Bird ringing at Botuin, Vanrhynsdorp : 29 March to 4 April 2025
We had neglected our Vanrhynsdorp ringing sites since November last year, so this visit was overdue! You can read the report on that trip here. This blog summar...
Author: Les Underhill
Prof Les Underhill was Director of the Animal Demography Unit (ADU) at the University of Cape Town from its start in 1991 until he retired. Although citizen science in biology is Les’s passion, his academic background is in mathematical statistics. He was awarded his PhD in abstract multivariate analyses in 1973 at UCT and what he likes to say about his PhD is that he solved a problem that no one has ever had. He soon grasped that this was not the field to which he wanted to devote his life, so he retrained himself as an applied statistician, solving real-world problems.
Researcher heaven : publications on biodiversity on Robben Island
Imagine. You are a new postgraduate student on Robben Island. You know you have lots of predecessors, and that you need to read up on all the research has alrea...
Bird ringing course at New Holme : 9 to 15 September 2024
The BDI’s ninth bird ringing course, and the fourth at New Holme, was held at the New Holme Nature Lodge, in the heart of the Karoo, between Hanover and C...
Bird ringing course at Botuin, Vanrhynsdorp : 15 to 20 November 2024
The BDI’s 10th bird ringing course was held at Botuin, Vanrhynsdorp, from 15 to 20 November 2024. We have a selection of ringing sites in the district, wh...
Bird ringing at Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA : 7 to 11 April 2025
Expedition number five to the Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA. Our accommodation was in the delightful units at Hazevlakte. We arrived Monday 7 April, put up nets in the...
Bird ringing at Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA : 30 May to 4 June 2025
We had another exploratory ringing expedition to the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area (SMA) from Friday 30 May to Wednesday 4 June. This is the BDI...
Bird ringing at Vondeling : 17 to 19 September 2024
The BDI did a bird ringing demonstration at Vondeling Wine Farm. We were invited to show how bird ringing works to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Class of 1984. T...
Tankwa Karoo National Park with the SANParks Honorary Rangers
It was both an opportunity and a privilege when the Boland Region of the SANParks Honorary Rangers invited me to join them at their annual event at the Tankwa K...
Industrial biodiversity 3 : an hour spent replacing tyres in Maitland
Birds succeed in making a living in pretty hard circumstances. This includes the jungles of tar, concrete, wires with assorted purposes strung between poles, wi...
Flowers and feathers: Vanrhynsdorp : 4 to 7 August 2024
We visited Botuin Cottages between 4 and 7 August to enjoy the spring flowers and do some birding and ringing. Flowers and feathers. It was also a test run to e...