Well, what a party we had!  It was fun!  We landed up being about 120 people – pilots, directors, members, requestors, conservationists, journalists and sponsors – all Bateleur supporters!  The occasion was simply to acknowledge everyone for enabling The Bateleurs to have grown into the organisation we are today – an Environmental Air Force.  

We chose “the spot” and a marquee was erected on exactly the place where we hope to build our home, which will happen when generous sponsors come to our aid.  We presented medals (see The Bateleurs Scroll of Honour, below), heard wonderful stories, and generally had a very good time.

Vance Martin arrived from the United States and we forgot to include him when we asked previous recipients of our Bateleurs Medal to step forward – our apologies Vance!

Our thanks are due to a long list of people who contributed all sorts of things that helped make the evening a great success -:

• Jenny Gray of the Johannesburg Zoo, for allowing us to hold  the event on our site;
• Martin MacPhail of Conference Communications (Pty) Ltd, for a sound system that really worked!
• Lesca de Wet of De Wetshof Estate, Dana Buys and Nicole Bruwer of Vrede en Lust, and Dave Hidden of Hidden Valley for donations of wine;
• Jurgen Stragier of Willard’s, for the kettle fried chips;
• Abraham Kruger of Hoogland Hydro, for the mineral water;
• Don Ingle for the donation of the Bateleur table mats;
• Hanns Bergs for the drawing of our proposed building; and
• The Endangered Wildlife Trust, for the use of their lights and electricity.

Following our party we have sent and received numerous thank you letters.  We have chosen to chosen to reproduce here an e-mail sent to us from “The Wife of A Bateleur Pilot”.  The sentiments expressed in her message show that our hopes for the evening were achieved.

"Thank you for the lovely Bateleur dinner at the Zoo.  I was amazed to be invited to this event and not have to contribute in any way to drinks and the meal.  The food was superb.  I loved the talks given by some of the members.  Their stories were thrilling.  I have attended a few aviation functions and the talk always centres on the accidents that pilots have had.  This paints a very negative rather than a fun and positive picture.  We spoke to many people on the evening and found them all to be interesting and able to speak about a wide spectrum of topics.  Congratulations on your club – you obviously have the knack of attracting interesting and experienced people.
 
Regards
Lauren Phillips"

For those of you who were unable to join us – we will be doing it again …

to Avroy Shlain and Andrew Cadman, with Joe Holmes and Carol Zeederberg looking on from behind.

The Brits Bankeveld Conservation Forum continues to receive aerial support from our Brits Monitoring Group.  Thys Basson flew the most recent mission and his report appears below.

"Things can be pretty busy in this small cockpit with two tallish guys of over 1,8 metres trying to keep the aircraft more or less over the mines and take pictures at the same time. Some of the mines are only a few seconds apart - or so it feels! And a good day for pictures is also a good day for flying, and in that particular area it can be very crowded when the rest of Gauteng’s pilots are all taking to the air between Brits and Pretoria!

Midday is when the sun is in the best position for straight-down pictures of the mines, but it also brings turbulence which makes the cockpit feel even smaller!  Concentrating on the 'target' sometimes results in us 'forgetting' that we cannot fly like birds and the aircraft has ended up in strange attitudes flying slow for a better picture.  Fortunately it is an aerobatic microlight and has no problem forgiving the pilot - and recovers very quickly.

On this flight we flew one way over the mines at an altitude of about 6000 feet, and then returned at about 7000 feet to take more pictures. My son, also a pilot, took the pictures since the floor window is on the righthand side. The camera is held so that the top of the picture is more or less north. This helps with sorting the pictures afterwards but it does make some of them look strange or ‘upside down’.

