Category Archives: Birding South Africa

Birding South Africa, Flowers, Holiday Trips

West Coast Wanderlust – Flowers, Birding and Small Towns (Part 1)

September 28, 2026 Don Reid 1 Comment

The Plan

“Let’s do the flowers again” – I can’t recall whether it was me or Gerda that raised the thought earlier this year, but the immediate answer was “Yes!”

Translated, that means we were both keen to “do” the famed Spring flowers that bloom during August and September in parts of South Africa, in particular the West Coast and Namaqualand areas of our country.

With that decision made, we set about planning and booking a 14-night trip for the last two weeks of August, which would take us to some of the prime flower spots of the West Coast and Namaqualand during what we hoped would be the peak of the flower season

There are many aspects of an extended road trip that appeal to Gerda and myself – chief among them is the freedom of not being bound to a rigid itinerary, but rather deciding day by day what we will be doing …. or not doing.

Having said that, my organised nature still demands a degree of planning that takes care of accommodation and ensures a relaxed trip with comfortable distances between stopovers.

The plan we came up with looked like this –

2 nights in Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh – not part of a recognised flower route, but a convenient stopover before heading northwards to Namaqualand
3 nights in Nieuwoudtville, Northern Cape, with the prospect of visiting several interesting spots that we had missed during our only previous visit in 2013
3 nights in Clanwilliam with attractions such as the Cederberg and Biedouw Valley nearby, as well as Lambert’s Bay within an hour’s drive
3 nights in Darling, not part of our previous itineraries, brimming with possibilities, and finally..
3 nights in Paternoster on the coast, a place that we have got to know from a couple of previous visits and not far from the West Coast National Park

Day 1 – Getting there

Final preparations for our departure started the day before – choosing the catering items we would need, packing most of our clothing requirements, sorting out the medical kit (essential at our age) and the paraphernalia that accompanies me on our road trips (cameras, binos, laptop, ipad) together with all the various batteries, cables and plugs to keep all of it working smoothly.

I was excited to try out my newest acquisition – an Iphone 17 – in the field as it were – more camera than phone, it has many of the features of my ‘fancy’ cameras, all packed into an unbelievably small package. I have made do for several years with a now outdated iphone SE – heck, even our Son-in-law said I deserved a better phone!

We left home at 10.30 am and travelled at our usual relaxed pace, which included stops at –

Oumeul outside Riversdale for coffee and one of the nicest savoury muffins ever – they call it a Four-cheese muffin, I call it a delight. We bought two more to take away after eating the first one at an outside table.
Nuy on the hill near Worcester for a late-ish lunch of Chicken mayo roosterkoek (a large bun baked over coals) – too much to complete so we doggy-bagged the rest for later in the evening

Traffic was light for most of the trip and there was time to check out the verges and fields which had small patches of colourful flowers.

I pulled off the road at a couple of places, between Swellendam and Ashton and again between Robertson and Worcester, when I thought the concentration of flowers deserved a closer look.

That proved to be a good tactic as there were several different flowers at each stop, even though the area is not regarded as part of a flower route.

Brightfig (Vygies), roadside near Ashton

My new phone proved to be up to the task of photographing the flowers from different angles and producing nice crisp images.

Cushion Sorrel *Oxalis convexula* (Suring), roadside near Ashton

Velvet Storksbill *Pelargonium candicans* (Malva), roadside near Ashton

Mouse Dewfig *Drosanthemum hispidum* (Doublaarvygie), roadside between Robertson – Worcester

Gazania (Gousblom), roadside between Robertson – Worcester

Capeweed *Arctotheca calendula* (Botterblom), roadside between Robertson – Worcester

Welbedacht Nature Reserve

After passing through Tulbagh, it was a short drive to the nature reserve, which we reached at 5pm on the dot and followed the whatsapp instructions to access the reserve, find our key in a box at the main complex and follow the track to our cottage set amongst trees well away from the other cottages. The last few kms were through the reserve itself and we were pleased to see a few animals such as antelope and Zebra.

We found it unusual that there was no one to welcome us and provide information about the cottage and reserve, as we are used to – in fact we did not see or meet any staff during our two night stay and simply dropped the key off in the same box on the way out. However, that didn’t detract from the stay, and we enjoyed the peace and quiet along with no disturbances whatsoever.

The cottage is compact with bedroom, living area and kitchen forming one space and a separate bathroom. What makes it special is the feeling of solitude and peace in natural surroundings, featuring fynbos and fields of flowers.

Cottage at Welbedacht Nature Resrerve near Tulbagh

Outside a small stoep looks out over the reserve and there is a small plunge pool adjacent to it, which I tried out later. (It’s heated so not as brave as it may sound)

Our evening meal was light – the rest of our roosterkoek with sides of sliced banana and tomato!

Birding highlights

My initial impression was that birdlife around the cottage was plentiful, with calls of Olive Thrush, Cape Grassbird, Bokmakierie and Blue Crane heard as the day ran out.

Evening brought the calls of the big three nighttime birds – Fiery-necked Nightjar, Spotted Thick-Knee and Spotted Eagle-Owl

Day 2 – Chilling in Welbedacht Nature Reserve

We awoke to a warm sunny day and decided to make it a ‘rest’ day and just stay at our cosy cottage all day. That was a good decision as we were feeling the effects of a particularly busy time of late.

The view of the reserve from the cottage

After a late lie in and breakfast, I spent time on the stoep boosting my bird list, then scouted around the cottage for interesting flowers. I followed that with a short walk along the track leading to the other cottages.

There were plenty of flowers – and birds – to keep me occupied, the birds are typical of those I know so well from the Mossel Bay fynbos habitat, with Yellow and Cape Canaries and Streaky-headed Seedeaters visible and audible throughout the day.

Streaky-headed Seedeater *Crithagra gularis* (Streepkopkanarie), Welbedacht Nature Resrerve near Tulbagh

Karoo Prinias were not far behind, and Cape Robin-Chats made regular visits to the patio in the hope of picking up crumbs from our breakfast rusks.

Karoo Prinia *Prinia maculosa* (Karoolangstertjie), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Cape Robin-Chat *Cossypha caffra* (Gewone janfrederik), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Flowers were colourful and varied, with two that were growing close to the cottage stimulating our curiosity, until Gerda matched the photos with illustrations in her wildflowers book and found that both were a type of wild Orchid.

It’s easy to overlook a flower when it is surrounded by undergrowth and in the shade, appearing quite nondescript ….

Orange Satyre *Satyrium coriifolium* (Ewwa-trewwa), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Get closer – on your knees if necessary – and the flower reveals its special beauty

We took a late afternoon drive to see what else the nature reserve had to offer and explored the tarred road beyond the reserve turn off to the foothills of the mountains. Fruit trees – dormant and pruned skeletons at this time of year – cover every available piece of arable land and seem to be managed by a couple of large estates.

Lichens on a rock, Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh

Apricot Tulp *Moraea ochroleuca* , Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh

Birding highlights

Klaas’s Cuckoo calling in the morning
Cape Batis briefly in the trees in front of the stoep

Cape Batis *Batis capensis* (Kaapse bosbontrokkie)

Brimstone Canary visited during the day

Brimstone Canary *Crithagra sulphurata* (Dikbekkanarie), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

34 added to the pentad list during the day, taking the total to 52 species

Bird migration, Birding South Africa, Waders

Small Birds taking BIG Journeys 5: It’s a Ruff Life

May 25, 2026 Don Reid 7 Comments

To repeat the intro to my previous posts on this subject ….

