Birds of the Magaliesberg 2023

Mining Large areas to the north of the mountain are important chrome and platinum mining belts. Where mining has taken or is taking place the landscape has changed forever. This is especially in the case of granite mining where often moon like landscapes are left with no rehabilitation, being undertaken by runaway owners. The fabricated rocky hills and water areas often host large numbers of bird species. Sand mining is taking place in all areas and often these fabricated sandbanks offer nesting sites for bee-eaters and kingfishers.Attempts to prospect in the buffer of the biosphere is an ongoing problem.

Farmlands In much of the farming areas, the natural bush has been retained. In lucerne fields, large numbers of birds are attracted, like White and Abdims Storks, when the Lucerne is cut. The farmlands are normally surrounded by indigenous trees and shrubs.These lands attract a large number of ground birds as well as seed eaters, often found on weed patches on fringes, where the land has been disturbed or lands left fallow.

In many areas the bush has been cleared for farming

Farming just north of the Magaliesberg

The patchwork of farms in the Moot just East of Hartbeespoort dam

Farms set in the Marikana bushveld vegetation type in the De Wildt area

View up the Moot valley towards Pretoria

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