Page 140 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

with a peak of almost 14,000 pairs in 1987. The entire gan- Year Hartlaub's Gull Greater Crested Tern
net colony abandoned the island in 2005 after commence-
ment of breeding, following attacks on adults at nests by 1977 187
Cape Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). Some 1979 70
of the gannets returned for the 2006 breeding season 1981 393
(Crawford et al. 2007) and measures were implemented 1984 50
to prevent future attacks on gannets by seals. Numbers of 1987 0
gannets have been relatively stable since 2007, averaging 1988 0
about 7,500 pairs. 1989 0
About 30,000 pairs of Cape Cormorants bred at Lam- 1990 0
bert’s Bay in 1956 (Rand 1963) and 1970 (Jarvis and
Cram 1971) and about 12,500 pairs in 1978 (Crawford et 1991 0
al. 1982). Fewer than 5,000 pairs bred from 1988–2002, 1992 0
fewer than 1,000 pairs from 2003–2013 and < than 100 1993 0
pairs from 2014–2021. 1994 0
About 69 Bank Cormorant pairs bred at the island in 1995 0
1956 (Rand 1963), 41 pairs in 1975 (Cooper 1981) and 1996 0
33 pairs in 1989. There was then a rapid decrease and the 1997 0
colony became extinct in 1999 (Crawford et al. 2008). 1998 0
Maxima of 34 pairs of White-breasted Cormorant bred at 1999 0
Lambert’s Bay in 1992, 117 pairs of Crowned Cormorant 2000 0
in 2015, 154 pairs of Kelp Gull in 2010, 205 pairs of Hart- 2001 0
laub’s Gull in 1996, one pair of Grey-headed Gull in both 2002 0
1996 and 1997 and 383 pairs of Greater Crested Tern in 2003 0
1997.
For much of the 20th century Cape Fur Seals were ab- 2004 0 0
sent from Penguin Island. A few were seen at the west of 2005 0 0
the island in 1974, where they started to breed in the 1980s 2006 0 0
(Oosthuizen and David 1988) and displaced cormorants 2007 0 0
from some breeding sites. Their expansion onto the flats 2008 0 0
and eastern areas was forestalled by regular disturbance 2009 0 0
programs (Seakamela et al. 2024). Seals have eaten sea- 2010 0 0
birds around Penguin Island at Lambert’s Bay and may 2011 0 0
have hastened the loss of its penguin colony (Crawford et 2012 0 0
al. 2001). Some damage-causing seals were removed. 2013 0 0
In 1974, oil spilt into the Lambert’s Bay harbour by 2014 0 0
the purse-seine fishery killed at least 709 Cape Gannets.
However, a change from wet to dry off-loading of vessels 2015 0 0
reduced the risk of such spills. At the recent turn of the 2016 0 0
century there was a shift to the south and east of sardine 2017 0
(Sardinops sagax) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), 2018 75 200
which are targeted by the purse-seine fishery and are im- 2019 0
portant food for African Penguin, Cape Gannet and Cape 2020 0
Cormorant, and of rock lobster (Jasus lalandii), which is 2021 0 0
harvested by the lobster fishery and a main food of Bank
Cormorant. This led to a reduced availability of prey for Verlorenvlei
these seabirds and was likely a main driver of their recent Coordinates: 32.3216 S, 18.4097 E
decreases (Crawford et al. 2008, 2011, 2019, Cury et al. Description: A large estuarine lake east of Elands Bay
2011). that stretches almost to Redelinghuys and has intermittent
connection with the Atlantic Ocean. The main body of the
Wadrifsoutpan lake is c. 13.5 x 1.4 km (Barnes 1998). In addition to host-
Coordinates: 32.2069 S, 18.3426 E ing White-breasted Cormorants, the vlei is an important
Description: An often-dry pan that is sometimes flooded feeding ground for Great White Pelicans (Marnewick et al.
allowing gulls and terns to breed on islets. It lies south of 2015).
Lambert’s Bay near where the Langvlei River enters the Conservation status: It has no formal protection. The
Atlantic Ocean. water body is a Ramsar site, for which Cape Nature was
Conservation status: It is not protected. designated as the Responsible Management Authority.
Species and numbers breeding: Hartlaub’s Gull and The land surrounding the lake is privately owned (Barnes
Greater Crested Tern have bred at pan. Numbers of pairs 1998).
recorded breeding in different years are shown on the Species and numbers breeding: White-breasted Cormo-
following table. rant have nested in trees alongside the lake. Numbers to
have done so in different years are shown on the following
table.

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