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Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
Uitkyk wine estate launches owl-increase project
Uitkyk wine estate, a Biodiversity & Wine Initiative champion near Stellenbosch, has launched a project to increase the owl population on the farm by creating suitable habitats for them. The farm has long appreciated the value of owls in rodent control.
Rudi Buys, viticulturist and GM of Uitkyk, said that the estate recently commissioned owl specialist Lianda Naudé to undertake a survey of which species of these nocturnal raptors were already present on the farm. She found evidence of both barn owls and spotted eagle owls, with Cape eagle owls higher in the mountainous areas of the Greater Simonsberg Conservancy on which the farm borders. She said that to find more than one species of owl was already proof of the health of the ecosystem on the farm.
Uitkyk is almost 600ha in size with over 300ha set aside for conservation. The vineyards are located on the higher slopes which are dissected by four deep gorges that create natural corridors between them. These corridors enable small game and predators to move freely across the property.
Clearing marshland a priority
"Lianda believes we can also attract African grass owls and the indigenous marsh owl to the farm if we are able to create a suitable habitat. On Uitkyk we have quite a large wetland area. Since 2008 we have been clearing 8 to 10ha of land a year of alien vegetation and we are treating the clearing of the marshland as a priority in the programme for the coming year.
"Once the alien vegetation has been removed and the indigenous grasses have re-established themselves, we will not only have improved the water flow in the wetland, but will also have created an ideal habitat for these owl species that prefer to hunt in the long grass," Buys said.
A balance between predator and prey
"Our owl project is part of a larger programme to re-establish a balance between predator and prey on the farm. In addition to guinea fowl, we also have caracal that help keep the number of duiker and grysbok in check. These small antelopes find the young vine shoots irresistible and create considerable damage in the vineyards in the spring.
"Although it is wonderful to have so many wild things living on the farm, we try to use nature in a way that will as far as possible reduce the need for chemical interventions to protect our crops. It is a matter of working with nature and not against it, and that in itself gives one massive satisfaction."
