Page 137 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

Papendorp saltworks formerly used for guano collection, were expanded and
Coordinates: 31.6988 S, 18.2077 E transformed into a visitor centre and new buildings, includ-
Description: The saltworks are located south of and ad- ing a viewing hide, were erected at the island.
jacent to the Olifants River near its mouth and fall within Breeding flats at the centre of the island were reported
the Olifants River Estuary IBA (Marnewick et al. 2015). The to be covered by penguins in the early 1900s (Shelton et al.
estuary is used by Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus ono- 1984). Penguins also bred under boulders and occasion-
crotalus) that breed at Dassen Island in their non-breeding ally nested on the mainland opposite the island (Shelton
season and by Caspian Terns. It also holds threatened et al. 1984). In the early 20th century gannets occupied
species such as Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor), the central flats, parts of which were then paved to facili-
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), African Marsh tate guano collection. The nesting distributions of the dif-
Harrier (Circus ranivorus), Black Harrier (C. maurus), a pair ferent seabird species c. 1970 were mapped by Jarvis and
of which breeds regularly at the estuary, and African Black Cram (1971). At that time the western side of the gannet
Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) (Marnewick et al. colony was protected by a low sea-defence wall (Jarvis and
2015). Cram 1971), but this later broke up and heavy seas have
Conservation status: The saltworks are not protected. since sometimes shifted deposits of mussel shells up the
Species and numbers breeding: Numbers of pairs of shoreline into the perimeter of the gannet breeding area.
Hartlaub’s Gull to have bred at the site in different years Cape and Crowned cormorants nested on flat and rocky
are shown on the following table. ground at the island, on disused boats in the harbour and
on roofs of nearby buildings. In the 2010s, Crowned Cor-
Year Hartlaub's Gull morants also nested on pine trees in Lambert’s Bay town.
Bank and White-breasted cormorants usually bred on high
1970 8 rocks and the gulls and terns on the ground, although Kelp
1995 8 Gulls also used roofs. Cape, White-breasted and Crowned
2022 0 cormorants nested on wooden bars attached to poles to
provide extra nesting space.
Cliff north of Doringbaai (s Strandfontein) A consequence of the causeway was that a number of
Coordinates: 31.7869 S, 18.2314 E alien plants and a lesser number of alien animals became
Description: A sea cliff north of Doringbaai having a cave established at, or accessed, the island (Saul and Fortuin
that provides safe nesting places for a few cormorants. 2015). Interlopers included Water Mongoose (Atilax palu-
Conservation status: It is not protected. dinosus), which occupied the island for a short period of
Species and numbers breeding: Cape and White-breast- time and fed on bird eggs before being removed. Feral cats
ed cormorants bred at the cliff. Numbers of pairs recorded (Felis catus) also resided on the island.
to have done so are shown on the following table. There were five records of Australasian Gannet (Morus
serrator) at Bird Island, Lambert’s Bay, between 1982 and
White-breasted 2010 (Dyer 1990, Dyer et al. 2001, BMD unpubl.).
Year Cape Cormorant Seabird guano was collected at the island in 91 years
Cormorant
between 1897 and 1991, the total quantity removed from
1980 4 0 the island in that time being 20,708 metric tons (Tom et al.
2015 0 7 2024).
Between 1871 and 1905 at least 73,600 African Penguin
Source: 1980 (Cooper et al. 1982, LG Underhill in litt.); eggs (data were unavailable for 17 years of this period)
2015 (DFFE unpublished record) were collected at the island (Makhado et al. 2024).
Note: White-breasted Cormorants bred at the site in the Conservation status: Lambert’s Bay Penguin Island
1950s (Winterbottom 1957). Nature Reserve was established as a Provincial Nature
Reserve in terms of Section 6 of the Nature Conservation
Penguin (Bird) Island, Lambert’s Bay Ordinance (Ordinance 19 of 1974) and proclaimed as
Coordinates: 32.0899 S, 18.3029 E such by Proclamation No. 23/1988 on 9 March 1988 in the
Description: It is a coastal island having an area of about Provincial Gazette of 18 March 1988. It is administered by
3.2 ha and rising to 7 m above sea level. It is mostly rocky the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board (CN).
and has sparse vegetation that includes some Malva Species and numbers breeding: Ten species of seabird
bushes (Rand 1963). It lies at the west of Lambert’s Bay have bred at Lambert’s Bay. Numbers estimated to have
harbour. A concrete harbour wall was built on the south- done so in different years are shown on the following
ern side of the island in 1957. A second harbour wall was Table 1 applicable to Penguin Island, Lambert’s Bay.
constructed north of the island in the early 1960s. A map of In the early 1900s the African Penguin population was
the island at this stage of its development is given in Rand estimated to be at least 2,700 birds (Frost et al. 1976).
(1963). Several navigational structures, including beacons, There were about 250 pairs of African Penguin at the island
were placed at the island. Subsequent constructions in- in 1956 (Rand 1963) but only c. 50 pairs in 1979 (Shelton
cluded joining the island with the mainland in the south via et al. 1984) and the colony became extinct in 2006
a causeway c. 1959 (Jarvis and Cram 1971). Other har- (Crawford et al. 2011).
bour improvements were the construction of several rock No Cape Gannets bred at the island in the early 1900s
and concrete retaining walls along the eastern side of the (Crawford et al. 1983). The earliest record of gannets
island. Sand dredged from the harbour was pumped in be- breeding at the island was of one or two pairs in 1912 (Jar-
hind these walls to increase the island’s surface area (Saul vis 1971). In 1956, about 5,700 pairs bred at the island.
and Fortuin 2015). Old buildings at the island, which were From 1986–2003 numbers often exceeded 10,000 pairs,

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