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Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Rocherpan Nature Reserve is a nature reserve on the West Coast of Western Cape, South Africa. It borders the sea, about north of Velddrif on the road between Velddrif and Laaiplek to Elands Bay, and is north of Dwarskersbos. The reserve occupies an area of . In 1839, Pierre Rocher dredged the mouth of the Papkuils River and used water drawn from the Auroraberg Mountains to make better pasture for his cattle behind the dunes. In the process, he unwittingly established ideal bird habitat. During the Cape rainy season, the lagoon fills an area of and is around long and up to deep. From March to June, however, the lake is dry. 183 species of birds (including 70 of waterfowl) can be found here, including, among others, the great white pelican The great white pelican (''Pelecanus onocrotalus'') also known as the eastern white pelican, rosy pelican or white pelican is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and sha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Coast, Western Cape
The West Coast is a region of the Western Cape province in South Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the Swartland region on the east. The region stretches for over 400 km from north to south and is well known for its scenic beauty and fertile fishing grounds. The main towns in this region are Saldanha, Paternoster, Vredenburg, Velddrif, St. Helena Bay, Langebaan, Hopefield, Darling and Yzerfontein. The region's main nature reserve is the West Coast National Park The West Coast National Park lies north of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The park is found inside of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. It is bordered by the At .... {{Western Cape Province Landforms of the Western Cape Coasts of South Africa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province. The two largest cities are Cape Town and George. Geography The Western Cape Province is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, in the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about northwards along the Atlantic coast and about eastwards along the South African south coast (Southern Indian Ocean). It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape. The total land area of the province is , about 10.6% of the country's total. It is roughly the size of England or the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini. It also completely enclaves the country Lesotho. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World, and the second-most populous country located entirely south of the equator, after Tanzania. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with unique biomes, plant and animal life. With over 60 million people, the country is the world's 24th-most populous nation and covers an area of . South Africa has three capital cities, with the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government based in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town respectively. The largest city is Johannesburg. About 80% of the population are Black South Afri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Velddrif
Velddrif (the name of the town) or Velddrift (the name of the farm on which the town was established), is a coastal fishing town in the Bergrivier Local Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa. The town had a population 7800 in 2007 and is located on the estuary at which the Berg River flows into St. Helena Bay. Geography and environment Velddrif is located approximately north of Cape Town to which it is connected by the R27 road (South Africa), R27 road. The R27 joins the R399 at Velddrif, which is near the point at which that the meandering Berg River flows into the sea at St. Helena Bay. The estuary is an importanbirdhabitat and is home to around 30,000 birds, including up to 80 species which are endemic to the Cape coast. Well over 350 different species of birds can be seen here, as it is a habitat for sea, river and land birds. Flowers grow in this area, including the ''Euclea racemosa'' (Kersbos), ''Babiana ringens'' (Rotstert), ''Willdenowia incurvata'' (Sonkwas Riet), '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elands Bay
Elands Bay is a town in South Africa, situated in the Western Cape Province, on the Atlantic Ocean, at . The town is located about 220 kilometres (two and a half hours drive) north from Cape Town. It is a world class surfing location and is also noted for its caves, which have a number of rock paintings. In 2009, Heritage Western Cape declared the Elands Bay Cave and most of Baboon Point (Cape Deseada), on which it is located, as a provincial heritage site.Provincial Notice 4619,Province of the Western Cape Provincial Gazette, No. 6621, Cape Town: 9 April 2009, p.549 Eland's Bay along with much of this coastline is an "important" bird habitat. The local wetland, Verlorenvlei, is a Ramsar wetland. File:ElandsBay1979.jpg, Cave at Eland's Bay See also * Mussel Point, a large "prehistoric" shell midden near Elands Bay * Verlorevlei River Verlorevlei River is a river in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Lying on the Sandveld of the West Coast, the river runs past E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dwarskersbos
Dwarskersbos is a fishing village and vacation resort some north of Laaiplek in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Etymology The name is said to be derived from the name of the plant of the genus Euclea( af, dwarskers or ''kersbos'') which grows abundantly in the region. History The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama first set foot on South African soil on 7 November 1497 near here when he explored the present St Helena Bay. The town was established on the farm “Dwarskersbos” that belonged to the Smit family in 1920. A 6m high storm surge struck Dwarskersbos on 27 August 1969. Geography Its beach stretches from Velddrif and Dwarskerbos almost 40 kilometres north towards Elands Bay, making it the longest uninterrupted sandy beach in South Africa. Notable people * Hannah Botha Hannah Botha (17 January 1923, in Dwarskersbos– 16 April 2007, in Johannesburg) was a South African TV and film actress known for roles in No ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waterfowl