Many of the migrant waders – or shorebirds as they are also known – display the most Jeckyll and Hyde characteristics of all birds, living two dramatically different lives and spending time in habitats which are far removed from each other, both in distance and in nature.

Separating these two lives are amazing journeys that take these small yet hardy birds halfway across the world – and back again.

In the southern hemisphere we get to know migrant species during the months from October to April, so let’s find out a bit more by delving (again) into the typical annual life cycle of these waders.

This time it’s one of the most common freshwater waders –

Ruff (Kemphaan) Calidris pugnax

The Ruff was named for its projecting coloured ring of feathers around the neck (in breeding plumage, which we do not see in southern Africa). It is also the name given to the projecting starched frill worn around the neck during the Elizabethan era.

The genus Calidris comes from the Greek kalidris applied by Aristotle in 330BC to an unspecified sandpiper

The species name pugnax is from the Latin pugnus, the origin of the word pugnacious, so named for the energetic confrontation between males at their breeding grounds (called leks)

In a similar vein, the Afrikaans name ‘Kemphaan’ comes from the same word in Dutch, which translates literally to “combative rooster”

Identification

Male Ruffs in breeding plumage are hard to miss, as this photo (from Cornell Birds of the World) shows –

The Ruffs we see in southern Africa are in their non-breeding plumage, the males having lost the variably coloured head-tufts and ruff, leaving them quite plain by comparison to the spectacular breeding colours.

The larger size of the Ruff tends to make it a bit easier to identify amongst other shorebirds.

Females greatly outnumber males but are smaller and are called Reeves

What to look out for –

size : 20 to 30cm with thickset appearance

Ruff Philomachus pugnax Kemphaan, Voelvlei near Vleesbaai

distinctive scalloped upperparts

shortish stout bill, slightly decurved

orange legs – which no similar sized wader has

An uncommon white form can be found – the white extending from the head to the upperparts and breast. I came across such a Ruff during a visit to Marievale Bird Sanctuary, south-east of Johannesburg, some years ago

Worldwide Distribution –

The orange area on the global distribution map (from Cornell Birds of the World) shows where breeding occurs in the Northern Hemisphere while the blue area, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, is where they go to ‘get away from it all’ and prepare themselves for the next round of raising a family.

Southern African Distribution

The southern African distribution map (from The Firefinch Birding app) shows the species presence across most of the region, absent only from the highlands of Lesotho.

Life in the North – Siberia’s not so bad!

As with other migrant shorebirds, Ruffs choose to breed in the Arctic and subarctic, from Scandinavia eastwards through Siberia to Chukotskiy Peninsula.

Their preferred breeding habitat is coastal to forest tundra, near small lakes, in marshes and deltas with shallow-water margins.

Their diet is mainly small terrestrial and aquatic insects, caught by pecking or probing while walking in shallow water.

Breeding – no time for headaches

Mating generally occurs at traditional ‘leks’ – arenas where males gather to display their finery and perform ritual attacks on other males – that’s the basics, it actually involves a lot more as described by Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s ‘All About Birds’ which I have ‘borrowed’ from their website :

The nest is usually a shallow scrape on the ground lined with grass, stems and leaves, concealed in marsh plants or meadow grass.

Clutches of eggs (usually 4) are laid and incubated by the female only for about 3 weeks. Fledging some 3 to 4 weeks later, the fledglings are independent soon thereafter, facing the many dangers that young birds are subject to.

Migration – It’s getting too cold, let’s head south

The most easterly populations of Ruff are the longest distance, terrestrial migrants in the world, travelling some 16,000 kms between breeding and non-breeding grounds.

Those heading to southern Africa are thought to set off from Siberia from where they head south via the Black and Caspian Seas before passing along the Rift Valley and spreading out over southern Africa.

Adults arrive in southern Africa by mid August with juveniles following from September through to November/December

Flock of Ruffs, Devon (near Johannesburg)

Life in the South – It’s Holiday time!

Estimates of Ruffs that end up in southern Africa vary between 50 – 200,000, with just 10% of those believed to be males, so vastly outnumbered by females (no comment …!)

Favoured freshwater habitats are those with shallow water, muddy margins and short emergent vegetation, found at muddy estuaries, salt-marshes, pans, dams, vleis and the like.

Males start to lose their breeding plumage before their southward migration so are unlikely to be seen in our parts in that form, but a few early arrivals in the south may have vestiges of breeding plumage visible.

Usually found in small parties and flocks, often in the company of other waders.

Ruffs, Rooiwal Water Treatment Works Gauteng

The males depart from January to February with the females following in April to May, heading north to their breeding grounds where the cycle will start all over again…

References :

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World;

Roberts VII Birds of Southern Africa;

Firefinch app,

Collins Bird Guide;

Waders of Southern Africa

Atlasing, Bird Photography, Birding South Africa, Special Sightings

Atlasing Tales 13 – Klein Brak Estuary : A Rose amongst the Terns

April 20, 2026 Don Reid 8 Comments

Bird atlasing outings often produce a surprise or two, which can be anything from a common bird doing something unusual, or crossing paths with an uncommon species – perhaps one regarded as a rarity for the area – but could even be as simple as a species that you have not atlased for some time.

Let’s face it – birders have a myriad ways of making the seemingly ordinary something to get excited about…. which is just one of the reasons that birding is so addictive.

I like to plan an atlasing trip once a week, depending on other commitments (which are variable at our age and usually driven by family demands), and I leave it to a day or two prior to my ‘atlasing day’ to decide where to go and which pentads to atlas.

My choice of pentad for this trip in May last year was inspired by reports during the week leading up to it describing the presence of hundreds of seabirds at Klein Brak River estuary,

The pentad which covers it includes the bulk of Hartenbos, a chunk of Bayview and Voorbaai, all of which fall under Mossel Bay, and is a pentad that produces a good variety of species, both land and sea-based.

The pentad area is indicated by the red rectangle with Klein Brak Estuary in the north-east corner

On the morning, I headed straight from home to the estuary, in busy early morning traffic (Mossel Bay is no longer the quiet village we got to know), with an initial detour to the shallow vleis further up the river where I started recording on the Birdlasser app at around 7.30 am.

Twenty minutes later I had recorded 20 species, mostly common ones but including African Black Swift, Yellow-billed Duck, Three-banded Plover and both Black-headed and Grey Herons.

Pleased with the quick start, I headed to the estuary itself, found a convenient parking spot and walked across the sand, still damp from the recent tides, to where I could see bird activity in the distance.

There were hundreds of seabirds, mostly terns, on the exposed sand banks at the river mouth and wheeling about in the air above.

Moving closer, I could start identifying individual species ….

Cormorants were well represented and easy to identify as there are just two regular species in the area – Cape Cormorant (Trekkormorant) Phalacrocorax capensis and White-breasted Cormorant (Witborsduiker) Phalacrocorax lucidus

**Cape and White-breasted Cormorants**, Klein Brak River

Another regular at the estuaries and rocky shorelines, and one of my favourite birds, is the African Black Oystercatcher (Swarttobie) Haematopus moquini

**African Black Oystercatcher**, Klein Brak River

I could make out two species of Terns present – the Greater Crested Tern (Geelbeksterretjie) Thalasseus bergii – by far the most abundant tern in the area, and the Common Tern (Gewone sterretjie) Sterna hirundo, conversely less common but frequently encountered during our summer months from August through to May.

