Notes on migratory kestrel roosts Dec 2005
Ceres 20 Dec 2005: Did not look for the roost in town, but saw 8 Lesser Kestrel feeding to the west of town between GPS points 007 [S33 15'57.2" E 19 31'02.0"] and 009 [S33 15'42.2" E 19 31'31.8"]. I suspect the Ceres roost (wherever it is) is being used.
Calvinia 20 Dec 2005: Asked some farmers in town, none of them knew of Lesser Kestrels or roosts. No migratory kestrels seen nearby. Church GPSed.
Williston 20 Dec 2005: No migratory kestrels seen nearby. Didn't ask about roost. Church GPSed.
Canarvon 20 and 21 Dec 2005 (stayed overnight): No migratory kestrels seen nearby. No-one I asked in town knew about them. Church GPSed.
Britstown 21 Dec 2005: Mr and Ms Potgieter, owners of the Transkaroo Country Lodge [the biggest hotel in the centre of Britstown] who have been there for over 20 years, say that the kestrels have only been roosting in town (at the roost near their hotel, anyway) since 1998 or '99. They were definitely there in 2000, because they remember large numbers of them being silhouetted against the 2000 New Year fireworks. Mr Potgieter thinks that more kestrels usually come around January to join the ones already roosting there, and the roost swells in size. The roost is near 21 Boom St in two large pine trees (photographed). I GPSed the point (ROOST1 [S 30 35'17.9" E 23 30'18.1"]), and observed droppings under the trees. There was a pair of Rock Kestrels feeding newly-fledged young on the roof of the Lodge. I saw an African Hoopoe mobbing one of the Rock Kestrels. Church GPSed.
Vosburg 21 and 22 Dec 2005 (stayed overnight): No migratory kestrels seen nearby. Owners of local shop and man living next to campsite did not know about them. Church GPSed.
Colesburg 22 Dec 2005: Did not stop at town.
Phillipolis 22 Dec 2005: I spoke to the curator of the Transgariep Museum in the main road about the kestrels. She said many years ago - 20? - she could not remember exactly when, there was a big roost in a large gum tree that was between her and her neighbour's house in the part of town that is now 'black'. The smell from their droppings was terrible, and they got permission from Nature Conservation to discharge two shotgun shells into the tree every evening. This killed some birds, but didn't deter the rest from roosting in the tree - they returned 15 mins later every time. They also rigged up a system of bicycle hooters operated by fishing line in the tree, and this was similarly ineffectual. Eventually - she can't remember when, perhaps 6-10 years ago - the tree was struck down by lightning and the roost destroyed. She has no idea if there is still a roost in Phillipolis, but doesn't think so. Note: Walter Neser told me that he saw many kestrels massing near Phillipolis on the evening of 25 Dec 2005, so there may be a roost here or nearby.
Trompsburg 22 Dec 2005: Info from older Mr Mentz of FoodZone/Mentz en Seun Algemene Handelaar is that the kestrels come every year, but are very few and very late this year compared to the last 2 years when there were very many. In fact he thought they had not even come this year, but a customer in the shop said she had seen them massing over the town a few evenings before. The main roost, according to Mr Mentz, is in a large gum tree in front of the Hoerskool Trompsburg. I could find no sign of droppings under or near this tree, but GPSed it anyway (waypoint 106 [S 30 02'12.2" E 25 46'39.0"]). He also said they sometimes roosted in smaller numbers in gum trees at waypoint 107 [S 30 01'59.4" E 25 46'27.5"]. Church GPSed.
Smithfield 23 Dec 2005: Late evening stood on hillside above old abbatoir saw at least 300 kestrels moving in to circle over hill and the hill with the old cannon emplacement and also closer to the large antennae on Smithfield Hill. As it got dark it became clear that they were moving over the back of Smithfield Hill, away from the town. Carmel Rickard (owns a guesthouse in town) said she knew of a gravel road that went in that direction and we drove out of town in the direction of Bloemfontein and took the first turning left on to a small gravel road. After about 1km we saw a group of large gum trees in the middle of a large overgrazed field, perhaps 500m from the road. This turned out to contain several hundred roosting kestrels which were scared up immediately by my torch but settled again as we left. The roost was GPSed as ROOST2 [S 30 11'18.7" E 26 29'53.3" elev 1461m]. I believe it has not been recorded before.
Rouxville 24 Dec 2005: Did not stop in town.
Wepener 24 Dec 2005: Did not ask about kestrels in town. GPSed church.
Ladybrand 24 Dec 2005: Did not stop at town.
Clocolan 24 Dec 2005: Did not stop at town.
Marquard 24 Dec 2005: Asked one restaurant owner about kestrels. She did not know about them.
Senekal, Steynsrus, Kroonstad 24 Dec 2005: Did not ask about kestrels here.
Parys 27 Dec 2005: Did not look for roosts here. The town is too big and has too many potential roost sites to make it worth searching without the birds being around, and I was there too early. However, if one were to hang about in the evening I am sure that locating roost trees would not be difficult.
