Trees are a natural solution for over populated areas.

The best of both worlds.
Trees offer life for some animals and birds out of the reach of predators.

The Lord’s Prayer for animals forced into extinction by the efforts of man.

God forgive us for our narrow-mindedness and blindness due to the fact that we cannot see the bigger picture.
If our conservation efforts are your will, please bless our actions.
If not, forgive us for we do not always know what we are doing.
If the animals and birds suffer because we temporarily destroyed their chance of survival in order to give future animals a better place to live in, please provide a special habitat for them, with lots of food and trees where they can live undisturbed in animal heaven.

Amen



The latest tree felling at Table Mountain and at Rietvlei, Cape, prompted this prayer

Killing rainforests for chocolate

The daisies are early

The field behind the house is full of daisies.
I remember, in previous years, how I was amazed that the daisies knew when it was September 1, when they opened up for the season.
At this rate they will have finished their flowering by September this year.

Flooded former Rietvlei, Cape woodland.

2oo9-07-16


The birds in our garden have been breeding since before the shortest day in the year, 26 June 2009.
It is freezing cold and there is snow on the mountains.
This is the first time that I see birds breeding in mid winter.

Is this mid winter breeding a reaction to all the alien trees being removed from our area in such a way that we are having seasons without any high vegetation on our floodplains?

Do the birds have to spread their breeding throughout the year so that each one gets a chance to nest?

Perhaps the birds know about a looming natural disaster that we are not aware of?

Whatever the case, while we are destroying the lung (woods) of Cape Town in an attempt to save, what we perceive as being the natural vegetation ( At some stage of the global history), in such a way that no consideration is given to birds and animals who settled in the woodlands of the area, life is struggling to go on.

Together with the plant species that we are trying to save, many birds are also becoming endangered and leaving their normal habitats.

For some reason we seem to be concentrating on removing the alien trees at the expense of all other mammals and wildlife who habitats our wetlands.

We seem to be introducing sand-veld (fynbos) vegetation into an area that lies below the flood-plain.
When the water rises, there are nowhere for animals and birds to go. There is nothing for them to climb onto.

Snakes are driven into domestic dwellings.
Larger animals that are stopped by fences just drown.

The motives behind the conservation efforts are good throw.
What is being done is done to save our plant species.
I just question the wisdom behind how it is being done.

I understand the removal of alien trees, but I do not understand why indigenous trees are not being replaced.

We have been removing alien trees since 2002. Today in 2009, while the rest of the world is planting trees, we are still removing trees without replacing them.
Is it one big conservation folly?





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Poor little tortoises.
This Table Mountain view is beautiful if we forget that it once hid behind a woodland.

It is early spring in Cape Town

19-08-2008

The daisies are blooming on the field behind our house. There seem to be quite a lot of them. I want to go and check on Rietvlei to see if their removal of all the trees resulted in the expected fynbos paradise.

So it is official. The fynbos regards Aug. 19 as the first day of spring this year.

My mask weaver, in our front garden, has three females in nests. This morning I heard the sound of baby birds coming from one of them.

Yes Spring starts on Aug. 19 in Cape Town from now on.

20-08-2008

My garden

One of the Weaver chicks emerged from the nest this afternoon. I saw its mother feeding it while it sat on the edge of the feeder flapping its wings. It is a nice big fat chick; we must have put enough food out. I must admit the sounds coming from the nests when it is full of chicks always spurs me on to put a bit of extra whole wheat bread out a bit more frequently. I must do this quietly; because my husband say it is not fair to spoil the birds. I just can’t help feeling motherly towards them.

Even the female looks well fed, not as thin as one would expect a bird that spent the last few weeks sitting in the nest.

It is a lovely sunny (spring-August) day here in Cape Town.

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19-08-2008

The daisies are blooming on the field behind our house. There seem to be quite a lot of them. I want to go and check on Rietvlei to see if their removal of all the trees resulted in the expected fynbos paradise.

So it is official. The fynbos regards Aug. 19 as the first day of spring this year.

My mask weaver, in our front garden, has three females in nests. This morning I heard the sound of baby birds coming from one of them.

Yes Spring starts on Aug. 19 in Cape Town from now on.

Confusion about the Rietvlei Nature Reserves in Africa

The Cape Rietvlei (wetlands) Reserve has a brother in Gauteng.

This can confuse visitors.

Lets clear up the confusion.

Here are the links – Check them out.

Gauteng:

Birding in Rietvlei

Rietvlei

Birding

Venues

Table view, Cape Town:

http://www.maclub.co.za/

Rietvlei

Visit Cape Town

Friends of Rietvlei

CSIR

Bird Watching

There are no large animals at the Rietvlei Wetlands Nature Reserve in Cape Town.

Tourists can become confused if they rely on a web-search for information.

The Above links to the two areas have been separated

The Rietvlei Wetlands Reserve is in a process of transformation, as the trees are at present being removed to create an indigenous fynbos vegetation area.

The bird species that have been visiting the vlei may change as the habitat changes. At present, the place is a mess but will still be of interest for recreation and birding. See Milnerton Aquatic Club

The best view of Table Mountain is still to be viewed from here.

Tourists can obtain a seasonal membership at MAC Club and enjoy a drink while viewing the sunset over Table Mountain from the windows of the club’s comfortable pub.

Or just go for a safe stroll in nature. The area is completely fenced and is very safe.

Remember to take a hat or sun umbrella in the summer as there will be no shade to protect you from the sun.

Day visitors to the nature area are welcome for fishing, bird watching, boating, or a picnic with the family.

The area is well worth visiting and a small area of indigenous fynbos garden, which has been planted by the municipality a few years ago, is an example of how the vlei may look in the future.

Even with the surrounding houses in clear view, the area is still very peaceful.

Artificial watering of the dusty flood plain during the dry summer .months may be a distraction.

You may wish to check with MAC Club if the pumps are running to avoid the noise pollution.

The mountain view over the water is magnificent. Sometimes the water is like a mirror giving a double image to Table Mountain and the clouds above. Beautiful!

Ps. Remember Africa has two southern points also.

Cape point is the most Southern POINT of Africa but Cape L’Agulhas is the actual most Southern geographic Area of Africa. Both have their own unique beauty.

Tourists can visit both.