We’ve been having loads of rain in Pretoria since mid-December and our local Rietvlei Nature Reserve has turned into a lush green paradise where even rhinos and buffalo can disappear among the tall grass, in striking contrast to the fire-ravaged veld in early spring. The reserve was even closed due to flooding for a few days in February! Nature’s resilience is remarkable! The month of February marks a year since I started guiding guests on drives and walks through this special reserve on a freelance basis, and in conjunction with Hannes Rossouw Photography we presented another “introduction to wildlife photography” workshop for aspirant wildlife photographers from Gauteng at the reserve in February as well.
Early morning at Rietvlei, on my way to meet my guests for the morning drive
Sunrise at Rietvlei
Sooty Blue butterfly pair
Speckled Rock Skink
Speckled Rock Skink
Mosquito Fish
Mosquito Fish
Common Diadem butterfly
Swainson’s Spurfowl landing on a dead branch
Storm building over Rietvlei
Storm building over Rietvlei
Heading home in the evening
The young Black-chested Snake Eagle is venturing further afield of the nest in which it was raised, though still returning to it regularly. I haven’t seen its parents at the nest at all during January and February, and suspect they’re probably coaxing the youngster to roam more widely by feeding it at other places.
Adult Black-chested Snake Eagle
Juvenile Black-chested Snake Eagle
Juvenile Black-chested Snake Eagle
Juvenile Black-chested Snake Eagle
Aside from the Black-chested Snake Eagles, Rietvlei’s grasslands, thorny thickets and wetlands are positively bursting at the seams with a wide-variety of other birds, several of them in enormous numbers.
African Black Duck
African Darter
African Quail Finch
African Stonechat
Amur Falcon
Banded Martin
Black-chested Prinia
Bokmakierie
Cape Grassbird
Cape Longclaw
Cape Longclaw
Cattle Egret
Crowned Lapwing
Diederik Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Giant Kingfisher
Hamerkop
Orange-breasted Waxbills
Ostriches dustbathing
Ostriches
Ostriches females in a tiff
Pin-tailed Whydah male displaying to the female
Pin-tailed Whydah
Red Bishop
Red-billed Quelea
Red-collared Widowbird
Red-throated Wryneck
Red-throated Wryneck
Reed Cormorant
Rufous-naped Lark
Southern Masked weaver
Spotted Thick-knee
Spotted Thick-knee
Wattled Lapwing
Willow Warbler
Yellow-billed Duck
Yellow-billed Duck
Yellow-fronted Canary
Zitting Cisticola
List of birds seen at Rietvlei in January and February 2025:
| Scientific | Afrikaans | English |
| Coturnix coturnix | Afrikaanse Kwartel | Common Quail |
| Gallinago nigripennis | Afrikaanse Snip | African Snipe |
| Fulica cristata | Bleshoender | Red-knobbed Coot |
| Elanus caeruleus | Blouvalk | Black-winged Kite |
| Telophorus zeylonus | Bokmakierie | Bokmakierie |
| Tricholaema leucomelas | Bonthoutkapper | Acacia Pied Barbet |
| Vanellus armatus | Bontkiewiet | Blacksmith Lapwing |
| Pternistis swainsonii | Bosveldfisant | Swainson’s Spurfowl |
| Buteo buteo | Bruinjakkalsvoel | Common Buzzard |
| Prinia subflava | Bruinsylangstertjie | Tawny-flanked Prinia |
| Chrysococcyx caprius | Diederikkie | Diederik Cuckoo |
| Jynx ruficollis | Draaihals | Red-throated Wryneck |
| Merops apiaster | Europese Byvreter | European Bee-eater |
| Hirundo rustica | Europese Swael | Barn Swallow |
| Muscicapa striata | Europese Vlieevanger | Spotted Flycatcher |
| Apus apus | Europese Windswael | Common Swift |
| Lanius collaris | Fiskaallaksman | Common Fiscal |
| Sigelus silens | Fiskaalvlieevanger | Fiscal Flycatcher |