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which includes over 170 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans. Most modern species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at the water surface. With the exception of screamers, males have penises, a trait that has been lost in the Neoaves. Due to their aquatic nature, most species are web-footed. Evolution Anseriformes are one of only two types of modern bird to be confirmed present during the Mesozoic alongside the other dinosaurs, and in fact were among the very few birds to survive their extinction, along with their cousins the galliformes. These two groups only occupied two ecological niches during the Mesozoic, living in water and on the ground, while the toothed enantiornithes were the dominant bird ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great White Pelican
The great white pelican (''Pelecanus onocrotalus'') also known as the eastern white pelican, rosy pelican or white pelican is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and shallow lakes. The great white pelican has been rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN). It is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Annexure I under the EU Birds Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, and Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. It is also listed within 108 Special Protection Areas in the European Union. It occurs within 43 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in its European range. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is applied. Description The great wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Oystercatcher
The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (''Haematopus moquini''), is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. This near-threatened oystercatcher has a population of over 6,000 adults, which breed between November and April. The scientific name ''moquini'' commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Moquin-Tandon who discovered and named this species before Bonaparte. Description The African oystercatcher is a large, noisy wader, with completely black plumage, red legs and a strong broad red bill. The sexes are similar in appearance, however, females are larger and have a slightly longer beak than males. Juveniles have soft grey plumage and do not express the characteristic red legs and beak until after they fledged. The call is a distinctive loud piping, very similar to Eurasian oystercatchers. As the Eurasian oystercatcher is a migratory species they only occur as a vagrant in southern Africa, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Flamingo
The greater flamingo (''Phoenicopterus roseus'') is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and in southern Europe. Taxonomy The greater flamingo was described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. It was previously thought to be the same species as the American flamingo (''Phoenicopterus ruber''), but because of coloring differences of its head, neck, body, and bill, the two flamingos are now most commonly considered separate species. The greater flamingo has no subspecies. Description The greater flamingo is the largest living species of flamingo, averaging tall and weighing . The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to tall and . Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking. Chicks are cover ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Shoveler
The Cape shoveler or Cape shoveller (''Spatula smithii'') is a species of dabbling duck of the genus ''Spatula''. It is resident in South Africa, and uncommon further north in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zambia. This 51–53 cm long duck is non-migratory, but undertakes some local seasonal movements. It is gregarious when not breeding, and may then form large flocks. This species has a large spatulate bill. Adults have speckled grey-brown plumage and dull orange legs. As with many southern hemisphere ducks, the sexes appear similar, but the male has a paler head than the female, a pale blue forewing separated from the green speculum by a white border, and yellow eyes. The female's forewing is grey. Cape shoveler can only be confused with a vagrant female northern shoveler, but is much darker and stockier than that species. It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation, and fee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whale
Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and porpoises. Dolphins and porpoises may be considered whales from a formal, cladistic perspective. Whales, dolphins and porpoises belong to the order Cetartiodactyla, which consists of even-toed ungulates. Their closest non-cetacean living relatives are the hippopotamuses, from which they and other cetaceans diverged about 54 million years ago. The two parvorders of whales, baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti), are thought to have had their last common ancestor around 34 million years ago. Mysticetes include four extant (living) families: Balaenopteridae (the rorquals), Balaenidae (right whales), Cetotheriidae (the pygmy right whale), and Eschrichtiidae (the grey whale). Odontocetes include the Monodontidae (beluga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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