The first mission of this series was flown in December 2005, prior to the good rains. The archaeological sites and their destruction (not part of the mission request) were clearly visible.  On a more recent flight, after all the rain, these sites were totally hidden beneath tall grass and dense leaf cover.  It is important to remember this for future missions, not only for the mines project but also for other missions, eg. for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).  The mines missions require vertically shot pictures and it is better to take these when the sun is high.  But finding and photographing archaeological sites, for instance, is better achieved in the mornings or afternoons when shadow-lines make identification of these structures easier.  Pictures taken at an angle also help with the identification, while short grass cover (in winter or after fire) helps to enhance the effect of the photographs.  Photographic missions should therefore be planned for the best time and season to acquire maximum results.

We should also be aware of these effects as they relate to unscrupulous developers who may want to acquire photographs which serve their own purposes - for instance, when an EIA is required by law and they know of an archaeological site which might hamper the planned development. They may ask for or take aerial photographs at a time when the bush is at it's worst for identifying such structures!

We are still learning about aerial photography and I am sure that there are Bateleur members who could give us a lot of practical tips!  Perhaps someone could put a few guidelines together to help us get the most advantage per rand from our flights?

All the pictures of the mines are sent to the Brits Bankeveld Conservation Forum where a large collection of pictures is held.  The Forum compares recent photos with previous photos and takes action as needed."

The Bateleurs, with expert piloting by Johan Ferreira of Clanwilliam and Jock Kannemeyer of Cape Town, continue to support the work of the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT).

In February Johan Ferreira assisted the CLT by providing a New Zealand film crew with an aerial perspective of the work and reach of the Trust, and in March we flew another routine monitoring mission for them.  

On completion of these two missions we received the following report from Quinton Martins -:

"One week after capturing 'Johan' the leopard, Johan Ferreira took me and a New Zealand wildlife film crew up in his Cessna Caravan. We had managed to track Houdini from the ground the previous day and so were focused on getting a fix on 'Johan' to ensure his collar was working properly. It did not take us long to pick up a VHF signal but we were unable to lock onto it using UHF. Johan and I put it down to the Caravan being too quick and so we kept missing the exact location, losing the signal in the process.

Four weeks later Johan and I headed out in his Scout, this time determined to locate his namesake 'Johan' and get a download. My PhD supervisor from England was with us and I was dying to show him data that would confirm my belief that this leopard is using a far larger area than Houdini.

It was a perfect morning for flying and we circled an area in which I thought we might find our collared cat, despite the terrain making it very easy to lose the signal. We eventually figured out where he might be – in a very narrow and deep gorge. Having pinpointed his approximate whereabouts, we worked the area from every angle, slowly but surely managing to download the full five weeks worth of data captured. Fantastic!!

We headed back to the airstrip and while I raced to my computer to map out the data, Johan took my supervisor, Prof. Steve Harris, for a quick flip over the area so that he could gain a better idea of the animals I am dealing with. He was truly amazed at how beautiful and rugged these mountains are.

On their return I was able to show Johan and Steve exactly where 'Johan' was moving – over a huge area!!  The information confirms that he is utilizing a much larger range than Houdini – at this point in time 400km2 compared to Houdini’s approximate 200km2.  There is no way to obtain accurate information on the movements of these extremely elusive cats other than the modern GPS technology.  It is also quite obvious that, without the amazing support of The Bateleurs and their pilots, we would not be able to get this information.  It is incredibly difficult to track animals in the Cederberg’s rough terrain.

We are still committed to regular monitoring missions for the Wild Coast Illegal Cottages Task Group (WCICTG) which comprises several different Government Departments, including the Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism (DEAE&T), the Chief Directorate Environmental Affairs, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Mthatha, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Land Affairs, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT).

The purpose of the Task Group is:  to stop the construction of all new structures; to ensure that all cottages constructed prior to 1992 are to be removed through a process of civil action or through charging the owners of the illegal cottages with 
criminal prosecutions; and to rehabilitate the areas where the structures have been removed.

These objectives will ensure that the Wild Coast does not lose its integrity and will pave the way for suitable development dependent on the nature of the coastline.  If the uncontrolled sporadic development of illegal cottages goes on unchecked, the Wild Coast will soon resemble the KwaZulu Natal South Coast.
 
