Mikpunt Meerkat Issue 15 April 2010

Mikpunt

Meerkat

Hierdie nuusbrief is vol spelfoute, grammatika foute, soms ‘n skelwoord of 2,

maar altyd met goeie bedoelings, en uit die hart. Ek is nie ‘n letterkundige of

redakteur nie, sommer net iemand wat Mikpunt se belange op die hart dra.

Personal vendettas or rude and harmful things will not be published, as this

is a newsletter with positive news that concerns our community

. April 2010 Issue 15

mikpuntmeerkat@gmail.com

http://mikpuntmeerkat.blogspot.com/

021 971 1237 072 879 9911

Klippe-Cubana

Klipheuwel

Potjiekos Kompetisie

1 May 2010

Inskrywing R50.00 per pot. Stalletjies vir die verkoop

van produkte beskikbaar teen R30.00

Live one man band, come and join in the fun, last year

was a big success.Everybody had loads of fun and laughter

Lekker pryse te wen

Sponsors: Mario Steel, Castle, Grain Carriers and

Flowers by Estelle

Lekker plaas dans na die kompetisie

Kontak Maryke by 082 932 1379

Laas jaar se potjie kompetisie by Klippe Cubana

Flowers by Estelle

3 Chenoweth Street

Durbanville

Phone 021 976 6910 Fax 021 976 8796

Cell 082 879 9911

flowerheartcape@yahoo.com

We do Flowers for all occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, functions, weddings and more

We Deliver

Part of Interflora so we can send flowers Worldwide

Wedding April 2010

Kittie se Spens

Koekie tuisnywerheid in Mikpunt.

Wynand en Albertyn Van Wyk is die eienaars van die koekie bedryf.

Hierdie is ‘n gemeenskapsbedryf. Ons verskaf werk aan mense van ons gemeenskap, ons produkte is van uitstaande gehalte. Verskeidenheid van koekies en beskuit beskikbaar.

Ons verkoop regstreeks aan die publiek en is ook op soek na agente wat vir ons kan bemark teen groothandel pryse

084 575 1021

Mikpunt Nuus

Ek het my eerste paar vergaderings by die Polisie forum bygewoon en heelwat interessante mense ontmoet. Persoonlik dink ek dit is ‘n voorreg vir my om deel daarvan te wees, en kan nie glo dat iemand van Mikpunt ons nog nie verteenwoordig het nie.

My email list of residents in Mikpunt was forwarded to CAPTAIN GERHARD NIEMAND SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE TELEPHONE: 021 980 5500 E-MAIL: KRAAIFONTEINCOMM@SAPS.ORG.ZA as he deals with the public relations and he will, when necessary inform us via email of crime in the area or even warn us about criminals on the loose. If there is anything that you as a resident need to get on the agenda of this forum please contact me.

Joostenberg Vlakte opened up a Face book account; there the whole community speaks about their concerns and problems. They also established a neighbourhood watch because of ongoing crime in there area; this was done with the help of the Police. In the first week they arrested 2 suspects involving in housebreaking that was part of a bigger gang. I will open a page for us, if you want to be part of it send me your e-mail addresses.

Tracey I will speak to someone with more knowledge about trees and next month hopefully we can discus a tree that can work for you and your horses.

Gigi thank you for the kind words

I am back in a Florist where I belong. I am co-owner and Manager of Flowers by Estelle in Durbanville.

Tot volgende keer

Charlotte

Klippe-Cubana

Chestnut Street. Maryke 082 932 1379

Klipheuwel swaanswijk@gmail.com

CATERING; PLATTERS;

CELEBRATIONS, BIRTHDAYS, END OF YEAR FUNCTIONS, CORPORATE FUNCTIONS

Snake Rescue April 2010

Snakes Rescue

When you need help with a snake, feel free to phone Derek or Jacques to remove the snake from your property, free of charge! They will take the snake to a safe place, away from residential properties and free it again. Our aim is to get people not to kill snakes; most people kill it just because it’s a snake and might be harmful to humans. Unfortunately we cannot always be available to come and help with snakes, as Derek is not in Mikpunt during daytime anymore .021 971 1237 or 072879 9911

Moll snake Shirley Duncan

Herald snake Agi and Mike

Herald Snake Ettien

Moll snake Ronnie (John said it’s a “Kaapse Kobra”)

Moll snake 2 x Aleta

Moll snake Vaalhuis

Moll snake Maryke

Moll snake (only lived a few hours badly hurt)

Moll snake Minnie en Johan

Cape Cobra Ray of Sunshine (Jacques unfortunately had to kill this one)

Moll Snake Donavan

Moll snake old man from the Vaalhuis (caught

Opposite Aletta,s by Jacques)

I am not even sure I mentioned all the snakes that’s been rescued, there were so many. I must say it stays a great concern to us to hear people telling the stories of killing snakes quite often. What concerns me is you do not get a Cape cobra that is 1.8, 2, or 2.5 meters they only grow up to 1.2 meters; this would have been a world record snake. Most of those snakes are mollies harmless to humans; they catch mice and other rodents good for the environment. The other poor snake that gets mistaken is the common egg eater, this poor snake has been killed as a Puff adder several times, the puff adder is thicker shorter and its head is totally different from the egg eater. And again the Puff adder don’t grow to 1,8 meter.

Good advice if you have a snake in your house or yard and want someone to remove it, throw a heavy blanket or cloth on it, it will feel save and stay there until someone can remove it. They love dark warm places. They don’t know they are not welcome, normally then are on the hunt for food. We mostly find/ rescue them from plots that got animals or birds, and there is plenty of food for them to eat.

