Within the greenbelt of Helderfontein Residential Estate, the ultimate luxury lifestyle eco-state, the rarely seen Green Sandpiper has returned for the second year in a row. Situated on the banks of the Jukskei River, in the greater Fourways area, Helderfontein Residential Estate is home to lush landscaping that has become the home of many indigenous bird species as well as some rare migratory birds from as far away as Eurasia. The “green” consciousness of the estate offers residents the opportunity to live side by side with nature, showcasing higher levels of biodiversity than any other estate in the northern Johannesburg suburbs.
The estate has a body of comprising of dedicated residents coupled with their steadfast chief service provider and a committed management team working tirelessly to fulfil a goal of enhancing the environment to continuously improve upon its ecology. Over the past two years alone, the dedication of this Environmental Working Group (EWG) has successfully lead to the implementation the installation of wildlife tunnels, bird diverters and barrier fencing to mitigate wildlife that significantly reduced injuries and causalities due to electric fencing, installation of many owl boxes and nesting logs to not only attract birdlife but also maintain and enhance the ecosystem, identify, label and protect heritage trees. Furthermore, the estate undertakes many releases of fauna such as terrapins, tortoises, a variety of birdlife, hedgehogs, snakes, monitors, etc… Moreover the EWG as caretakers of the estates’ environment has gone so far as to put in place a pilot programme to track some of these rescued tortoises and install grasslands that attract indigenous wildlife to create ecosystems within urban dwellings.
On Saturday, 18 November 2023, during one of the Estates EWG birdwalks that boasted 81 sightings, Lance Robinson, the guide spotted and successfully identified a rare bird waddling along the islands of the Juskei River. Helderfontein Residential Estate already has a birdlist of over 220 species and was proud to add 1 rare Green Sandpiper to that tally. This year, the rare bird has become the talk of the town with it’s latest sighting at Helderfontein again, drawing in crowds from across the globe that want to catch a glimpse of the scarce Green Sandpiper. It is estimated that only 100 to 300 of these birds migrate to South Africa from Eurasia annually, often only sighted in solitude.
Hosted by BirdLife South Africa, seasoned birders and amateurs alike are invited to view the Green Sandpiper on Saturday, December 7th 2024, celebrating the 40th year of this incredible event. Join us in celebrating the rich birdlife of South Africa and contribute to vital conservation efforts.
The Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) is a small wading bird that breeds in Northern Europe and across Russia below the Artic Circle. In Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, it migrates South to escape the icy cold to warmer regions. It is rare for them to reach South Africa as they usually stop in the tropics and spend our Summer there, far North of us. It is even rarer for them to fly as far South as Gauteng. Those that do reach South Africa tend to spend our Summer in Northern Limpopo Province.
Having flown over 12 000km down the entire length of Africa to settle in Fourways, the Green Sandpiper barely been seen by most people. Birdwatchers list the birds they have seen and to have a Green Sandpiper in a place that is accessible is for many a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a bird in the feather that they have before only seen in books or Birding Apps. It is here to eat, gain condition and weight and get some rest before it has to fly back home in our Autumn, where it will find a mate and breed. It spends most of its time walking around in the shallow water and on the exposed mud feeding.
During our Summer, the Green Sandpiper is usually found in Northern Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and up into Central and East Africa where it forages on the edges of lakes and wetlands. Its’ diet mainly consists of small aquatic invertebrates such as snails, worms, slugs and even leeches.
Interestingly, this bird is a long-range migrant that travels incredibly long distances to escape the cold of Eurasia and to gain enough condition to be able to successfully breed on its return to home. It does not probe the mud for food but rather picks invertebrates from the water. When in South Africa it is in its non-breeding plumage and will moult and change to a more colourful plumage to attract a mate when it gets back home. Sandpipers tend to return to an area they like that they reach during their migration and will often come back to the same spot again. They remember the route that they have flown to get there. As they are not breeding and do not want to attract attention, they are silent while here.
Content adapted from Grant Fairley (Estate Ecologist, SES) and Dr Kolleen Naik (Environmental Director, HOA HRE)
