As I was away on other tours for most of June I didn’t spend enough time at our local Rietvlei Nature Reserve to warrant a month-end update from there at the end of last month, but having now spent quite a bit more time guiding guests on drives and walks through Rietvlei this past month there’s lots to share since the previous update at the end of May. Winter’s cold has really gotten its claws into Rietvlei now – we measured a minimum temperature of -10°C (14°F) at one of the river crossings at sunrise one morning! It was therefore really surprising to see the cold blooded Nile Monitor Lizards still out and about and not hibernating. The deciduous trees have lost their leaves and the grass is now dry and brown and much thinner, making game-viewing a lot easier.
Rietvlei’s birds are always a treat, even when some of them sport frosty plumage in the early mornings – check the back of the wattled lapwing in this gallery! The count of bird species seen during our July drives and walks tallied to 79 (there’s a complete list at the end of this post) but, with the male Long-tailed Widowbirds starting to cultivate their summer finery already, that list should start expanding in the next month of two as the summer visitors arrive.
These Pied Starlings using a White Rhino bull as a catwalk for showing off was a rather amusing sighting!
As per usual Rietvlei was not going to disappoint us when it comes to the game-viewing experience!
List of birds I’ve seen at Rietvlei during June and July 2024:
| Scientific | Afrikaans | English |
| Acridotheres tristis | Indiese Spreeu | Common Myna |
| Acrocephalus gracilirostris | Kaapse Rietsanger | Lesser Swamp Warbler |
| Afrotis afraoides | Witvlerkkorhaan | Northern Black Korhaan |
| Alopochen aegyptiaca | Kolgans | Egyptian Goose |
| Amblyospiza albifrons | Dikbekwewer | Thick-billed Weaver |
| Anas capensis | Teeleend | Cape Teal |
| Anas erythrorhyncha | Rooibekeend | Red-billed Teal |
| Anas sparsa | Swarteend | African Black Duck |
| Anas undulata | Geelbekeend | Yellow-billed Duck |
| Anhinga rufa | Slanghalsvoel | African Darter |
| Anthus cinnamomeus | Gewone Koester | African Pipit |
| Ardea melanocephala | Swartkopreier | Black-headed Heron |
| Bostrychia hagedash | Hadeda | Hadeda Ibis |
| Burhinus capensis | Gewone Dikkop | Spotted Thick-knee |
| Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus | Gryskopmeeu | Grey-headed Gull |
| Circaetus pectoralis | Swartborsslangarend | Black-chested Snake Eagle |
| Cisticola fulvicapilla | Neddikkie | Neddicky |
| Cisticola juncidis | Landeryklopkloppie | Zitting Cisticola |
| Cisticola tinniens | Vleitinktinkie | Levaillant’s Cisticola |
| Colius striatus | Gevlekte Muisvoel | Speckled Mousebird |
| Corvus albus | Witborskraai | Pied Cow |
| Crinifer concolor | Kwevoel | Grey Go-Away Bird |
| Curruca subcoerulea | Bosveldtjeriktik | Chestnut-vented Warbler |
| Dendropicos fuscescens | Kardinaalspeg | Cardinal Woodpecker |
| Dessonornis caffer | Gewone Janfrederik | Cape Robin-Chat |
| Dicrurus adsimilis | Mikstertbyvanger | Fork-tailed Drongo |
| Dryoscopus cubla | Sneeubal | Black-backed Puffback |
| Elanus caeruleus | Blouvalk | Black-winged Kite |
| Estrilda astrild | Rooibeksysie | Common Waxbill |
| Euplectes orix | Rooivink | Southern Red Bishop |
| Euplectes progne | Langstertflap | Longtailed Widowbird |
| Falco peregrinus | Swerfvalk | Peregrine Falcon |
| Fulica cristata | Bleshoender | Red-knobbed Coot |
| Gallinula chloropus | Grootwaterhoender | Common Moorhen |
| Icthyophaga vocifer | Visarend | Fish Eagle |
| Jynx ruficollis | Draaihals | Red-throated Wryneck |
| Lamprotornis bicolor | Witgatspreeu | Pied Starling |
| Lamprotornis nitens | Klein Glansspreeu | Cape Glossy Starling |
| Laniarius atrococcineus | Rooiborslaksman | Crimson-breasted Shrike |
| Lanius collaris | Fiskaallaksman | Common Fiscal |
| Macronyx capensis | Oranjekeel Kalkoentjie | Cape Longclaw |
| Microcarbo africanus | Rietduiker | Reed Cormorant |
| Mirafra africana | Rooineklewerik | Rufous-naped Lark |
| Motacilla capensis | Gewone Kwikkie | Cape Wagtail |
| Netta erythrophthalma | Bruineend | Southern Pochard |
| Numida meleagris | Gewone Tarentaal | Helmeted Guineafowl |
| Oena capensis | Namakwaduifie | Namaqua Dove |
| Passer diffusus | Gryskopmossie | Southern Grey-headed Sparrow |
| Passer melanurus | Gewone Mossie | Cape Sparrow |
| Phalacrocorax lucidus | Witborsduiker | White-breasted Cormorant |
| Plectropterus gambensis | Wildemakou | Spur-winged Goose |
