Frozen feathers and fiery spirits: Birders tackle -4.5°C at Marievale
They started at sunrise in sub-zero temps. Find out why these birders do it twice a year, no matter the weather.
Despite freezing temperatures, enthusiastic birders flocked to the Marievale Nature Reserve on July 27.
They were there for the national Winter CWAC (Co-ordinated Waterbird Count), a vital conservation effort that tracks the movement and populations of waterbirds across SA.
With the thermometer dipping to a frosty -4.5°C, it was not the coldest CWAC count recorded at Marievale, but the icy start proved challenging.
Many birds sought shelter in the dense reed beds, heads tucked under wings, as the sun rose slowly over the reserve.
The CWAC project is a bi-annual national initiative where teams of birders survey wetlands in allocated zones.
The data collected is submitted to the Avian Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town, contributing to national and global understanding of bird distribution and environmental changes.
This year, Marievale welcomed the return of its iconic flamingoes, adding vibrant splashes of pink to the winter landscape and delighting birders with their graceful presence.
The count officially kicked off at 07:30 and concluded around 11:00, when members of the Cuckoo Bird Club and East Rand Bird Club gathered at the reserve’s picnic site.
To warm frozen fingers and noses, the Springs/Nigel WESSA branch provided steaming mugs of hot soup and a roaring fire, the perfect end to a successful and chilly morning of birding.