If you see a snake in your yard and want us to come and catch it put something like a card box x or cloth or blanket so that it can crawl under it, it is no use calling us if it went into a hole or under the house or under some big heavy piles of rubble or wood. Because 9 times out of ten, we can’t find it again and you will most probably not see it again.

Ducks- Mallard invasive species

WILD LIVE CORNER

This Month we are looking at the Ducks in our area

Accordingly to the Sasol Bird book the following ducks are found in the Western Cape

Whitebacked Duck (Witrug eend)

Southern Pochard (Bruineend)

Maccoa Duck (Bloubek-eend)

Yellowbilled Duck (Geelbekeend)

African Black Duck (Swarteend)

Cape Shoveller (Kaapse slopeend)

Cape Teal (Teeleend)

Redbilled Teal (Rooibekeend

Hottentot Teal (Gevlekte eend)

I‘ve spotted quite a lot of these birds in our area either in the river, on dams and ponds (panne water) after the winter rains. The Yellow billed is a common site here on our river you can easily recognise them by their beek being Yellow with a black mark on it.

This is copied from Cape Nature’s website

Mallard

This is the mallard duck, an invasive species posing a serious threat to the indigenous yellow-billed duck. (Female left, male right). Yellow-billed duck (note brownish-black legs). Mallard-yellow-billed hybrid. Cape Nature calls on the public, particularly those living in the vicinity of lakes, rivers and dams, to report the presence of these alien birds to their nearest nature conservation office. The mallard is the ancestor of the domestic duck and is originally from the northern hemisphere. It crossbreeds easily with the indigenous yellow-billed duck and the progeny is fertile. As a result, the survival of the yellow-billed duck, a protected species, is threatened. Although control measures have been applied for several years, a considerable number of mallard still occur in the southwestern and eastern Cape. Registered zoos may keep them, but this concession does not apply to the general public. The male has a metallic green head for the greater part of the year, a white ring around the neck and tail feathers curling upwards. This colorful appearance, when breeding, makes them easily distinguishable from most breeds of domestic duck. However, in late summer when they are not breeding, the males and young birds resemble the females - brown, with darker spots and stripes or streaks. Domestic ducks on the other hand occur in a variety of colours combinations, are mostly more heavily built and are more erect. The mallard's ability to fly distinguishes it from most domestic ducks, which can either not fly at all or fly poorly. Information on the unauthorized keeping of mallard, or on mallard that occur in nature, should be reported to the nearest nature conservation office. Your co-operation will be greatly appreciated. Please do not protect these birds. They threaten the survival of the indigenous yellow-billed duck! Cape Nature Offices Porterville: (022) 931 2900/7 Bellville: (021) 945 4701 Stellenbosch: (021) 866 1560 Hermanus: (028) 314 0062 Robertson: (023) 625 1621 George: (044) 874 2160 Oudtshoorn: (044) 279 1739

Green Corner / Groen Hoekie

Celtis Africana White stinkwood, Witstinkhout

Die Witstinkhout is nog een van my gunsteling bome, seker maar omdat dit so sinoniem is met my geboorte dorp Pretoria. Daar groei die aller mooiste Witstinkhout bome in Sunnyside en natuurlik by die Fonteine. Daar kan jy die pragtige lang wit stamme van die bome waardeer.

Een van die beste inheemse skadubome, want dit verdra ‘n wye verskeidenheid klimaat toestande, behalwe kwaai ryp.

Die boom groei goed in die Wes Kaap, dit het ‘n mooi vorm en gras sal tot teen die stam groei. Half-bladhoudend, afhangend van waar dit groei. Op die hoëveld en hier by ons verloor dit al hul blare in die winter. In die lente loop hul uit en die boom is sommer gou oortrek met lieflike lowergroen blare. Dit het onbeduidende blommetjies. Dit is baie gewillig om te groei en groei bykans in enige grond soort.

Juis om hierdie rede is dit ‘n boom wat redelik gereeld gebruik word as sypaadjie boom en in parke as koeltebome.

Wit stinkhout groei baie maklik van saad en in ‘n gevestigde tuin sal daar gereeld van hul opslaan as daar ‘n boom in die omtrek is, hul oranje saadjies is ‘n lekkerny vir voëls en die versprei hul saad na ander tuine. Hul blom in hul vierde jaar en maak al ‘n mooi koelte boom in sowat 3 jaar. Jong bome groei redelik vinnig, so 1-2 meter per jaar.

Die boom huisves ook ‘n verskeidenheid van insekte, dit is ook die gasheer boom/plant vir die skoenlapper Libythea labdaca. Dit is vir my vreeslik interessant dat feitlik al ons inheemse bome die gasheer is van ‘n spesifieke skoenlapper is.

Jong boompie in my tuin geplant as ‘n saailing, so 2 jaar terug.

A Little bit more green

This is a plant growing in our area and a lot of people think it’s a weed as they mistake it with the “Kasterolie boom”.

This one is indigenous and an amazing plant.

Meliantus Major, Honey flower, Touch-me-not, Kruidjie–roer-my-nie

A large bushy shrub with bamboo-like stems and large, bluish-green compound leaves. This plant is grown for its luxuriant, ornamental, drooping leaves. They are up to 750mm long, compound and the leaflets have a strong unpleasant smell when bruised, hence one of the common names, touch-me-not. The rusty-red flowers appear in large spikes and are followed by “inflated” fruits. This is a vigorous and hardy plant that will shoot rapidly after winter if scorched by frost. The generic name comes from Greek meli, honey, and anthos, flower, referring to the surprisingly large quantities of nectar they produce. It has a widespread distribution.

This is a fast growing plant that suites to a variety of growing conditions. Once established, it will survive long periods of drought. Plant in a sunny place where the bluish green foliage and inflorescences can be seen. Water generously and regularly. Propagates easily from seed or rooted cuttings