Page 211 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

De Hoop Vlei Grey-headed Gull
Coordinates: 34.4700 S; 20.3933 E
Description: De Hoop Vlei is a Ramsar-designated coast- Year No. of pairs
al lake approximately 15 x 0.5 km in extent that is fed by 1959 3
the Sout River. Its mouth was blocked by the emergence
of estuarine sandbars, creating a landlocked brackish 1960 15
expanse of water. The lake dried up completely during 1961 23
drought periods but attained a depth of 8 m during floods, 1963 16
which may persist for several years and inundate areas to
the southwest (Barnes 1998). White-breasted Cormorants 1979 12
bred on a pylon (Brooke et al. 1982). 2018 0
Conservation status: It is protected, falling within De Source: 1959–1979 (Brooke et al. 1999); 2018 DFFE
Hoop Nature Reserve (DHNR), which is managed by (unpublished records)
CapeNature.
Species and numbers breeding: White-breasted
Cormorant, Kelp Gull, Grey-headed Gull, Caspian Tern Caspian Tern
Year No. of pairs
White-breasted Cormorant
1959 2
Year No. of pairs 1960 1
1957 √ 2012 0
1981 11 2013 4
2012 0 2014 0
2013 0 2015 0
2018 0 2016 0
Source: 1957 and 1981 (Brooke et al. 1982); 2012 2017 0
(Crawford et al. 2013); others DFFE (unpublished records) 2018 0

Kelp Gull Source: 1959, 1960 (Cooper et al. 1992); others DFFE
(unpublished records)
Year No. of pairs Note: Caspian Tern was recorded as nesting near De Hoop
1963 24 Vlei (Cooper et al. 1992).
1978 2 West De Hoop Nature Reserve
2013 27 Coordinates: 34.5072 S; 20.4486 E (west fence)
2017 22 Description: A sandy beach backed by gravel plains and
sand dunes and interspersed with rock outcrops that ex-
Source: 1963 (Crawford et al. 1982a); 1978, 2013 tends from the fence at the west of DHNR to the Koppie
(Whittington et al. 2016); 2017 DFFE (unpublished records) Alleen Kelp Gull site (34.4784 S; 20.5071 E).
Conservation status: It is protected, falling within DHNR.
Species and numbers breeding: Kelp Gull, Damara Tern

Crowned Cormorant nests at a cliff at Waenhuis Krans, 2011 A Caspian Tern sign near the Heuningnes River mouth, 2011
(photo RJM Crawford) (photo RJM Crawford)

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