The terns were too distant for reasonable photos, but fortuitously, they started flying up river singly and in small groups, passing not far from where I was standing. The light was very favourable as I had the low sun at my back, perfect for capturing crisp photos.

That was my cue to grab my camera, adjust the settings for birds in flight, track each passing tern in flight and press the shutter button repeatedly, letting the camera’s eye- tracking technology do the rest.

This tactic usually ensures that some of the shots will be successful but does mean wading through hundreds of photos at home and selecting those that are and deleting the majority that aren’t.

This photo of the two tern species flying together was particularly pleasing as it shows the significant differences in size, plumage and bill, between the species.

**Greater Crested and Common Terns**, Klein Brak River

Another photo that I was thrilled to capture was this one of a Greater Crested Tern with a fish catch, no doubt on its way to feed its young one.

The terns that had headed up river had settled on exposed sand bars, so I followed their example and walked along the sand until I was closer, then scanned with my binos to see if there were any other species present.

A smaller tern amongst the tens of Greater Crested (Swift) Terns drew my attention, as it seemed sleeker than the similarly sized Common Terns and had a pale pinkish wash over the breast, leading me to wonder if it could be a Roseate Tern.

I managed to get a usable photo which I posted on the local birding group and very quickly had agreement that it was indeed a Roseate Tern (Rooiborssterretjie) Sterna dougallii, which is regarded as a rarity in the Western Cape.

The ‘back of camera’ shot that I posted on the Mossel Bay Birding whatsapp group

I hung around for a while longer, keeping an eye on the Roseate Tern, and was joined by another birder who had reacted to the post. It wasn’t long before a couple more Roseates joined the first one and was followed by yet more until there were a dozen or more gathered on the sand bank.

This was the first sighting of Roseates for the year for the area and was followed in the week thereafter by sightings of multiple Roseates by several birders at the same spot and at The Point.

In between all this excitement, I continued scanning the estuary for other species to add to my growing atlas card.

All three ‘local’ Kingfishers were present – Pied Kingfisher (Bontvisvanger) Ceryle rudis hovering over the river, Giant Kingfisher (Reusevisvanger) Megaceryle maxima flying about on the far side of the river and Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Bruinkopvisvanger) Halcyon albiventris calling in the distance.

On the opposite bank of the river I could make out two birds – both all white but with very different features. One had the unmistakeable, spatular-shaped bill of an African Spoonbill (Lepelaar) Platalea alba the other was a Little Egret (Kleinwitreier) Egretta garzetta – identified by its black bill and trademark yellow feet.

I still had a few other spots in the pentad to visit, so made my way back to the main road and headed to the Hartenbos River estuary which, if you are energetic enough, is a pleasant 3,5 km walk along the beach from Klein Brak estuary in the direction of Mossel Bay (I know that because my daughter and son-in-law recently did exactly that and measured the distance)

I added a number of birds in the process, including Caspian Tern (Reuseserretjie) Hydroprogne caspia and Little Grebe (Kleindobbertjie) Tachybaptus ruficollis at Hartenbos River estuary and African Fish-eagle (Visarend) Haliaeetus vocifer calling to take my pentad total to a satisfying total of 57 species

Job done, rarity found – another great morning of atlasing!

Bird behaviour, Bird in the Lens, Bird Photography, Birding South Africa, Photo Pick, Special Sightings

My Photo Pick for 2025

January 31, 2026 Don Reid 8 Comments

And here it is once again (About time did you say?) – a selection of photos that appealed to me for various reasons, not just the quality of the photo but also for the memory it left with me. I hope you enjoy scrolling through them as much as I have enjoyed taking, editing and selecting them.

I have not included the many birds I photographed during our visit to Australia as they have been included in the posts on that visit, but chose one of my favourites for the Heading photo – a pair of perky Red-backed Fairywrens that entertained me on one of my many walks

The Places

A random selection of the places we visited during the year….

Starting with Australia and the iconic Sydney Opera House

Back home, I never tire of the late afternoon views while walking the golf estate and adjacent nature trails

A Powervan, used in the past to check and maintain train tracks, was our transport one Saturday morning, taking us high up into the mountains above George

An early morning atlasing outing took me to Herbertsdale where the low-lying mist added to the beauty of the area

Hartenbos beach is a favourite dog-walking spot, especially at low tide

This was the scene as the Cape Town Stadium gradually filled up for the memorable Andrea Bocelli concert we attended there

A view to the end of the world from the Robinson Pass on the road between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn

Contrasting colours, a lone tree and several ostriches made for a unique opportunity on a mid-year atlasing trip

Canola field with Ostriches, Albertinia north area

A unplanned visit to the West Coast town of Yzerfontein not far from Cape Town was a fortunate one

The Birds

As before, I have placed them under groupings ‘borrowed’ from Firefinch which is the excellent birding app produced by Faansie Peacock (his real name!) and his team.

Faansie has a way of making birding interesting and fun and the way he categorises bird species in his app is a good example of his practical approach.

Raptors

Seeing a raptor at the roadside is always exciting and a reason to stop and have a better look – most will fly off the moment you stop, so it requires a bit of stealth to keep the car moving slowly while approaching the target and to have the camera at the ready for the moment you come to a standstill – if they do take off there’s always the chance of freezing that moment, capturing the underwing patterns and colours

African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer Visarend (juvenile), Herbertsdale east

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo Bruinjakkalsvoël, Herbertsdale road

Pale Chanting Goshawk, Herbertsdale road

Sleepers

Who else but the owls and nightjars….

Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus Gevlekte ooruil, Mossel Bay Golf Estate

Perchers

This category covers a variety of birds normally seen perched on a tree or bush or other suitable spot

African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta Donkervlieëvanger (juvenile), Hoekwil forest

Karoo Prinia Prinia maculosa Karoolangstertjie, Mossel Bay Golf Estate

Lesser Swamp Warbler, Old R62 Road near Oudtshoorn

Suckers

The curve-billed nectar-suckers

Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Mossel Bay Golf Estate

Seed-eaters

All have short, strong triangular bills suited to their main diet of seeds.

Streaky-headed Seedeater, Mossel Bay Golf Estate

Favourites

A random mix of familiar birds, often colourful and with well-known calls. Here are three Kingfishers that fall into this grouping….

Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Old R62 Road near Oudtshoorn

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Bontvisvanger, Klein Brak

Flyers

Swifts and swallows – the aerial feeders – also the most challenging to photograph unless they are resting between sorties

Brown-throated Martin Riparia paludicola Afrikaanse oewerswael, Herbertsdale southwest

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Europese swael, Herbertsdale southwest

Plungers

Mainly seabirds that forage over water – and under water

At certain times during the year terns frequent the estuaries west and east of Mossel Bay where they move about in large flocks, usually requiring an energy-sapping walk across soft sands to get into position for photography

Greater Crested Tern heading to the roost with fish catch, Klein Brak River

Runners

Small to medium-sized birds that forage on the ground

Pied Starling, Herbertsdale north beyond mountain

Large-billed Lark, Herbertsdale north beyond mountain

Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Albertinia north area

Chorister Robin-Chat Cossypha dichroa Lawaaimakerjanfrederik, Hoekwil forest

Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata Hoëveldskaapwagter, Herbertsdale road

Swimmers

Birds with webbed or lobed toes for swimming

Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus Kuifkopkormorant, Yzerfontein West Coast

Walkers

And to end off – the group of large birds with long legs that feed and nest on the ground

Birding South Africa, Holiday Trips, Land of Beauty, Stoepsitter Birding

Winter Trip to The Baths, Citrusdal

January 17, 2026 Don Reid 7 Comments

Looking back over the last year …….

