Uitkyk Wine Estate outside Stellenbosch recently embarked on a new project to increase the owl population the farm, by creating suitable habitats for these birds of prey. A Biodiversity and Wine Initiative champion, the estate was one of the first in the Winelands to appreciate the value of owls in rodent control when, several years ago, it erected “owl posts” in the vineyards to facilitate their hunting process.Uitkyk is almost 600 ha in size and has over 300 ha 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. The estate commissioned owl specialist Lianda Naudé. She discovered 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 proof of the healthy eco-system. Naudé believes the estate can also attract African grass owls and the indigenous Marsh owl to the farm. Rudi Buys, viticulturist and general manager of Uitkyk, says: “Our owl project is part of a programme to re-establish a balance between predator and prey 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.”
November 21, 2011
Filed under Lifestyle
