Page 28 - Landscape SA 96

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE

An irrigation dam surrounded by marginal vegetation on Kyalami golf course
between the 16th and 13th holes.

BIRDS AND WATER ON THE

GOLF COURSE

KYALAMI COUNTRY CLUB, GAUTENG

The golf course manager at Kyalami Country Club, Etienne Coetzee of Golf Data, has taken
a wonderful set of photographs of birds on the golf course. For this article, the writer
chose birds that are related to water in some way, as there were so many interesting ones
from which to select. Thank you, Etienne!

Text by Carol Knoll - Photographs by Etienne Coetzee

any of these photographs were water-loving indigenous plants. The dam heavy beaks are mainly seed eaters,
taken in or near the irrigation is stocked with carp and barbel. cracking open the nutlets of various
Mdam between the 16th and 13th fruit-bearing plants. Once the female has
holes on the Kyalami golf course, where Thick-billed Weavers nest in the reedbeds chosen the nest, the male creates a narrow
certain sections along the edge comprise and sedges during the breeding season, opening near the top and to the side of the
reeds and sedges, and Weeping Willows where the male pulls off fine threads from nest as an entrance.
are favourite roosting areas. The course the Cyperus leaves and weaves them
is following the indigenous route and into an oval-shaped nest attached to two Five kingfisher species are resident
exotic plantings are being replaced by stems. These weavers, with their strong, on the course and the Brown-hooded

26 Landscape SA • Issue 96 2020