Birding in the Berg River Region on the West Coast
Birding is a healthy, happy hobby that has more and more South Africans of all ages calling themselves ‘Twitchers’.
For those starting on their birding journey – buy a bird book, a pair of binoculars and a small pocket notebook to begin cataloguing all of the birds you see when you visit Velddrif and its surrounds along the Berg River.
Nowadays everyone is looking closer to home for their much-needed breakaways. Fortunately for South Africa’s birders, there are several local spots that are easily accessible, affordable, and well worth a visit. One such oasis is RocherpanNature Reserve on the Cape’s West Coast, less than a two-hour drive from Cape Town.
Lermitage Quagga Lodge on the banks of the Berg River is a birding paradise and also is close to both the Velddrif birding hotspots and Rocherpan.
Lermitage Quagga Lodge Birdlist
- Cape Wagtail
- Y.B.Duck
- Gr.Flamingo
- L Flamingo
- B.W Stit
- Black Crowned Heron
- Purple Heron
- Black Headed Heron
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Giant Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- W.B. Cormorant
- Reed Cormorant
- Cape Cormorant
- Darter
- Cape Weaver
- Kelp Gull
- H.Gull
- Namaqua Dove
- CT Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Pied `Avocet
- R.T. Coot
- Kittlitz ‘s Plover
- Common Fiscal
- Caspian Tern
- House Sparrow
- B.S. Lapwing
- H.Guineafowl
- Spotted Eagle Owl
- Pied Crow
- C. Robin Chat
- C. Wagtail
- Common Starling
- Brimstone Canary
- Sacred Ibis
- Capped Wheat Ear
- Bokmakierie
- Speckled Pigeon
- W.B. Mousebird
- E. Goose
- Blue Crane
- Masked Weaver
- Pied Barbet
- Glossy Ibis
- L. Cisticola
- Chestnut Banded Plover
- Cape Teal
- Little Bittern
- Grey Heron
- C. Sparrow
- S.D.C. Sunbird
- C. Spurfowl
- Af. Marsh Harrier
- Brown Throated Martin
- C. Bulbul
- Karoo Scrub Robin
- Glossy Starling
- Pied Starling
- W. Throated Canary
- Rock Kestrel
- Karoo Prinia
- B.S. Kite
- Pelican
- Pearl Breasted Swallow
- Pale Chanting Goshawk
- Red Bishop
- Purple Swamphen
- Malachite Sunbird
- Speckled Mousebird
- Little Grebe
- Spoonbill
- Y.B.Egret
- R.E. Dove
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Birds of a feather flock together – where to go birding
Velddrif is famous for its flamingos but the Berg River estuary and the floodplains are rich in a wide variety of birdlife. In fact, the mudflats and saltpans that greet you on arrival support the highest density of waders along the eastern Atlantic seaboard. Here are a few of the easiest-to-reach birdwatching sites around Velddrif, as well as which birds you can expect to spot
This lovely town is one of the most popular birding sites in South Africa, with the tidal mudflats and salt marshes presenting more than 250 species of birds – that is 25% of all the bird species that have ever been recorded in the entire Southern African region.
The estuary, floodplain, and saltpans cover a large area, extending 40km inland along one of the Cape’s biggest rivers. This area encompasses a wide diversity of habitats, including sandy beaches, mudflats, reed beds, riverine channels, strandveld and floodplain, and it is famously rich in birdlife – with the highest density of waders along the eastern Atlantic seaboard.
The estuary is the third biggest in SA and is rated as one of the most important birding areas in the world.
Key Species:
The sight of hundreds of greater and lesser flamingos in a large swathe of pink is always an incredible sight.
Egyptian geese, yellow-billed ducks, Cape and red-billed teals, Cape shovelers, red-knobbed coots, spur-winged geese, moorhen, warblers, weavers, southern red bishops, kingfishers, and the African fish eagle are just a very few examples of what can be spotted here.”
Bird Watching in Bokkomlaan - you can park your vehicle and stroll along looking at Greats White Pelicans, African Marsh Harrier, Kingfishers, Grey Heron, and many more different species making it the ideal spot.
The nearby Rocherpan Nature Reserve is well worth the 25 minutes it will take to drive from Velddrif
Rocherpan
Wonderful water birds are waiting for you at Rocherpan Nature Reserve, where a combination of land, vlei, and sea support a variety of birds. Of the 180 species here, about 70 are water birds, including endangered white pelicans and greater and lesser flamingos.
The three bird hides, two on the south-western side of the vlei and one on the north-western side at Rocherpan offer you a chance to spot the birds without disturbing them
This area is one of the Cape shoveller’s most important breeding and moulting sites, and it’s a sanctuary for Southern Africa’s second-rarest coastal bird, the African black oystercatcher.
The best time to visit the reserve is in spring and early summer. The Strandveld vegetation is flowering and the associated specials are breeding. The Rocher Pan wetland, rainfall-dependent, will have sufficient water to attract numerous bird species including the summer migrants.
Birders can walk the 2.5 km Beach Trail starting at either the picnic site)which is advisable as the road to the beach can be sandy, or from the turnaround at the end of the road
Key species:
African Oystercatcher, Kelp Gull, Hartlaub Gull, Cape Cormorant, Cape Gannet, Swift Tern Cape Shoveler, Red-knobbed Coot, Greater Flamingo, Black harrier, European Bee-eater
Fun fact: ostriches also live in the area around the vlei.
History of Rocher Pan
In 1839 farmer Pierre Roche closed off the mouth of the Papskuil River to establish a grazing plane for his livestock behind the dunes. The result, years later, was a man-made seasonal wetland home today to some 170 species of birds.
In 1988 Rocherpan was declared a marine nature reserve to preserve the area. Birds roaming the wetland include the rare and endangered black oystercatcher, kelp gull, and the Cape shoveller.
Rocherpan is known for more than 170 bird species: Ludwig’s Bustard, Fulvous Duck, Hottentot Teal, Pearl-Breasted Swallow, Black-winged Pratincole
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Tel: +27 (0)87 087 4177
Open 7 days a week | R40 (adults) R20 (kids
Contact: +27 (0)79 203 1092 |
Download the Rocher Pan Birding checklist HERE
Stay at the Lermitage Game Lodge