Prior to the advent of aerial surveys, coast patrols were used by the Task Group to monitor the area.  These patrols occurred on an ad hoc basis and were focused on the north-eastern section of the Wild Coast.  We are told that, at times, and at great expense, patrols would eventually arrive at a site only to find that they were at the wrong address and no illegal activities were taking place.

On the 11th and 12th April 2006, the fourth Bateleur survey of the Wild Coast took place.  Barry de Groot had volunteered to fly this mission in his Cessna ZU-AFP.   On the 11th he and his wife, Lorraine, flew to Mkambati Game Reserve to collect Senior Nature Conservator Sandiso Zide (employed by DEAE&T) and Marine Inspector Bongani Pitoyi, (employed by DEAT and stationed at Kentani).
 
Snr NC Zides was tasked with recording on film any new developments, and to compile a report and commence an investigation into what had been photographed, while Marine Inspector Pitoyi aimed to use the opportunity to see first-hand what offences with regard to ORVs and fishing were taking place.
 
During the flight several new problems were identified and clearly visible tracks made by ORVs were seen along the entire length of the Wild Coast.  Our photographs show some of the areas needing more investigation.

Our Wild Coast story continues with this report from the pilot, Barry de Groot:

"The mission to monitor the Transkei Wild Coast from the air was set down to be flown on Tuesday the 11th April - weather permitting.  True to form and accurately predicted by the weatherman, the day dawned overcast with light rain and mist.  I decided to delay our departure time by two hours, which proved to be the correct decision as by 09h00 we were pointing the nose of the Cessna in the direction of Margate, in weather that was improving by the minute.  After a brief stop in Margate for fuel we headed still further south in ever improving weather to our pick-up point at Mkambati.  After a low level inspection run along the grass strip we touched down and made our acquaintance with our two observers, Sandiso Zide of Eastern Cape Environmental Affairs, and a representative from Marine and Coastal Management, Bongani Pitoyi.                          

(From left) Sandiso Zide, Gideon Hlangu (a general foreman who did not join the flight), Barry de Groot, and Bongani Pitoyi.

"After a short briefing with Bongani and Sandiso as to exactly what they wished to monitor, we got airborne and headed south at 500 ft along the shoreline. We hadn’t travelled three nautical miles when I was asked to circle over a recently built cottage nestling amongst the pristine grass-covered dunes 100 metres from the shore. This scenario was to be repeated many times during our flight along the Wild Coast that day, which ended in an overnight stay at the mouth of the Great Kei River. 

Under normal circumstances the flight time from Mkambati to Kei river would be approximately one hour, but because of the necessity to circle and photograph every infringement along the Wild Coast, this flight took three hours, which gives a very good idea of the extent to which the law is being flouted along this magnificent coastline.  

As I understand it, any dwellings or developments built prior to 1992 along the coastline and stretching inland for 1000 metres from the high water mark, are allowed to remain, but any development or construction within this 1000 metre wide strip after 1992 is illegal. The difficulty will obviously be in proving exactly when buildings were built.

Arriving at Kei River we were met by Rob Stegmann and a newly appointed ranger named John.  Rob said it would give John a very good overview of the area he will be responsible for if he could see it from the air. After refuelling, Rob, John, and myself took off to fly the area that will fall under John’s jurisdiction. Rob is an experienced microlight pilot so once airborne I passed the controls to him, which he didn’t hesitate to take.  He then proceeded to give his new ranger a bird’s eye view of the coastline complete with running commentary.

That night Lorraine and I were booked into the very comfortable Beach Hotel at Kei River, along with our two observers. After a refreshing shower and a sundowner overlooking the ocean, we sat down to a lovely meal and then a comfortable night falling asleep to the sound of the waves breaking on the shore only metres away.