Having enjoyed our time in July 2024 at The Baths near Citrusdal immensely, it was an easy decision when Andre and Geraldine (our daughter) invited us to join them again for a 10 day winter holiday visit to this most pleasant and relaxing resort set amongst hills with hot pools fed by a natural spring. Our two eldest granddaughters, both at Stellenbosch University, were ‘part of the deal’, making it extra special.

26^th JUNE TO 7^th JULY 2025

Getting there

With my webinar presentations (CPD for Quantity Surveyors) behind me on the Wednesday afternoon, we could start our packing and preparation in earnest for a Thursday departure – most of that was left for Thursday morning so I accepted that we wouldn’t be getting away until midday – fortunately our first day’s drive was around 300kms so not too onerous.

The roads were not too busy but light to heavy rain was the order of the day all the way to our overnight stop at Eikehof Farm near Worcester.

Snow on the surrounding mountains said just one thing – we were in for a chilly stay, but fortunately the chalet had a ceramic hearth and I at once set about getting a wood fire going before taking a short walk around the property.

Snow bedecked mountains around Worcester, Cape

Next morning we left at 10am with just 160 kms left to travel to The Baths so we took it super slow, ambling along at 90 or so and stopping twice, to make sure we arrived after check in time of 2pm.

Our first stop was in the charming town of Tulbagh, decided on the spur of the moment as we approached the turn-off. We were curious when we discovered that it happened to be a “Christmas in July” weekend organised by the town, so the place was buzzing with people and parked cars.

We chose Kole & Deeg restaurant for a coffee and Pasteis de Nata, which were so good we bought 6 more to take away. The drive itself was through beautiful scenic countryside and the traffic quiet until we reached the busy N7, the main road from Cape Town to Namibia.

Our second stop was at Kardoesie Padstal where we had lunch, before reaching Citrusdal and the last stretch of the trip to The Baths.

We had plenty of time to settle in and get our provisions and clothes sorted, leaving time to relax and get used to the feel of the place again.

The Daily rhythm

Our first full day at the resort was a template for the rest of the stay as we settled into a comfortable rhythm with some variations here and there.

A late lie in before making our first tea and coffee of the day accompanied by rusks. Then a visit to the hot pool for a relaxing ‘swim’ – if you can call standing neck deep in hot water and occasionally paddling about slowly ‘having a swim’. Very relaxing and takes away some of the aches and pains of senior life.

Morning tea and a light lunch out on the balcony, while watching the birds going about their own version of life in a resort – seems they have caught onto this relaxing thing as many of them seem quite laid back and accustomed to the presence of people around them.

Mid to late afternoon we head to the chalet ‘Willy’ just over a km away on the other side of the resort for some family time and the evening meal – mostly a braai – along with watching some Wimbledon tennis.

The Birding

Most of my birding was done while ‘stoepsitting’ on the balcony of our apartment which looks over a busy part of the resort where most of the accommodation is found.

Our apartment on the upper floor, with balcony

Each time I went to sit on the balcony a few House Sparrows would arrive, looking for a dropped crumb or other morsel. Okay, so maybe I created a few crumbs with a slice of bread.

The balcony is flanked by trees and bushes on both sides and across the road the mountain dominates the view with a couple of large trees at the base.

Fiscal Flycatchers were next, followed by the regulars such as Cape Bulbul, Southern Masked Weaver

Southern Masked Weaver, The Baths Citrusdal

The African Flame Tree and Honeysuckle bush were draw-cards for the Cape White Eyes, Southern Double-collared Sunbirds and Streaky-headed Seedeaters.

Southern Double-collared Sunbird, The Baths Citrusdal

Streaky-headed Seedeater, The Baths Citrusdal

Southern Boubous and Cape Robin-Chats were a bit more wary and the Familiar Chats kept their distance as well, ever on the lookout for a tiny insect to pounce on from a low branch or rock.

A Laughing Dove got into the act in its own gentle way

Passing birds added to the mix – an Olive Woodpecker chose the Namaqua Fig Tree to clamber through the branches, gleaning insects from the cracks in the bark and displaying its fine colouring.

An Outing into the Cedarberg

A chance meeting with old friends just before our trip, who recommended a visit to an area of the Cedarberg not too far from the resort, led to us undertaking a day trip to see for ourselves.

The route from The Baths took us initially back to the N7 near Citrusdal, then northwards towards Clanwilliam, taking a turnoff signposted Algeria (not the country!).

From there the road changed to dirt – good in parts, single track and bumpy in others, so the going was slow. Nevertheless, it was an interesting drive through the Cedarberg Wilderness area that we have heard many people talk about but have never experienced ourselves – mostly high mountains with rock and boulder strewn hills and an abundance of Proteas and other fascinating flowers.

After what seemed like a long drive but was just 20 kms we stopped at the Cape Nature offices at Algeria (a small settlement) for permits for the Caves we wanted to visit further on.

Moving on we headed through another pass and down into a long valley which surprisingly had planted vineyards alongside the road – they belonged to Cedarberg Wines which was our next stop to have a look around.

The wines on offer were mostly at premium prices – I like buying wines from places we visit so chose the more affordable Merlot-Shiraz blend on offer after a brief tasting session.

Having taken more time to get there than planned and being lunchtime, we decided to head to the restaurant that our friend had recommended as part of the visit. The turnoff to Kromrivier, where the restaurant is uniquely located was shortly after the winery and the road there followed a circuitous route across the ridges and into the next valley.

The road became single track in places with little visibility of oncoming vehicles due to sharp bends and scary drop-offs, so I was happy to reach the open valley without meeting any other vehicles.

The restaurant is part of a resort and the design immediately spoke of quality and attention to detail, which was borne out by the meals we ordered and enjoyed – quite amazing to find such a place in this very remote spot which apparently can be cut off for a week at a time by excessive rain. (One of the low water bridges we crossed had water lapping at the edges so would be impassable a day or two later after heavy rain fell over the whole region)

With lunch done it was close to our cutoff time of 3pm to make sure we got back to base before sunset, so we had to skip visiting the caves which had been the original idea – maybe next time! In any case we were all happy to have seen this part of the Cedarberg Wilderness before the forecast wet weather descended over the region the next day.

And just to end off, back at the resort a couple of winter blooming flowers caught my eye

Atlasing, Birding South Africa, Birding Spots, Special Sightings, Twitching

The Magic of Voëlvlei (After the Rains)

December 8, 2025 Don Reid 6 Comments

Voëlvlei

Firstly, a few facts about this well-known birding spot near Mossel Bay – well-known if you are a birder that is, particularly one who has explored the birding delights of the southern Cape.

‘Voëlvlei’ can be directly translated from Afrikaans as “Bird wetland (or pan)”, although no one would ever call it that in South Africa. ‘Voël’ is of course the Afrikaans term for ‘Bird’ and ‘Vlei’ is a widely used term for any shallow body of water such as a seasonal wetland, shallow pan or marshy depression where water collects during the wet season.

The pan at Voëlvlei only retains water during very wet years, which can be anything from 7 to 15 years apart, so when the vlei has water it very quickly becomes a magnet for waterbirds and waders, followed closely by many a keen birder out to find a variety of birds, with a strong possibility of a rare migrant wader or two during the summer months.
Voëlvlei lies about 35km south-west of Mossel Bay and is on privately owned farming ground – the owners have generously allowed access to the vlei for birders as long as they behave in a respectful way.

