The BDI arranged an Open Day for bird ringing in partnership with the Grotto Bay Private Nature Reserve on 12 September 2026. If you missed this one you have a second opportunity on Saturday 3 October.
The Rock Kestrel above is looking at you with its BDI!
Given that 47 of the 63 birds we handled were Cape Weavers, it is not inappropriate that the species features in first bird photos on this blog. This is a male in breeding plumage. In this photo, the BDI is the colour of a marie biscuit.
… and this Cape Weaver’s BDI is dark chocolate brown, almost black. It is probably a female.
One of the Cape Weavers (CV78923) had been ringed during our visit on 27 May 2023, and was retrapped on 29 November 2025, and again on this visit. Another (CA41878) was ringed during on 31 August 2024 and retrapped on this visit.
This is a Cape Bulbul. The BDI is set near the back of the eye-ring, which is elliptical. Last year in November, we caught a hybrid between Cape Bulbul and African Red-eyed Bulbul here at Grotto Bay. There are photos of the hybrid near the bottom of the blog from that visit. African Red-eyed Bulbuls have a circular eye ring with the eye in the centre.
In contrast to the white eye-ring of the Cape Bulbul made of skin, the white eye-ring of the Cape White-eye is made of feathers.
Cape Robin-chat
| Species | Number |
| Bar-throated Apalis | 1 |
| Cape Bulbul | 1 |
| Cape Robin-chat | 1 |
| Cape Sparrow | 2 |
| Cape Weaver | 47 |
| Cape White-eye | 1 |
| Chestnut-vented Warbler | 1 |
| Southern Double-collared Sunbird | 1 |
| Southern Masked Weaver | 4 |
| White-backed Mousebird | 1 |
| Yellow Bishop | 3 |
| Totals: Species 11 | Birds 63 |
The White-backed Mousebird (4B02908) was a retrap. Ringed on 27 May 2023, retrapped on 31 August 2024 and then again on this trip.
The weather …
The weather was not particularly kind. Far less wind than the forecast predicted, but it did drizzle a bit on and off. Like this Rock Kestrel, we were grateful to have shelter to creep into. For us it was the Grotto Bay Conservation Centre. For the kestrel it was this nest box …
Both BDIs peeping out!
… and the sky was as grey as these photos suggest …
Fortunately, actual rain held off, and the little bit of drizzle did not interfere much with ringing activities. We had even planned a fall back programme of fairly impromptu talks in the Conservation Centre; we were happy we did not have to activate Plan B.
Next time …
The next Open Day for bird ringing is planned for Saturday, 3 October 2026. Do join us: ringers, trainees, Grotto Bay residents, and birders in general are all welcome. For all upcoming events, see here.
Previous visits
Three of the BDI’s previous visits here have blogs like this one: May 2023 (41 birds of 15 species), August 2024 (62 birds of 19 species) and November 2025 (76 birds of 27 species). For blogs about past events, see here. The retraps highlighted above were all ringed on these visits.
Thank you
Thank you to the Grotto Bay Private Nature Reserve for sharing this beautiful place with us, and especially to Roy Lawrence and Michelle van Acker for their in person support.
