The Paddocks Milnerton Bird Species Index

 Birds Around The Paddocks, Milnerton, Cape Town

Grey Heron Portrait : The Paddocks Milnerton

Adjacent to The Paddocks Shopping Centre in Milnerton is a small nature reserve / park. Over the last couple of years I have taken little notice of the park as it was not very well maintained - the reeds, trees and plants were in a total overgrowth / neglected state. The water in the pond was littered with paper, plastics and subsequently various other items..

Since the beginning of 2022 I witnessed a significant improvement in the conditions and the landscaping of the park as started a regular walking routine (before dong some daily shopping at The Paddocks Shopping centre). Over the last few months I witnessed a conscientious effort by the landscaping company and its workers for providing residents / visitors with a well-maintained / safe garden environment  planting quite a number of flowers, plants and trees attracting various bird species (and butterflies).

Increasing Bird and Flower Species

Since last week I've started taking along one or two of my cameras with me on route to The Paddocks Shopping Centre, Milnerton. The park is about a two minute walk from the Bridle Road exit from the shopping complex (view Google Map below). The park is also accessible from the corner of  Milnerton Drive / Racecourse Road. Over the last few weeks I have seen more birds around the pond trees and shrub areas. There is a very nice paved footpath right around the park which is handy for photographing the increasing close-up flower species as well. 

This photographing project is similar to the other two personal 'Bird Species Index' projects I am photographing at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Woodbridge Island / Table Bay Nature Reserve.

I will keep updating my 'The Paddocks Birds Species Index', but for now have photographed or spotted the following species in / above the park: 

'The Paddocks Bird Species Index' : Photographer: Vernon Chalmers

• African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
• Blacksmith Plover (Vanellus armatus)
• Cape Wagtail (Motacilla capensis)
• Cape White-Eye ((Zosterops virens)
• Cape Shoveller Duck (Spatula smithii)
• Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus)
• Cape Spurfowl (Pternistis capensis)
• Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
• European / Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
• Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
• Fiscal Shrike (Lanius collaris)
• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
• Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
• Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
• Hartlaub's (King) Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)
• Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
• Pied Crow (Corvus albus)
• Pin-Tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura)
• Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
• Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)
• Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus)
• Yellow-billed Ducks (Anas undulata)

Yellow-Billed Ducks : The Paddocks Milnerton

The Park / Nature Reserve at The Paddocks, Milnerton Google Map

View larger Map Area on Google Maps

Canon EOS Cameras used for The Paddocks Species Index

• Canon EOS 70D
• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Canon EOS 6D

Canon EF Telephoto Lenses used for The Paddocks Bird Species Index

• Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens
• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens

All Images Copyright Vernon Chalmers : Copyright | Intellectual Property Policy

Birding Photography at The Paddocks, Milnerton

Canon Photography Training Milnerton Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch Cape Town