A track skirts the vlei on one side with entry possible from two farm gates at the northern and southern extremes (after entering or exiting it is good form to close the gate again).

My Atlasing Visits to Voëlvlei

The table above shows all my atlasing records since my first visit in December 2015 – green indicates that it was a “Full Protocol” card, which requires a minimum of two hours of intensive atlasing, the grey is for “Ad hoc” cards.

The good (or bad news depending on your inclination) is that I still have my journal records of all of the “green” cards, so join me as I return to those journals and select some of the highlights of the visits. You can, of course, skip the words and just look at the pictures, but I believe my readers are made of sterner stuff than that and are not afraid to plough through the verbiage.

14 and 18 December 2015

My first visit was 10 years ago, long before we moved permanently to Mossel Bay…

I had long read about the vlei as being a top birding spot when conditions were right. With reports trickling through of favourable water levels after good winter and early summer rains, I stopped at Voëlvlei on my way back from atlasing Gouritsmond, to find that it indeed had plenty of water and what appeared to be thousands of birds.

I did a quick list of some of the obvious birds, without going through the gate into the vlei area itself. A few days later Gerda joined me for a late afternoon visit to the vlei, when we entered Voëlvlei proper and followed the track around the east flank, then returned along the same route. The atlasing protocol allows a maximum of five days for one ‘card’ so I could add to the short list I had started on the 14th.

Birding was excellent and plentiful, the only downside being the sun in the west which created a sharp glare, making it difficult to see the birds clearly. We added 36 species to the initial 10 taking the total to 46, including ..

Pied Avocet – notable for being a ‘Year bird’ for me (Birders are such nerds)

Pied Avocet *Recurvirostra* *avosetta* Bontelsie, Voëlvlei

Hundreds of Whiskered Terns

Whiskered Tern *Chlidonias hybrida* Witbaardsterretjie, Voëlvlei

Waders such as Little Stint, Black-winged Stilt, Wood Sandpiper, Three-banded Plover, African Spoonbill and Greenshank

Black-winged Stilt *Himantopus himantopus* Rooipootelsie, Voëlvlei

Wood Sandpiper *Tringa glareola* Bosruiter, Voëlvlei

African Spoonbill *Platelea alba* Lepelaar, Voëlvlei

Swimmers – Yellow-billed Duck, Red-billed Teal, Cape Teal, Southern Pochard, Cape Shoveler and Great Crested Grebe

Southern Pochard (female) *Netta erythrophthalma* Bruineend, Voëlvlei

Booted Eagle soaring overhead
White Stork

This first visit was particularly memorable – little did I know it would be eight years before I would experience something similar at Voëlvlei…

I did atlas the pentad in the intervening years but did not include Voëlvlei itself as it had dried up completely

30th November and 2nd December 2023

Having moved to Mossel Bay in October 2023 and seeing the reports of increasing water and bird presence at Voëlvlei, I was keen to visit the spot and see for myself. Reports of rarities made it even more imperative so I set off on the last Thursday of November, the day in the week that I have tried to keep open for atlasing.

I started my pentad list along the road past Vleesbaai with a Black Harrier which I chased down the road to try and get level with it as it hunted low over the fields in true Harrier fashion, stopped quickly and rattled off a few shots – with limited success but lovely to see it in hunting mode.

Black Harrier *Circus maurus* Witkruisvleivalk, Vleesbaai area

Further on I took the turnoff to Voëlvlei and after passing through the gate I spent the next three hours carefully scanning the vlei from the track along the east flank, particularly the muddy margins which were teeming with birds.

The open waters towards the middle of the vlei as well as the surrounding dry land were equally busy with their particular species all enjoying a cornucopia of edible life.

Once again the waterbirds dominated my list …

Waders – Black-winged Stilt, Three-banded, Kittlitz’s and Common Ringed Plovers, Little Stint (lots), Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Pied Avocet, Greenshank, Blacksmith Lapwing, Grey Heron, African Spoonbill and Little Egret

Three-banded Plover *Charadrius tricollaris* Driebandstrandkiewiet, Voëlvlei

Kittlitz’s Plover *Charadrius pecuarius* Geelborsstrandkiewiet, Voëlvlei

Common Ringed Plover *Charadrius hiaticula* Ringnekstrandkiewiet, Voëlvlei

Little Stint *Calidris minuta* Kleinstrandloper, Voëlvlei

Ruff *Philomachus pugnax* Kemphaan, Voëlvlei

Grey Plover *Pluvialis squatarola* Grysstrandkiewiet, Voëlvlei

Common Greenshank *Tringa nebularia* Groenpootruiter, Voëlvlei

Little Egret *Egretta garzetta* Kleinwitreier, Voëlvlei

Swimmers – Red- billed Teal, Red-knobbed Coot, Grey-headed and Hartlaub’s Gull, Cape Shoveler, Little Grebe and South African Shelduck.

Red-billed Teal *Anas erythrorhyncha* Rooibekeend, Voëlvlei

Red-knobbed Coot *Fulica cristata* Bleshoender, Voëlvlei

Little Grebe *Tachybaptus ruficollis* Kleindobbertjie, Voëlvlei

Rarities – This visit was excellent preparation for the annual Birding Big Day just two days later when many of the same birds were recorded by our team. An added thrill was seeing two rarities which had been spotted by some of the keen birders already present –
White-rumped Sandpiper – a low-slung, longish-winged sandpiper, difficult to distinguish among the many small waders except when close to the many Little Stints present

White-rumped Sandpiper *Calidris fuscicollis* Witrugstrandloper, Voëlvlei

Western Yellow Wagtail – courtesy of one of the other teams who had it in their scope view and allowed us a quick look but it was too far for photos

An added pleasure was seeing a large flock of Greater Flamingos on the far side of the water –

Greater Flamingos *Phoenicopterus roseus* Grootflamink, Voëlvlei

10th to 13th December 2023

With Voëlvlei still attracting a lot of attention from birders and with reports of another rarity – Buff-breasted Sandpiper – being seen there, I couldn’t resist another visit just a week later.

It was a Sunday and Gerda agreed to join me, so after a traditional Sunday lunch at a country restaurant on the way (meat and three veg with rice plus a pudding) for not much money, we headed to Voëlvlei and joined several vehicles and birders with the same idea.

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper was quickly pointed out by those already present – on its own foraging in the dry, lightly grassed area away from the water – clearly a loner not interested in mingling with the many other waders in the vlei itself.

I spent a while scoping the sandpiper and taking photos of it from a distance, while recording all the other species present as they came into view.

We headed home with 34 species recorded. Feeling that the list needed boosting, I decided to include Voëlvlei in my next atlasing session on the following Wednesday, which would fall in the allowed 5 days for a “Full Protocol” card.

I arrived at the vlei mid-morning and spent three more enjoyable hours viewing the multitude of birds, adding a further 16 species to take my total to a nice round 50 for the pentad.

The White- rumped Sandpiper was still present and I spent some time trying to get better photos of this rarity – with limited success. It was difficult to get close enough to the bird, which remained among short grass tufts in the shallows of the vlei, intermingling with other waders and probing the mud constantly so that it was nigh on impossible to isolate it for a decent photo.

