Bird ringing report - Paardeberg 28 March 2018

Cape Robin-chat *Cossypha caffra*. Photo credit: Dieter Oschadleus (2018)

Report by Dieter Oschadleus on our first BDI bird ringing in the Paardeberg.

The Paardeberg stands out as a mountainous island in an agricultural landscape between Paarl/Wellington and Malmesbury in the Swartland region of the Western Cape. Very little bird ringing has taken place here, so Les Underhill and I had a bird ringing session in the Paardeberg, on Bowwood Farm, on Wednesday, 28 March 2018.

The top species was Cape White-eye (n=22), followed by Southern Masked Weavers (n=8), of which two were males in partial breeding plumage. The ring of one bird has been recovered in the Paardeberg area, a Cape Weaver ringed with ring 231054 in Tygerberg.

Thanks to Julian and Bridget Johnsen for hosting us! We hope to do a lot more bird ringing in the Paardeberg.