| Ploceus velatus | Swartkeelgeelvink | Southern Masked Weaver |
| Porphyrio madagascariensis | Grootkoningriethaan | African Swamphen |
| Prinia subflava | Bruinsylangstertjie | Tawny-flanked Prinia |
| Psittacula krameri | Ringnekparkiet | Rose-ringed Parakeet |
| Pternistis swainsonii | Bosveldfisant | Swainson’s Spurfowl |
| Pycnonotus tricolor | Swartoogtiptol | Dark-capped Bulbul |
| Saxicola torquatus | Gewone Bontrokkie | African Stonechat |
| Scleroptila gutturalis | Kalaharipatrys | Orange River Francolin |
| Sigelus silens | Fiskaalvlieevanger | Fiscal Flycatcher |
| Spatula hottentota | Gevlekte Eend | Blue-billed Teal |
| Spatula smithii | Kaapse Slopeend | Cape Shoveler |
| Sphenoeacus afer | Grasvoel | Cape Grassbird |
| Spilopelia senegalensis | Rooiborsduifie | Laughing Dove |
| Streptopelia capicola | Gewone Tortelduif | Cape Turtle Dove |
| Streptopelia semitorquata | Grootringduif | Red-eyed Dove |
| Struthio camelus | Volstruis | Common Ostrich |
| Tachybaptus ruficollis | Kleindobbertjie | Little Grebe |
| Tadorna cana | Kopereend | South African Shelduck |
| Telophorus zeylonus | Bokmakierie | Bokmakierie |
| Threskiornis aethiopicus | Skoorsteenveer | African Sacred Ibis |
| Trachyphonus vaillantii | Kuifkophoutkapper | Crested Barbet |
| Turdoides jardineii | Pylvlekkatlagter | Arrow-marked Babbler |
| Urocolius indicus | Rooiwangmuisvoel | Red-faced Mousebird |
| Vanellus armatus | Bontkiewiet | Blacksmith Lapwing |
| Vanellus coronatus | Kroonkiewiet | Crowned Lapwing |
| Vanellus senegallus | Lelkiewiet | Wattled Lapwing |
| Zapornia flavirostra | Swartriethaan | Black Crake |
| Zosterops virens | Kaapse Glasogie | Cape White-eye |
List of mammals I’ve seen at Rietvlei during June and July 2024:
| Scientific | Afrikaans | English |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | Rooihartbees | Red Hartebeest |
| Antidorcas marsupialis | Springbok | Springbuck |
| Canis mesomelas | Rooijakkals | Black-backed Jackal |
| Ceratotherium simum | Witrenoster | White Rhinoceros |
| Connochaetes gnou | Swartwildebees | Black Wildebeest |
| Cynictis penicillata | Witkwasmuishond | Yellow Mongoose |
| Damaliscus pygargus | Blesbok | Blesbuck |
| Equus quagga | Bontsebra | Plains Zebra |
| Herpestes sanguineus | Swartkwasmuishond | Slender Mongoose |
| Hippopotamus amphibius | Seekoei | Hippopotamus |
| Kobus ellipsyprymnus | Waterbok | Waterbuck |
| Leptailurus serval | Tierboskat | Serval |
| Syncerus caffer | Buffel | Cape Buffalo |
| Taurotragus oryx | Eland | Eland |
If you’d like to join me on a guided tour of Rietvlei – on a hike or on an open vehicle drive – you can book through melanie@rietvleicoffee.co.za / +27(0)74-820-9926.
DeWetsWild 
Great collection!!
Thank you very much, Kathy. Amazing to think this bountiful place is just 10 minutes from our home!
These posts of yours are a balm for my soul!
That is very kind of you, Anne. We share a love for nature and wildlife and therefore I know you would love our Rietvlei too!
Wow, what an amazing series here!
I am amazed by the number of different birds you have captured.
When we think about these national parks and what we usually see in the nature documentaries are the big cats, wilder beasts, giraffes and Rhinos, right?
Birds were hardly highlighted anywhere.
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful images and the detailed list of birds, the effort is huge!
I find, and I think that you do as well, Sreejith, that it is very fulfilling to pay attention to the smaller, lesser known animals, birds, insects and plants when we are in wild places, even if the magnet that attracted us to these places in the first place was those “big ticket” creatures.
You are absolutely right. There is so much life around and it’s totally up to us where to look.
I really hope, one day, I will be able to travel to your stunning place.
Have a beautiful day!
another post filled with marvelous birds and animals. I have to admit that reading about it being cold made me wish I were cold. Of course, I’m sometimes cold in the air conditioning, but that’s not the kind of cold I like. Lol.
You know me and cold, Janet! … 😮
Thank goodness for those first signs of spring!
🤣🤣🤣🥶
Impressive list of birds you’ve seen. Also the mammals list has many different animals. The photo Joubert took of the African Reed Warbler is a show photo. Masterpiece, Joubert.
Joubert sal baie in sy noppies wees met jou gawe kommentaar, Ineke. Baie dankie!
Hy kan hom beslis inskryf vir ‘n kompetisie.