Waders – Black-winged Stilt, Kittlitz’s and Common Ringed Plovers, Little Stint (lots), Ruff, Pied Avocet, Blacksmith Lapwing, Grey Heron, African Spoonbill, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis and Sacred Ibis

Kittlitz’s Plover *Charadrius pecuarius* Geelborsstrandkiewiet (Juvenile), Voëlvlei

Rarities – Buff-breasted Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper *Tryngites subruficollis* Taanborsstrandloper, Voëlvlei

Swimmers – Red-knobbed Coot, Red-billed Teal, Cape Teal, Cape Shoveler, South African Shelduck
Others – Brown-throated Martin, Barn Swallow, Large-billed Lark, Red-capped Lark, Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Grey-backed Cisticola, Blue Crane, African Pipit, Capped Wheatear

Capped Wheatear *Oenanthe pileata* Hoëveldskaapwagter, Voëlvlei

Most Surprising Sighting? – most certainly seeing a Grey Heron with what looked like a Reed Cormorant (possibly a juvenile) in its bill, which it proceeded to manoeuvre into position and swallow whole! I wasn’t able to capture the final swallow as the Heron moved behind some reeds.

Grey Heron *Ardea cinerea* Bloureier, (with Reed Cormorant prey) Voëlvlei

February 2024

The vlei remained partly inundated during the most of 2024, with water levels gradually decreasing as inflow dried up.

During February reports appeared on the local birding groups of a Greater Sand Plover at Voëlvlei – I had seen this species before but just once, so at the end of my next atlasing trip I took a detour to the vlei to see if I could find it.

At Voëlvlei I was able to find and photograph the Greater Sand Plover without too much effort and to record numbers of other waders which were still plentiful.

Greater Sand Plover *Charadrius leschenaultii* Grootstrandkiewiet, Voëlvlei

Thereafter the vlei gradually dried up, leaving ever wider margins. This did not come as a surprise for those living in the Southern Cape as it has been a particularly dry year for the area.

The photo below was taken in July this year, with just the northern section having any water – a couple of weeks after this photo the vlei was bone dry.

That just raises the question that is impossible to answer – when will Voëlvlei have water again? If average statistics are anything to go by it may be 7 or more years before that happens, a sobering thought at my age, I have to say, but I am thankful to have enjoyed two bountiful birding seasons during the last 10 years.

Atlasing, Birding South Africa

Atlasing Tales 12 – North and South, Winter and Spring

November 3, 2025 Don Reid 6 Comments

These tales record some of the more memorable experiences while atlasing – in this case two atlasing outings 4 months apart in time and 1250 kms apart in distance –

And in case you’ve forgotten or have not heard of Atlasing, there’s a brief synopsis at the end of the post

North in Winter

One of my last atlasing trips in Gauteng, before our move to Mossel Bay in October 2023, was a mid-winter outing to the farming area about 30kms south-east of Pretoria, not far from the town of Bapsfontein.

Good friend Koos, also an avid atlaser, had suggested the outing and he picked me up around 6.15 am with 40 minutes to go before sunrise. We headed east along Lynnwood road extension, which was already busy with Saturday morning commuters and keen cyclists heading out along their favourite route.

At the T-junction with the R25, we turned southwards towards Bapsfontein, then east again at the Witpoort road. The road changed to gravel and heavy mist enveloped the car, slowing our progress considerably until we reached the northern boundary of our target Pentad

Pentad 2600_2830

A side road signposted “Knoppiesdam“ invited exploration and after turning off we came to a ‘gate’ – one of those unique rural designs consisting of strands of barbed wire attached to thin poles each side, one side fixed, the other side secured by loops of strong wire (known in Afrikaans as ‘bloudraad’ or “bluewire”) which allow the gate to be detached and secured as needed. The ‘gate’ has no frame so you have to pull it over to the side and lay it flat on the ground while the vehicle drives through, then attach it again before moving on.

While I was opening the gate to let Koos drive through and closing it again, an Ostrich (of the farm variety, so not recorded) approached and started doing a mating dance of sorts – this is not the first time I have experienced this when stopping near Ostriches – Koos reckoned it was my woollen beanie that caused the unwanted attention this time around!

A short distance after the gate we came to the dam where we found a group of fishermen setting up for the day and a substantial body of water largely hidden by the heavy morning mist.

As usual the first birds listed were those calling in the early morning, some visible others not – Swainson’s Spurfowl has a particularly raucous call that carries a long way in the relative peace and quiet of the countryside and was my first record of the day. That was followed quickly by several other species – Kurrichane Thrush, Red-eyed and Laughing Dove, good old Hadada Ibis and a few others.

Swainson’s Spurfowl *Pternistis swainsonii* Bosveldfisant), (taken in Kruger Park)

We lingered and listened intently while walking the shoreline of the dam as the mist slowly dissipated, revealing a few Red-knobbed Coots and Common Moorhen as well as a Little Grebe.

Little Grebe *Tachybaptus ruficollis* Kleindobbertjie

As we headed to the car Koos spotted a pair of large birds flying overhead but away from us – clearly Flamingoes! But which species – Greater or Lesser ? Fortunately they changed direction while still visible and gave us a view of their large bills, which were light coloured compared to the dark colour of the Lesser Flamingo, confirming that they were indeed Greater Flamingoes.

On the way back to the main road, more fine spotting from Koos produced two Little Bee-eaters high up in the trees.

Little Bee-eater *Merops pusillus* Kleinbyvreter, (taken in Kruger Park)

Back on the main road, the habitat of open fields with short grass and stones prompted me to comment that ‘this is Wheatear territory’ – my words were barely cold when the first Capped Wheatear was spotted, along with Red-capped Lark, Crowned Lapwing, Wattled Lapwing and African Pipit – all species that share a fondness for this habitat.

Capped Wheatear *Oenanthe pileata* Hoëveldskaapwagter

The road left the pentad so we headed quickly southwards to join up with the R50 Delmas road which took us back to the pentad. The R50 is a busy road with heavy trucks that rumble back and forward constantly, making it awkward, even dangerous to try and pull off onto the verge to check for birds. At the first opportunity we turned off onto a gravel side road to escape the traffic and were soon back into a more relaxed atlasing mode.

Long-tailed Widowbirds (almost unrecognisable in their drab winter non-breeding plumage) were next up – the males lose their long tails and most of their black colouring (summer plumage shown in the first photo below), but retain their colourful ‘epaulettes’ to differentiate them from the all-brown females (the second photo below)

Long-tailed Widowbird *Euplectes progne* Langstertflap – male in full breeding plumage

Long-tailed Widowbird *Euplectes progne* Langstertflap – female

White-winged Widowbirds (equally drab females and non-breeding males) were encountered .

White-winged Widowbird *Euplectes albonotatus* Witvlerkflap (Female)

Just after finding a Namaqua Dove, always a pleasing species to encounter, we saw a large dam some distance from the road and found a track leading to it. Hoping that we were not intruding on someone’s farm we headed a short distance down the track to the dam only to find that a few large trees had been chosen as a roost by numbers of Black-headed Herons. We watched their comings and goings for a while and picked up a few other species before heading back to the road.

Black-headed Herons at heronry, Bapsfontein Area

Black-headed Heron *Ardea melanocephala* Swartkopreier

Smaller roadside pans and dams that we stopped at further along the road held a few species such as Reed Cormorant, Malachite Kingfisher, African Snipe and Lesser Swamp Warbler, to close out the morning’s atlasing with a total of 39 species recorded in the pentad

African Snipe *Gallinago nigripennis* Afrikaanse snip

South in Spring

For my first atlasing trip proper since arriving in Mossel Bay permanently, I chose a pentad in the area between the Oudtshoorn and Herbertsdale roads.

