Ornithology
Wikipedia defines Ornithology or Birdwatching thus "Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds.
Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are more easily detected and identified by ear than by eye. Most birdwatchers pursue this activity mainly for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists, who engage in the study of birds using more formal scientific methods."
The Keyser River Green Belt
A great place for an after work or even a lunchtime stroll / run / cycle ! So close to the nearby freeway and yet still relatively tranquil. Apart from the noise of the traffic from the aforementioned road you can hear the call of frogs and birds as well - some great photographic opportunities exist here.
The green belt is also home to the Western Leopard Toad, with it's cute markings and annual excursions, gets its fair share of publicity around breeding time between late July and mid September. At this time, large scale efforts by volunteer groups, conservationists and scientists alike are employed to protect these migrants, as they cross roads moving from urban gardens to local ponds and rivers where they breed.
Following their amorous endeavors, individuals return to the same gardens they originally left to continue on with their lives of foraging and fulfill their role as part of the urban ecosystem.
Over the next two and a half months the newly hatched tadpoles gradually develop and transform into toadlets. This time span may vary, according to the availability of sunlight, water temperature changes, algae, water chemistry and other site-specific factors.
From mid November through December and January, the toadlets emerge from the breeding grounds in search of foraging ground and habitat where they will spend many years growing before reaching breeding age.
A toadlets ultimate goal is to find shelter, moisture and food, thus gardens which provide good plant cover and a non-toxic environment (i.e. no pesticides or herbicides) should attract urban wildlife and hopefully toadlets! The majority of these toadlets will remain in gardens immediate to the breeding sites and over the following few months, will dissipate into gardens further afield.
Typically, toadlets will move soon after rain, during daylight hours in warm weather. This will give individuals a moist surface to move across and surrounding vegetation will hopefully provide cover to shade them from direct sunlight, which has the potential to desiccate and kill a toadlet in 10 minutes.
The City of Cape Town's Biodiversity Management Branch has collaborated with other departments in the City to stop dredging and weed removal at toad breeding sites between late July and mid January and an agreement is being signed with City Parks to halt mowing around breeding sites when the toadlets emerge.
About the cache
- Park at the given parking coordinates.
- Take a stroll to the listed coordinates (same as Waypoint 1)
- Listen for the chirping of the Frogs and Birds - within a 15m radius of this point you may hear a call of a different type ....
- Follow the instructions as you go ......
Some Notes
- You may want to take some old footwear with you - the type that you don't mind getting wet .....
- Read this cache page carefully !!
- Please hide the cache as you found it !
- Please do not give any hints or clues in your logs nor post spoiler images.
FTF Prize - Unactivated FTF Geocoin
2TF Prize - Unactivated Travel Bug Dog Tag