In bright sunshine and a light tail wind we were back in the air the following day to repeat the survey on the return trip, just in case anything had been missed the previous day.  This time round we seemed to concentrate more on illegal 4X4 tracks leading to fishing spots on the beach, and locals found poaching mussels and other sea life from the rocks.  By midday we had dropped Bongani and Sandiso  back at Mkambati, and after refuelling again at Margate were winging our way home to Cato Ridge after yet another very interesting mission flown for the environment."        

We end this story with the message of thanks sent by Rob Stegmann, Reserve Manager of the East London Coast Nature Reserves:

"The responsibility of environmental conservation does not lie solely at the feet of formal conservation bodies and Government Departments, but is the responsibility of all the citizens of South Africa. It is with organisations like The Bateleurs – whose members give sacrificially to such a noble cause - that the environment we have will be passed on to our children and their children ad infinitum. Thank you Bateleurs, and thank you Barry."

A striking example of the degradation wrought by sand mining on our Wild Coast.

This photo shows an established cottage settlement, well within 1000 metres of the high water mark. 

Following the mission requested by Working for Water to assess Alien Invader Plants, we received a report from our volunteer pilot, Tony Kent, plus a letter of thanks from Christo Marais of the Department of Water Affairs (DWAF).  Both of these are reproduced here, with Tony’s account leading. 

"This mission had twice been postponed due to weather – rain, rain and more rain - but it eventually got under way on Friday 24th March 2006. I re-positioned from Brakpan Airfield to Grand Central Airport where I met with Dr Christo Marais, the Executive Manager : Strategic Partnerships, National Working for Water Programme, Department of Water Affairs & Forestry (DWAF), in Cape Town, and his colleague from the Pretoria office of DWAF, Charl Steenkamp. After a quick discussion and planning session in the local coffee shop, we took off at about 11h00 hrs.

The purpose of the mission was to verify from the air the accuracy of an earlier ground survey, quantifying the extent of alien invader plants alongside rivers and in catchment areas.  The invader species are predominantly Poplar, Bluegum, and Black Wattle.

Out of Grand Central, we positioned via Waterkloof AFB to Reyton, where we picked up the Elands River, routing north past Cullinan until the Rust de Winter dam. From here we headed N-E, still following the Elands River and overflying the Rhenosterkop Dam. From Rhenosterkop we headed S-E to Loskop Dam, picking up the very wobbly Olifants River until reaching the Witbank Dam.

All the rivers were flowing very strongly and all the dams were overflowing - but the Olifants was a raging torrent at the time, fed by three open sluice gates at Witbank Dam.  Between the Loskop and Witbank dams we were treated to some stunning scenery – the twisting river, deep gorges, and magnificent rock formations.  

After Witbank Dam we continued following the Olifants to its watershed near Ermelo. Then we routed N-W towards Bronkhorstspruit where we picked up the Wilge River into the Premier Mine Dam, following the river westwards and travelling parallel to the N4 highway. This brought us back to where we had started, and we then headed back to Grand Central. 

Although the flying time exceeded the expected two to three hours, Dr Marais expressed his satisfaction with the mission. With the help of Charl he had seen all he wanted, and the ground survey appeared to have been very accurate, according to what he had gauged from the air.

After dropping off the DWAF crew I returned to Brakpan, re-fuelled, and put away my trusty Cessna 182, ZS-JBW.  Driving home at about 17h00 it started to RAIN … and it continued through the night!

Here is an interesting statistic which I gleaned from this mission:  Initial estimates are that alien trees consume more than 20 million cubic metres of water per annum.  And this is only for the area surveyed.  Extrapolate this to the rest of the country, and the mind boggles … !"

Bluegums in the catchment area near Bronkhorstspruit. 

And here is our letter of thanks from Dr Christo Marais -:

"A quick note to thank The Bateleurs, and especially Tony, for flying the Upper Olifants catchments for us the week before last.  The effort was really worthwhile. 

