Ken Borland

Fiscal Flycatcher

The Tygerberg Nature Reserve conserves nearly 300 hectares of Renosterveld, the only refuge of this critically endangered member of the unique Cape Floral Kingdom still surviving in the South-Western Cape.

Renosterveld is an amazingly diverse habitat featuring numerous shrubs and scrubby trees and, historically, a very high grassy component. In fact, many scientists believe that, before European settlers brought their stock and overgrazed the area, these were the grasslands of the Cape, boasting large herds of game, including the now extinct Bluebuck and Quagga, as well as the Bontebok, which was reduced to just 17 wild animals before being rescued as a species.

The scenic reserve, which most visitors to Cape Town fly over en route to the airport, boasts several walking paths and the Induli Trail winds its way up from the Plattekloof entrance to the top of the hill, where there is a picnic site and several tall Eucalyptus trees.

One does not usually enjoy the sight of alien vegetation in nature reserves, particularly in the light of the damage done to the globally threatened Renosterveld by the planting of vines and wheat, but these Blue Gums are a great magnet for raptors.

And on this occasion there was a small group of a raptor species that is scarce in the South-Western Cape using them as a perch.

Lesser Kestrels are generally a species of dry grasslands so in the South-Western Cape they are occasionally found in Renosterveld, which is, after all, the grasslands of Cape Town, once again showing the importance of this narrow strip of fertile vegetation that lies between the Fynbos of the mountains and the Strandveld of the coast.

Eucalyptus trees are actually closely associated with Lesser Kestrels because it is they that almost always host the communal roosts of thousands of birds close to little Karoo or Highveld towns in central South Africa, where the large migrant flocks congregate in their preferred open habitats.

There were just a handful on this sunny and warm January afternoon in Tygerberg, wheeling away on the cooling wind and then returning to their perches.

Jackal Buzzard is a more typical raptor of the Tygerberg Hills and soon after setting off on the trail, one became visible sitting on top of the power pylons and later perching on top of another alien, the pine tree.

A friendly Fiscal Flycatcher greets one at the entrance gate while Little Swift, Pied Crow and Whitethroated Swallow are the other birds seen catching the breezes blowing over the tops of the hills.

The Southern Doublecollared Sunbird is another bird that is particular to hanging around Eucalyptus trees, but with plenty of flowers around in the reserve, they were seen all over and I had a particularly nice sighting of a female.

Cape Francolin

The Cape Quartet of Cape Weaver, Cape Turtle Dove, Cape Sparrow and Cape Francolin were all seen, with the Francolin way more elusive than the others. I also heard Cape Robin around, but there are nine other ‘Cape’ birds recorded for Tygerberg Nature Reserve which I saw no sign of sadly.

On the way back down the hill, a solitary Bontebok was plodding along, reminding one of what is at stake in these threatened habitats. Recently re-introduced, this endearing, beautiful antelope was hunted to the verge of extinction but has now recovered to a few thousand in number, with 11 of those in Tygerberg Nature Reserve where it was absent for almost a century.

Where is Tygerberg Nature Reserve?

Sightings list

Fiscal Flycatcher

Jackal Buzzard

Cape Weaver

Little Swift

Fiscal Shrike

Cape Turtle Dove

Cape Sparrow

Redeyed Dove

Cape Francolin

Blackheaded Heron

Pied Crow

Lesser Kestrel

Whitethroated Swallow

Southern Doublecollared Sunbird

Bontebok

A back-of-the-hand slower ball and a stronger mentality are a couple of the upgrades fast bowler Junior Dala has added to his game as he looks to become a regular member of the Titans team in all three formats in the coming season.

Having spent the 2015 winter at the national academy, Dala showed those improvements in limited-overs cricket last season, especially in the Momentum One-Day Cup, where he played in all 10 matches and ended as the tournament’s third-highest wicket-taker with 16, while conceding barely more than a run-a-ball.

He was also a stalwart of the Titans team that won the RamSlam T20 Challenge, taking eight wickets at an average of 25.12 and conceding less than eight runs an over.

But he only played in four of the Sunfoil Series matches, taking just five wickets at an average of 57, so that is clearly where he wants to improve greatly.

“I had a lot more belief in myself and I learnt valuable lessons with the academy when we toured Sri Lanka and I did reasonably well against Test players. I had early success in the One-Day Cup, I was the leading wicket-taker at the halfway mark, and in the T20 I just went with that flow. I worked on extra skills and I learnt a lot as well from the Proteas bowlers in our squad.

“I felt I was playing for my place the season before that, but last season changed my whole outlook. Sometimes I have to taper down, it’s not just about outright pace, it depends on what’s required for the situation, like the back-of-the-hand slower ball for instance. I’ve grown mentally, I use my head more and I have extra confidence and belief,” Dala said.

“But I haven’t played enough of the long format, the more I play, the better I’ll be. I maybe let myself down a bit in the four-dayers last season, so it’s definitely a major goal to put that right. I’m working hard so hopefully I will play in all three formats next season, I just need to do what I need to do.”

Ironically, the most impressive performance of last season came in a long format game as he destroyed the England second innings with five for 34 in 12 overs for the SA Invitation XI in Potchefstroom, earning the respect of Jimmy Anderson, the leader of the touring attack.

“Taking five against England on a flat Potch pitch made me believe that I can compete at that level, I just need to be more consistent. I got Alex Hales a couple of times and Alastair Cook showed such super skills, but I thought I handled myself well and showed that I can do it. James Anderson came and congratulated me and told me I had big things ahead of me.

“But I never went to a big school and the first time I was ever coached was when I played for Gauteng. So I’m a work in progress and I’m still trying to figure out my action, there are still basics to get right and I need to understand it more,” the unorthodox 26-year-old said.

But the opinions of the great Anderson and coaches Shukri Conrad, the head of the academy, and Rob Walter of the Titans are surely right on the money when it comes to Dala.