Apart from the rain and the resulting green veld, one of the most spectacular sights in Smithfield at the moment, is the cloud of Lesser Kestrels circling over the village in the evenings.
The kestrels used to roost in a stand of bluegums on the other side of the mountain, and then for a couple of years we didn’t see them at all. At the end of last season, Lynden and I watched a few dozen fly in and out of some trees near my house – but then they flew away again. This year we’ve been delighted that they not only came back, but they brought a whole lot of their friends with them.
They are roosting in two separate clumps of trees, though shortly before they fly in for the night, they sit in a number of other tree clumps, waiting for the invisible signal that says – Time to sleep.
On the day we did an official count, Lynden and I estimated 400 birds flew out of the trees at dawn. Nearly two months later it seems there are a lot more – some nights about 1 000.
They breed March – June in Europe, Central Asia and China, and when they migrate they fly either singly or in groups of 40 – 50, keeping on average about 2 000 m above sea level.
They are beautiful birds, and they fly with grace and power. They are also very useful to us because they love insects and mice that would otherwise destroy crops. But even though they are so useful, they are battling to survive – people shoot them or they eat poisoned food, for example.
Some experts from the University of Michigan say that breeding trends make itSmithfield is for the Birds
clear that they are “seriously threatened worldwide”; in fact the numbers have dropped by 95 percent since the 1950s.
Some years ago Bloemfontein bird expert Brian Colahan counted the birds at the
Reddersburg roost and found there were some 5 000. We’re not there yet, but we are hoping that they’ll be back in Smithfield next year, and in even greater numbers.
The sight of them circling over the village is a thrilling one for our visitors – overseas and local guests – and for us. The birds provide a perfect excuse to find a comfortable seat, a good sundowner and a few minutes off from work to watch them.
Best time to see them: at the moment, between 6 and 7.15pm.
