Common Fiscal - female (L) with white eyestripe male (R) no eyestripe
Ten days were spent at Fynbos Estate to ring birds, as a BDI expedition. The ringers were Dieter Oschadleus and Manuel Puertas (Spain), assisted by trainees Samantha McCarren (Germany), Emmanuel Adekola (Nigeria), and Joel Radue. Les Underhill and Pete Laver helped with logistics and promotion (helped remotely by Megan Loftie-Eaton). On two mornings the Tygerberg ringers (Margaret McCall and Lee Silks with their tranees) kindly let us join their ringing at two farms, Goedeontmoeting and Rocklands.
A total of 375 birds of 27 species were caught at Fynbos Estate, including 31 recaptures of birds caught on earlier days, oe in May 2018. The most ringed species was the Cape Weaver, and the most recaptures were of the Cape Robin-chat. Migrants caught included Barn Swallow and African Paradise Flycatcher. Other exciting captures included Lesser Honeyguide, and its host - Acacia Pied Barbet.
Cape Weaver moulting
At the two farms, and additional ten species were caught by our group. At Goedeontmoeting a female Southern Masked Weaver (ring BH60921) was recaptured 8.6 years after it was ringed.
Moult analysis. We ringed many Cape Weavers at Fynbos Estate. Moult score was calculated (some birds were not scored due to high catch rate), with an average score of 48.1 (n=49). This was compared to Cape Weavers caught in Cape Town wetlands in February over years 2015-2018, giving an average moult score of 41.9 (n=16).
Thus rural weavers (at Fynbos) seem to have advanced moult scores due to starting moult earlier, and also completing breeding earlier, than urban weavers in Cape Town. Although small sample sizes, this illustrates the potential for ringing studies. A variety of projects are planned for on-going expeditions to Fynbos Estate.
See more photos and text about the ringing location and birds from this amazing expedition.
Table. Species ringed and recaptured during the 10 day expedition
No.
Species
Fynbos ringed
Fynbos retrapped
Goedeontmoeting ringed
Goedeontmoeting retrapped
Rocklands ringed
Rocklands retrapped
385
Little Swift
3
392
Red-faced Mousebird
2
397
Malachite Kingfisher
4
432
Pied Barbet
2
442
Lesser Honeyguide
1
463
Large-billed Lark
1
488
Red-capped Lark
2
493
Barn Swallow
3
9
543
Cape Bulbul
9
1
581
Cape Robin-chat
14
11
583
Karoo Robin
1
1
606
African Reed Warbler
5
1
609
Little Rush Warbler
1
622
Bar-throated Apalis
4
3
646
Levaillant's Cisticola
2
1
1
665
Fiscal Flycatcher
6
1
672
Cape Batis
1
682
African Paradise Flycatcher
2
686
Cape Wagtail
1
1
707
Fiscal Shrike
5
1
709
Southern Boubou
3
733
Common Starling
1
760
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
5
1
784
House Sparrow
3
786
Cape Sparrow
11
2
799
Cape Weaver
167
3
10
2
803
Southern Masked Weaver
32
3
49
3
808
Southern Red Bishop
13
11
7
810
Yellow Bishop
17
4
1
1
1
843
Common Waxbill
11
857
Cape Canary
1
863
Bully Canary
3
866
Yellow Canary
1
867
Streaky-headed Canary
5
1
1105
Olive Thrush
6
1172
Cape White-eye
14
1
4139
Karoo Prinia
8
3
1
TOTALS
344
31
106
6
17
1
Acacia Pied Barbet and Lesser Honeyguide
Manuel with his first bird in Africa a Fiscal Flycatcher