To put it into perspective: We have different levels of planning.  It starts with contract planning where the cost of mapping is very high but very focused.  Then we have management unit clearing plan mapping – this is also pretty costly and depending on the method of capturing, could cost between R1.50 and R3.50 per ha (by now it is most probably closer to R5.00 per ha).  However, if one could get a broad brush picture of the extent of the invasives across the landscape one could focus and prioritise the more detailed mapping and make this more effective.  With this in mind I recently did two 'expert surveys', using the local project managers and other field staff to give me estimates of the invasive alien plants in the areas in which they work.  This exercise highlighted where the problem areas could be.  However, one never knows how informed these expert surveys are, so some form of verification is needed.  Doing it from the ground does not give one a good idea of how accurate the estimates are. 

However, doing what we did the week before last, worked perfectly.
 
I have to admit, if it was not for Charl Steenkamp's 'hammerhead' GPS (don't ask me why they call the thing a hammerhead) I don't think it would've been such a great success. To improve on our historical data collected by Versveld et al in 1998, a survey like the one I did in the Upper Olifants and the North West Province, backed up by some aerial verification - as The Bateleurs did for us - could be truly worthwhile.  The North West 'expert survey' for instance took two days and involved about ten people, let's say at a cost of about R1000 per person day = R20,000.  Add to that 8 - 10 hours flying and the time of two people at +/- R16,000, and the capturing of the data at another R20,000, and the total cost would be roughly between R50,000 and R60,000, per province.  As a ball park figure this is truly worthwhile, in my opinion. 

I'm going to suggest to my colleagues that we consider this as an option to get a first stab at revising our big picture of the extent of invasive alien plants in the country.  We can then do the more detailed mapping as we've identified the priorities in the expert survey.
 
Thanks again for your support and I'm looking forward to doing the North West verification with you soon."

Following our mission in October 2004 to do a pelican count for the Avian Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town, we were again contacted by Marta de Ponte Machado, requesting support for another survey of pelicans in the Western Cape.  This second mission was again flown by Harold Bloch and this is the report he submitted -:

"This was our second flight for Marta de Ponte of the Avian Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town, comprising an aerial survey to assess the numbers of pelicans in the Boland and up the western coastline.

Since the auction of a pig farm in the Kuilsriver area, the pelicans which used to visit the farm have been forced to move due to the lack food. The previous owner used to give his pigs poultry waste to eat and the excess was fed to the pelicans. As a result, about 1600 or more pelicans had moved onto the farm and were breeding succesfully there. However, after the auction the food source dried up and a few pelicans remained on site for too long, became weak without the additional food, and died. The rest have dispersed around the Western Cape Coast and the Boland area and have started to predate on gannet and cormorant chicks.  This is considered unusual behaviour.
 
On Saturday 29th April Marta and I took off at 08h45, accompanied by Pier Nel who is in charge of the West Coast Nature Reserve. It was great to have him with us as he knows the area very well and has great vision.  We flew via Atlantis to Yzerfontein and then up the coast to Langebaan, where we explored all the dams and the whole Langebaan Lagoon.  We then flew up the coast to Elands Baai and spent some time over Verlooren Vlei.  Two large flocks of Pelicans were visible at Verlooren Vlei, with smaller scattered groupings over Langebaan and some smaller areas of water.  We then flew back via Langebaan Airforce Base [which was non-operational] and on to explore all the farm dams between the Base and Stellenbosch. 
 
This survey was done in conjunction with people on the ground conducting land-based surveys.  Marta has indicated that she would like to perform aerial surveys three to four times a year, and that there are many Pelicans near Tulbach – an area which may need surveying in the near future.

In summary -:
Total flying time:
Hobbs 3:40.
Pelicans counted: 
Many - I estimate about 500-600.  A final count will be made from aerial photos. Marta will send us a full report as soon as the numbers are available.
Fun:  
UN-measurable.