Pentad 3405_2155

Bang on 6am I stopped in lovely rolling country with a few small farm dams and with many birds calling and I spent the next half hour listing those I could identify along with some that showed themselves.

Most prominent were the first of dozens of Common Quail that I was to hear (and encounter as described below) throughout the morning, along with Cape Spurfowl, Little Rush Warbler calling from the reeds of one of the dams and Common Moorhen.

Cape Spurfowl *Pternistis capensis* Kaapse Fisant

I could pick out Blue Cranes in a distant field – a common bird in the southern Cape but always a pleasure to see.

Blue Crane *Anthopoides paradiseus* Bloukraanvoel

Knysna Warbler calling from dense bush – I didn’t bother to try and see it as it hardly ever shows – was species number 22 after as many minutes of atlasing, after which the pace slowed somewhat, nevertheless I kept adding new species regularly.

Moving on from my first stop, the habitat changed from farming land to short grassveld, which produced three Larks in quick succession – Long-billed Lark, Large billed Lark and Cape Clapper Lark, the latter calling and displaying beautifully.

Large-billed Lark *Galerida magnirostris* Dikbeklewerik

Up ahead small birds at the edge of the road attracted my attention and a look through the binos had me grabbing my camera – there were two Common Quails pottering about in the grass tufts at roadside! This is a species which I have heard dozens of times but have only had one short glimpse in all the years of atlasing, so this was an opportunity not to miss.

Common Quail *Coturnix coturnix* Afrikaanse kwartel

I was still some distance from the quail, which is a small bird about the size of a Lark, so I tried to edge the car closer for a better photo opportunity. However they were on to me and moved further along at the same pace as the car, so I turned the car slightly sideways to get a view with the camera and took as many shots as I could. Fortunately, I managed to get a few reasonable shots – my first ever photos of this species in the bag!

After crossing over the R327 I proceeded on the Kleinberg Road and soon stopped to scan a large farm dam which lies some distance from the road. I set up my spotting scope and used the maximum zoom (60 X) to identify the many waterfowl on the dam, which included Red-knobbed Coot, Cape Shoveler and Little Grebe – all common in the area.

Cape Shoveler *Anas smithii* Kaapse Slopeend

Less common, in fact it turned out to be a new species for the pentad, was a pair of Black-necked Grebes, swimming in the middle of the dam. I have only ever found them further east at the lakes beyond the village of Wilderness so was really pleased to record them so close to Mossel Bay. They were way beyond my camera’s reach so the photo below is from a visit to Strandfontein near Cape Town.

Black-necked Grebe *Podiceps nigricollis* Swartnekdobbertjie

The dam edges had both fresh water Cormorants present – White-breasted and Reed Cormorant as well as Blacksmith Lapwing.

I continued along the road adding Red-capped Lark and Capped Wheatear before entering the next pentad, which signalled the close of the atlasing of the pentad with a total of 53 species.

Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea Rooikoplewerik

Atlasing?

Atlasing is the regular mapping of bird species in a specific area called a “pentad”. Each pentad has a unique number, based on its geographical position according to a 5 minute x 5 minute grid of co-ordinates of latitude and longitude, which translates into a square of our planet roughly 8 x 8 kms in extent.

As a registered observer / Citizen scientist under the SABAP2 program (SA Bird Atlas Project 2), I record all of the species I see or hear in a particular pentad over a period which can be anything between 2 hours and 5 days, for submission to the project database at the ADU (Animal Demography Unit) based in Cape Town.

Atlasing, Birding South Africa, Butterflies

Atlasing Tales 11 – Friemersheim and George Area

July 23, 2025 Don Reid 4 Comments

These tales record some of the more memorable experiences while atlasing – in this case during March 2023 while we were at our ‘other’ home in Mossel Bay (where we now reside permanently)

And in case you’ve forgotten or have not heard of Atlasing, here’s a brief synopsis –

George – Country roads west of town

Gerda’s last treatment, taking up most of the day at the clinic in George, meant I had a chance to do some atlasing in the area once again. I didn’t want to travel too far from George so chose a pentad directly west of the town.

Pentad 3355_2215

I headed west out of George, taking Charles street which winds through country farmland and hills before descending into Great Brak. Just after the start of the pentad the road – which is gravel most of the way – descends to the single lane bridge over the Maalgate River

There I spent some time on both sides of the river, recording Fork-tailed Drongo, Black Saw-wing, Common Quail, Little Rush Warbler and several Swallows and Swifts.

Add to that a number of waterfowl at a large dam further along the same road and I had recorded a quick 25 species in as many minutes, including a lone Purple Heron at the dam.

One of the ‘hazards’ of atlasing the country roads is encountering the occasional ‘road block’ – fortunately not of the policed kind, rather one that adds to the experience as gentle farm animals pass by the car.

After crossing the river again, a Long-crested Eagle flew over to fill my heart with pleasure – later in the adjacent pentad another (or possibly the same one) soared high above with some sort of prey gripped in its beak – this time I had my camera handy for a quick photo as it passed over me

Long-crested Eagle *Lophaetus occipitalis* Langkuifarend

After that great start, the birding slowed somewhat as I followed the road through farmlands, then headed back in the direction of George along roads that took me through the adjacent pentad.

That led to an unusual encounter with a Malachite Kingfisher, which flew across the road in front of the car, then settled on a fence – unusual because there were no dams or rivers in the vicinity. It perched long enough to allow me to take a few photos in this out of character environment.

Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata Kuifkopvisvanger

Pentad Species total : 41

Friemersheim Area

Looking to further ‘fill in’ my MBMA Project block of pentads for the year (MBMA is my acronym for Mossel Bay Municipal Area which covers 42 pentads over a wide swathe of the southern Cape from Gouritz River in the west to Glentana in the east and northwards up to the Klein Karoo), I decided to tackle the pentads covering the village of Friemersheim itself and to the west and east of it.

Pentad 3355_2210

I started in the pentad to the east of Friemersheim at 7am on the dot, travelling along Amy Searle Street northwards out of the town of Great Brak River, initially through farmland with a sprinkling of small dams on either side of the road.

First bird was a calling Burchell’s Coucal – their soft bubbling call often advertises their presence long before they show themselves – later I had a surprise close encounter with the species.

I spent some time at the first roadside dams, looking with some difficulty into the low morning sun – a Malachite Kingfisher was already active, perched on a convenient branch and plunging to catch small prey.

Several waterfowl were present, such as the ubiquitous Yellow-billed Duck, a few Red-billed Teals and a Little Grebe.

Carrying on, a field with shortish grass was the right habitat for Lapwings and produced the similar looking Black-winged Lapwings and Crowned Lapwings, the former a scarcer, sought after species, the latter far more common.

Black-winged Lapwing *Vanellus melanopterus* Grootswartvlerkkiewiet, Friemersheim area

Crowned Lapwing *Vanellus coronatus* / Kroonkiewiet

I turned off the tar road eastwards along a nondescript gravel side road, but one I had previously explored with some success. The first stretch travels through more farmland with shortish grass, which was good for Zitting Cisticola and Cape Longclaw, plus many Barn Swallows flying low and scooping flying insects out of the air.

