo Wikimedia Commons |
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2025 CALENDAR Calendars are now on sale at R155 delivered. Please order from Lauraine for delivery in the Gauteng area. |
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| Birds of Malaysia. John Gilchrist will present a DVD on the birds of Malaysia. | ||||||||||||||||
| Time: | 18h45 for 19h00 | |||||||||||||||
| 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. | |||||||||||||||
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22 January
Wednesday Outing Northcliff Ridge Eco Park European Bee-eater – photo by Andy Featherstone |
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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 Andy know and we will try and tailor a trip to find it. |
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| Northcliff Ridge, formerly known as Aasvoëlkop, with its landmark water tower built in 1939, is a prominent feature in the Johannesburg landscape. This small park (11 hectares), enclosed with palisade fencing, is 1807m above sea level, making it the second highest point in Johannesburg from which you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Johannesburg and beyond. Various swifts, swallows and martins grace the air with their presence and one can also normally enjoy good views of the migrant European Bee-eaters that may be plentiful at times. Be on the lookout for the occasional Cape Rock Thrush; Striped Pipit and even Peregrine Falcon. | ||||||||||||||||
| Book: | witsbc234@gmail.com | |||||||||||||||
| Meet: | 07h00 at the entrance gate | |||||||||||||||
| Leader: | Andy Featherstone (083 259 0231) | |||||||||||||||
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15 January | Rolfes Pan & Park Haven Pans | ||||||||||||||
| 18 January | Korsman, Sand & Bullfrog Pans | |||||||||||||||
| 19 January | Elandsvlei & Varkfontein Pans | |||||||||||||||
| 2 February | Marievale | |||||||||||||||
| 25 January | Rayton |  |
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| 14 – 16 February
Birding By Habitat – Wagondrift Lodge, Moloto – Course & Weekend Away Southern Pied Babbler – photo Warwick Tarboton |
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| Birds are incredibly mobile organisms – and this mobility gives birds access to a wide variety of environments. Birds are found throughout Southern Africa – from the driest parts of the Namib Desert to the wettest forests and mountains of northern Limpopo. But no single species is found everywhere on the subcontinent – each species typically occurs within a relatively limited range – often within a specific habitat, and/or at a specific time of the year. Why? This course focuses on developing your knowledge and understanding of bird habitats – the specific areas where birds can find their key foods, water, mates, and shelter in which to breed and roost. You will be going beyond the distribution maps in your field guide to understand what factors determine the specific habitats that are optimal for certain species. The course will comprise a 1-hour (online on 13th Feb at 19h00) talk which will introduce what determines habitat – the climate, landforms/landscapes, soils, and vegetation – and interpret some of the information in your field guide. The weekend outing (Friday to Sunday) will be based at Wagondrift Lodge, near Moloto, North of Pretoria. This nature reserve has a diversity of habitats, ranging from broad-leafed woodlands to tall Acacia thornveld, grasslands, and a variety of wetlands. We will also visit Mkhombo dam which will give us access to a different suite of habitats – short grass floodplains, mudflats, extensive open water areas and reedbeds, as well as the fringing Acacia scrub and secondary vegetation in old farmlands. |
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| Book: | Bookings are essential – and it is FIRST PAID, FIRST IN!
We are trialling a new digital booking system – sign up here using the following link – https://forms.gle/LFRnqm4SoaYUZ99n9 |
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| Cost: | We will be staying at the old Trading Store, which has ten beds in five bedrooms, all en suite. We can put up tents or caravans at the same site. There is a large outside braai area and a large, well-appointed kitchen. Additional accommodation is available at the main lodge area about 800m away (slightly more expensive). Cost: R 500 plus accommodation Accommodation: R750 per person for the weekend – sharing in the en suite rooms. Single occupancy is R 1500 per room for the weekend. Camping is R400 per tent for the weekend. There is a shared bathroom for campers. If you plan to bring a caravan, please let us know early as we need to get a rate from the lodge. |
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| Leader: | Chris Hines (073 332 7578) | |||||||||||||||
PAYMENTS FOR ALL COURSES & OUTINGS TO BE MADE TO:BANK – NEDBANK CRESTA BRANCH CODE: 191-305ACCOUNT NO: 1913 257 789 NAME OF ACCOUNT: WITS BIRD CLUB |
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| MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
Please note that as of 1 October, all membership invoicing will be handled by Wits Bird Club. Invoices will no longer be issued by BirdLife South Africa, and all payments will in future be made to Wits Bird Club. Membership of BirdLife South Africa will be invoiced separately by their membership division |
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| President Ridge Bird Sanctuary
Volunteer Duties |
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| Weekend of 4 and 5 January: Wendy Pote
Weekend of 11 and 12 January: Jenny Ward |
Weekend of 18 and 19 January: Sansha van der Merwe
Weekend of 25 and 26 January: Cilla Wildgoose |
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| Thank you to all our volunteers who perform opening and closing duties at President Ridge Bird Sanctuary. | ||||||||||||||||
| Future Events | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 February – Wednesday Outing
President Ridge Bird Sanctuary 8 February – Saturday Outing Bishop Bird Park, Centurion 18 February – East Rand Tuesday Evening Meeting Country Life Retirement Village |
20 February – Thursday Evening Meeting
Linden Bowling Club 23 February – Atlasing Day Various Pentads TBC 1 March – Saturday CWAC Count Vaalkop Dam |
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| 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 keep receiving emails from us there’s 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 just notify either Lauraine via SMS or email |
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