Vredefort 27 Dec 2005: Asked around at the co-op and in the dairy. No-one recalled ever seeing a kestrel roost in the town, although they know the birds and have sometimes seen them near Parys. I saw no kestrels on the road between Parys and Vredefort. GPSed church.
Viljoenskroon 27 Dec 2005: Arrived in the town more than an hour before sunset (at about 18:30). Despite this, I was easily able to find roost trees as the kestrels were already gathering. I didn't stay for long, but among the 'early arrivals' at the roost were several Amur Falcon - I estimate that up to 25% of the birds in this roost were Amurs. The roost is in 4 very large gum trees diagonally behind the Emperors Sports Bar. 3 of the trees are in what seems to be municipal land directly adjacent to 20 Steyn St, and the fourth in the garden of the house on the other side of the municipal land which is currently being rented by the Muller family. GPSed as ROOST3 [S 27 12'29.8" E 26 56'40.6" elev 1337m]. Unfortunately they only knew their street number (28) but not the street name, as they had only recently moved in (there were no street signs, but the house looks very odd (it has some sort of attempted fake stone plaster) and is easy to find). Ms Muller says that she knows this roost has been used by the kestrels for at least 10 years, as she has been in Viljoenskroon that long and has known about them since she got there.
Bothaville 27 and 28 Dec 2005 (stayed overnight): I arrived in Bothaville just before sunset, and saw many kestrels heading downtown. I located the roost trees easily, but due to failing light was unable to see how many were Amurs and how many were Lessers. The roost trees are in two groups. One group is made of large gums in the backyard of a (closed for the holidays) business called Sealchem (60 President Street, shop 2) [ROOST4 S 27 23'28.3" E 26 36'50.4" elev 1261m]. I spoke to a Mevrou Nell who lives close to Sealchem who said that the birds had been roosting there since she was a little girl, if not before, i.e. at least 45 years or so. The second group of roost trees consists of one very large gum tree and a smaller and much less used pine in the grounds of the Eben Donges Primary School on the corner of Bank and President Sts [ROOST5 S 27 23'25.5" E 26 36'41.9" elev 1259m]. I think there are many more kestrels in this second group of trees that the ones behind Sealchem - at least 500 or so in the very large gum, perhaps (???) 200 behind Sealchem. Hein Pienaar does not list Bothaville as a town with a kestrel roost.
Allanridge 28 Dec 2005: Asked at Michelle's Boarding House and B+B if anyone knew the kestrel roost in town. The co-owner, Philip Clegg, took me to a group of 5 large gum trees at the end of Commando St that he knew had been used since at least 1982, when he had been an apprentice in an adjacent and now abandoned mine hostel [ROOST6 S 27 45'25.4" E 26 38'52.4" elev 1320m]. Judging by the crap on the ground, the roost was currently being used but not very heavily. Philip also took us to a place on the edge of town where he said the kestrels used to gather and feed in the evenings, very close to the start of the gravel road to Wesselsbron.
Wesselsbron 28 Dec 2005: I did not look for kestrel roosts here, but GPSed the main church.
Bultfontein 28 Dec 2005: The local nursery owner told me that birds roosted in an old gum that had been mostly killed by lightning in the garden of a family friend, Mr Jordaan. The tree is in the front garden of 6 Brink St, but I could see no crap underneath through the fence. Mr Jordaan was not home, so I could not be sure the tree was still being used. I marked it as ROOST7 [S28 16'56.1" E 26 08'54.9" elev 1329m]. GPSed church.
Soutpan 28 Dec 2005: GPSed the church.
Dealesville 28 Dec 2005: Asked in the local co-op. A very helpful farmer, Willie Haarhoff, who farms about 7km out of town, showed me two groups of roost trees in town. He said that birds had very occasionally also roosted for short periods of time on his farm. One group of roost trees (approx 4 large gums) was in the plot of the first house built in Dealesville (forgot to write down address) owned by a Mike Jacobs of Bloemfontein and currently being rented by Johan Theron and his friendly wife [GPS point 301 S 28 40'15.7" E 25 45'51.2" elev 1251m]. The second roost was in the backyard of a house currently rented by relatives of Mrs Theron's, Tokkie and Veltie van der Wat in 2 big pines [GPS point 302 S 28 40'19.6' E 25 46'03.4" elev 1247]. I did not speak to the v d Wats, but according to Mrs Theron they don't like the kestrels and want them to move. Mrs Theron, however, likes 'her' kestrels and wants to protect them. Judging by the crap on the ground the roosts were currently being used, but not heavily.
Boshof 28 Dec 2005: Did not go into the town to look for roosts. Walter Neser, who was staying over in the town at the time, asked his hosts about roost trees but they did not know anything.
Kimberley 28 and 29 Dec 2005 (stayed overnight): I was told that the kestrel roost was in Galeshewe township, and that Mark Anderson has more details on it.
Ritchie: See next entry. (I did not go here, as it is a km or so off the main road and is not marked as a roost town).