Thereafter the road turns steeply downhill into a wooded valley with a strong river flowing at the lowest point. Halfway down I stopped for coffee and rusks and added 8 species in the 15 to 20 minutes spent listening and looking out for birds, including several forest species –

Knysna Turaco calling
Greater Double-collared Sunbird

Greater Double-collared Sunbird *Cinnyris afer* Groot-rooibandsuikerbekkie

Collared Sunbird – my first record of the species for the Western Cape
Dusky Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Drongo
Olive Bushshrike

Emerging from the valley, I continued along the road through more farmlands and rolling hills, steadily adding species to the card, which included a few more special sightings –

Spotted Flycatcher perched on a fence, allowing me to take several photos (another first record for my Western Cape list)

Spotted Flycatcher *Muscicapa striata* Europese vlieëvanger

Terrestrial Brownbul calling from dense bush – krrr – krrr – krrr is the best way I can describe this secretive species’ call
The close encounter with a Burchell’s Coucal mentioned above – I followed its progress through a tangle of long grass and bushes

Burchell’s Coucal Centropus burchellii Gewone vleiloerie

Cape Batis
White-faced Ducks at yet another roadside dam
Jackal Buzzard on a pole just before exiting the pentad

Jackal Buzzard *Buteo rufofuscus* Rooiborsjakkalsvoël

Total species for the pentad : 58

Pentad 3355_2210

The second pentad for the morning was far less productive, probably because it was close to midday when birds tend to be temporarily absent until the late afternoon ‘rush hour’ starts

My route was through Friemersheim (which has been the subject of several of my posts about the mural artwork that is a feature of this interesting village) then a circular route on the northern side of the village.

There were few highlights, but I found hundreds of Barn Swallows feeding over the fields. My last stop in the forested section produced several Cape Batises and a Butterfly gathering moisture from a puddle in the road

Cape Batis Batis capensis Kaapse bosbontrokkie (male)

Total species for the pentad : 23

Other stuff

The focus is on the birds while atlasing but there are always other things to divert the attention….

African Blue-banded Swallowtail / Papilio nireus

Bird migration, Birding South Africa, Waders

Small Birds taking BIG Journeys 4 : Wood Sandpiper

July 3, 2025 Don Reid 3 Comments

To repeat the intro to my previous posts on this subject …. Many of the migrant waders – or shorebirds as they are also known – display the most Jeckyll and Hyde characteristics of all birds, living two dramatically different lives and spending time in habitats which are far removed from each other.

Separating these two lives are amazing journeys that take these small yet hardy birds halfway across the world – and back again.

South African birders get to know migrant species during their stay in the southern hemisphere, typically during the months from October to April, so let’s find out a bit more about their ‘other’ lives by delving (again) into the typical annual life cycle of these waders.

This time it’s the –

Wood Sandpiper (Bosruiter) Tringa glareola

Affectionately called ‘Woodies’, this species is so named because they breed on swamps and peat bogs in the coniferous taiga forests of the Northern Hemisphere – who would have thought this is also a ‘Forest bird’ !

Identification and Distribution

Identification of the Wood Sandpiper is relatively easy – compared to some of the other LBW’s (Little brown waders) – and is often the first wader that novice birders will get to know as it is one of the most common freshwater waders

What to look out for –

medium size (19 – 21cm; 55 – 65g) slim, fairly long-legged, graceful
straight bill about the same length as the head, white brow extends behind eye
grey-brown above with eye-catching white ‘spotting’ , grey below

Distribution –

The southern African distribution map (from The Firefinch Birding app) shows the species presence across most of the region but absent from the Kalahari and arid west.

Life in the North

The preferred breeding habitat is the open swampy area and peat bogs in coniferous forests, scrubland between those forests and tundra

Their diet is mainly small aquatic insects, caught by pecking or probing while walking in shallow water

Wood Sandpiper, Marievale Bird Sanctuary

Breeding

The nest is usually a small scrape on the ground lined with moss, stems and leaves, in dense vegetation, but also frequently in trees in old nests of other species

Eggs (usually 4) are laid and incubated for about 3 weeks – from 7 to 10 days after hatching the male cares for the young on its own

Fledging some 3 to 4 weeks later, the fledglings are independent soon thereafter, facing the many dangers that young birds are subject to.

Migration

The birds we see in Southern Africa are thought to originate from Russia, first adults leave early July, arriving in the south from late July / August with juveniles following mainly in September and October.

Migration is undertaken at night with birds capable of single flights of up to 4000km. Overland routes are followed by small flocks or singly, mainly via the Rift Valley

Life in the South

Of the 3 million+ Woodies that head to Africa, some 50 – 100,000 end up in southern Africa, where they seek out suitable freshwater habitats. These can be anything from shallow sewage ponds to marshes, flood plains and muddy edges of streams and rivers, down to the size of a puddle.

Sometime after arrival, adults start a post-breeding moult which continues for up to 4 months, during which time all feathers are replaced with new ones.

Generally, a solitary bird except where food is abundant when they may gather in loose groups

Wood Sandpiper with Little Stint, Leeuwfontein Pan near Belfast

They start departing from late February with the majority having left by end April, heading north to their breeding grounds where the cycle will start all over again…

References : Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World; Roberts VII Birds of Southern Africa; Firefinch app, Collins Bird Guide; Waders of Southern Africa

Birding South Africa, The World around Us

Puff-adders Welcome …. Or not

April 14, 2025 Don Reid 5 Comments

I have mentioned previously the pleasure of living in an estate which adjoins a nature area, which I can access by walking a couple of hundred metres from our front door and which has an abundance of fynbos and other flora, plus enough birdlife to keep me going back several times a week.

Until last Friday I could not think of a downside to having a nature area on our doorstep, but just as we can visit the nature area with ease, so can inhabitants of the nature area just as easily visit us by heading in the opposite direction, if they are in the mood for a bit of adventure.

That last fact was brought home loud and clear by a Puff-adder that decided to come to our front door during the afternoon. Fortuitously, our son is visiting us and was in the guest bedroom close to the front entrance – he noticed that the estate’s security personnel were standing in the street looking at our house. Then he realised why – a 1m long Puff-adder was slithering across our driveway towards the front entrance!

It turns out the security people had been keeping track of the snake after it was spotted in a garden three houses down and had called the Mossel Bay Fire Brigade who have a small team that deal with such events.

We joined the security people on the driveway – via our back door of course – and watched and waited for the snake catchers to arrive. We couldn’t help thinking what might have happened if we did not get the warning and went out by our front door!

They were there within 15 minutes (Mossel Bay is fortunate to have a very well run municipality) and had the Puff-adder in a container within minutes, ready for relocation to a spot away from suburbia.

The Plan

Day 1 – Getting there

Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Day 2 – Chilling in Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Ruff (Kemphaan) Calidris pugnax

Identification

Worldwide Distribution –

Southern African Distribution

Life in the North – Siberia’s not so bad!

Breeding – no time for headaches

Migration – It’s getting too cold, let’s head south

Life in the South – It’s Holiday time!

The Places

The Birds

Raptors

Sleepers

Perchers

Suckers

Seed-eaters

Favourites

Flyers

Plungers

Runners

Swimmers

Walkers

Voëlvlei

My Atlasing Visits to Voëlvlei

14 and 18 December 2015

30th November and 2nd December 2023

10th to 13th December 2023

February 2024

North in Winter

Pentad 2600_2830

South in Spring

Pentad 3405_2155

Atlasing?

George – Country roads west of town

Pentad 3355_2215

Friemersheim Area

Pentad 3355_2210

Pentad 3355_2210

Other stuff

Wood Sandpiper (Bosruiter) Tringa glareola

Identification and Distribution

Life in the North

Breeding

Migration

Life in the South

Adventurous Birding, Atlasing and Travel