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Greetings from South Africa
Here in the Port Elizabeth area we have
also seen a drastic reduction in waterfowl numbers despite excellent rains and
full dams, etc. All Greater & Lesser Flamingos have disappeared from
the local salt works evaporation pans - juveniles included. So too have
the Black-necked Grebes - all 1000+.
On fresh waters ponds about 40 kilometers
away we were counting up to 250 Red-billed Teals during our monthly
censuses. Since the heavy rains further north these have dwindles to
7!
I have had reports of 500 000 pairs of
flamingos breeding on the Etosha Pan in Namibia and about 200 000 on a pan in
Botswana - both sites being over 1 000 kilometers to the north of
us.
Certainly wish I knew how they knew that
conditions so far away were right for breeding? 'Tis all a mystery - Will
it ever be solved?
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