Jacobsdal 29 Dec 2005: Asked in two shops about roosts. No-one knew of any in the area (although Hein has the town down as a 'roost town' and there are plenty of big gums around), but two employees of the Saamstaan winkel said there was a very big roost in Ritchie. I was told by one that it was in gum trees outside the Handelshuis, and the other that it was at the Country Club in Ritchie. This roost is apparently well known in the area, and someone from Kimberley should follow it up.
Koffiefontein 29 Dec 2005: The manager of the co-op told me that the kestrels roosted behind the police station. Sure enough, I found 3 large gums just behind the police station in the playground of the Hoerskool Koffiefontein that were surrounded with a lot of crap, and were being currently heavily used according to the police on duty [ROOST8 S 29 24'34.3" E 25 00'10.8" elev 1189m].
Luckoff 29 Dec 2005: Asked in the co-op who told me that they had had kestrels in the past. A local resident (forgot to write down name) told me that about 3 years ago there had been so many kestrels roosting in a pine tree outside the post office that their crap had killed the tree. She thought the birds had only arrived in the town that year, but could not be sure. In the interleading years the dead tree had not been used by the birds, and had very recently been chopped down during renovations of the post office. I found the stump and GPSed it [GPS point 341 S 29 45'02.4" E 24 47'16.5" elev 1277m]. It seems there is not currently a roost in the town, but this should be followed up.
Petrusville 29 Dec 2005: This town has few large trees. Asked in the local co-op, and no-one knew of any roosts. One employee said he had seen some kestrels massing in the evenings near the 'bottom end' of the town some years ago.
Philipstown 29 Dec 2005: Asked in the local co-op, and in fact they had a roost right behind them, in large gums in the the 'dogleg' garden of an elderly Mrs Mans [ROOST9 S 30 26'09.4" E 24 28'20.6" elev 1356m]. She said the roost had been used every year for at least 18 years (the length of time she had lived there), but there had been few or no birds there for the last month or so. She ascribed this to the drought. The man at the co-op said that the birds also used large gum trees in the municipal caravan park [GPS point 361 S 30 26'22.3" E 24 28'15.1" elev 1352m], possibly more so than the trees in Mrs Mans' garden. Hein Pienaar does not list Philipstown as a 'roost town'. I saw very little crap at both roost sites, although it was in evidence.
De Aar 29 and 30 Dec 2005 (stayed overnight): GPSed the roost trees (4 pines), 3 of which are in the grounds of the hospital near the ambulance entrance, and one on the pavement area outside the hospital fence. Saw only Lesser Kestrels arriving in the evening (a few hundred). Lots of people in the town know the roost. I GPSed each tree. GPS co-ords of the pavement tree are S 30 39'35.4" E 24 00'23.2" elev 1238m and the innermost tree in the hospital grounds S 30 39'37.4" E 24 00'24.8" elev 1213m (proof that you shouldn't take these GPS elevations seriously.
Britstown 30 Dec 2005: Photographed the roost trees that I had GPSed on my trip up to Jhb. There was a medium amount of crap about and the hotel owners said they had seen the birds in previous evenings.
Victoria West 30 Dec 2005: Asked in the local Toyota dealership about birds, and was shown two roost sites, which I photographed. The first was in 3 pine trees alongside End St next to a house called 'Rusoord' [GPS point 408 [S 31 24'15.9" E 23 07'05.5"]] and a fourth tree right on the corner of End and Kerk/Church Sts [waypoint 409 [S 31 24'14.8" E 23 07'05.1"]. 'Rusoord' is currently being rented by the manageress of the ABSA bank, Heidi Killian, but the house is owned by the Steenkamp family (tel 053 621 0162). The second and much bigger roost (a lot of crap underneath) is in a very old gum on the corner of Fraser and Kerk/Church over the road from Bester's Motors [GPS point 410 [S 31 24'13.8" E 23 06'57.1"] . I spoke to the owner, Mr Christi Bester, who said that the birds shat all over the place and were a pain, and that they had been using that gum for only about 8 years (he had lived in the town since he was a child and had not seen them in that tree before). He said there might also be a roost at the hospital and perhaps also in gums near the town dam which is just on the edge of town (he had seen them massing there in the evenings). I did not have time to check these out.
Loxton 30 Dec 2005: Asked around town. No-one knew of any roost ever having been there, although some knew of the Victoria West roost and had seen them on the Victoria West road. I doubt there is a roost here, as the town is small and people would know. GPSed church.
Fraserburg 30 Dec 2005: Asked two old townfolk. They had never seen a roost here. GPSed church.
Sutherland 30 and 31 Dec 2005: Asked the owner of the guesthouse where we stayed about kestrels and showed him my roadkill Lesser. He was born in Sutherland in 1959 and has never seen flocks of kestrels anywhere near there, although he does know the Rock Kestrel well. I doubt there is a roost here. GPSed church [S 32 23'40.1" E 20 39'39.9"].
The morning of 31 Dec we drove to Cape Town via Matjiesfontein and the N1, and saw no migratory kestrels along the way.