| Neophedina cincta | Gebande Oewerswael | Banded Martin |
| Anas undulata | Geelbekeend | Yellow-billed Duck |
| Turdus smithi | Geelbeklyster | Karoo Thrush |
| Crithagra mozambica | Geeloogkanarie | Yellow-fronted Canary |
| Colius striatus | Gevlekte Muisvoel | Speckled Mousebird |
| Saxicola torquatus | Gewone Bontrokkie | African Stonechat |
| Burhinus capensis | Gewone Dikkop | Spotted Thick-knee |
| Dessonornis caffer | Gewone Janfrederik | Cape Robin-Chat |
| Anthus cinnamomeus | Gewone Koester | African Pipit |
| Ortygospiza atricollis | Gewone Kwartelvinkie | African Quail Finch |
| Motacilla capensis | Gewone Kwikkie | Cape Wagtail |
| Passer melanurus | Gewone Mossie | Cape Sparrow |
| Tringa hypoleucos | Gewone Ruiter | Common Sandpiper |
| Numida meleagris | Gewone Tarentaal | Helmeted Guineafowl |
| Streptopelia capicola | Gewone Tortelduif | Cape Turtle Dove |
| Centropus burchellii | Gewone Vleiloerie | Burchell’s Coucal |
| Plegadis falcinellus | Glansibis | Glossy Ibis |
| Sphenoeacus afer | Grasvoel | Cape Grassbird |
| Streptopelia semitorquata | Grootringduif | Red-eyed Dove |
| Cecropis cucullata | Grootstreepswael | Greater Striped Swallow |
| Gallinula chloropus | Grootwaterhoender | Common Moorhen |
| Passer diffusus | Gryskopmossie | Southern Grey-headed Sparrow |
| Lophoceros nasutus | Grysneushoringvoel | African Grey Hornbill |
| Bostrychia hagedash | Hadeda | Hadeda Ibis |
| Scopus umbretta | Hamerkop | Hamerkop |
| Upupa africana | Hoephoep | African Hoopoe |
| Phylloscopus trochilus | Hofsanger | Willow Warbler |
| Acridotheres tristis | Indiese Spreeu | Common Myna |
| Zosterops virens | Kaapse Glasogie | Cape White-eye |
| Acrocephalus gracilirostris | Kaapse Rietsanger | Lesser Swamp Warbler |
| Ploceus capensis | Kaapse Wewer | Cape Weaver |
| Scleroptila gutturalis | Kalaharipatrys | Orange River Francolin |
| Tachybaptus ruficollis | Kleindobbertjie | Little Grebe |
| Lamprotornis nitens | Kleinglansspreeu | Cape Glossy Starling |
| Alopochen aegyptiaca | Kolgans | Egyptian Goose |
| Vidua macroura | Koningrooibekkie | Pin-tailed Whydah |
| Euplectes axillaris | Kortstertflap | Fan-tailed Whydah |
| Vanellus coronatus | Kroonkiewiet | Crowned Lapwing |
| Trachyphonus vaillantii | Kuifkophoutkapper | Crested Barbet |
| Corythornis cristatus | Kuifkopvisvanger | Malachite Kingfisher |
| Crinifer concolor | Kwevoel | Grey Go-Away Bird |
| Cisticola juncidis | Landeryklopkloppie | Zitting Cisticola |
| Euplectes progne | Langstertflap | Longtailed Widowbird |
| Vanellus senegallus | Lelkiewiet | Wattled Lapwing |
| Dicrurus adsimilis | Mikstertbyvanger | Fork-tailed Drongo |
| Falco amurensis | Oostelike Rooipootvalk | Amur Falcon |
| Macronyx capensis | Oranjekeel Kalkoentjie | Cape Longclaw |
| Cypsiurus parvus | Palmwindswael | African Palm Swift |
| Turdoides jardineii | Pylvlekkatlagter | Arrow-marked Babbler |
| Microcarbo africanus | Rietduiker | Reed Cormorant |
| Amandava subflava | Rooiassie | Orange-breasted Waxbill |
| Anas erythrorhyncha | Rooibekeend | Red-billed Teal |
| Phoeniculus purpureus | Rooibekkakelaar | Green Wood-hoopoe |
| Quelea quelea | Rooibekkwelea | Red-billed Quelea |
| Estrilda astrild | Rooibeksysie | Common Waxbill |
| Spilopelia senegalensis | Rooiborsduifie | Laughing Dove |
| Laniarius atrococcineus | Rooiborslaksman | Crimson-breasted Shrike |
| Euplectes ardens | Rooikeelflap | Red-collared Widowbird |
| Amadina erythrocephala | Rooikopvink | Red-headed Finch |
| Mirafra africana | Rooineklewerik | Rufous-naped Lark |
| Euplectes orix | Rooivink | Southern Red Bishop |
| Urocolius indicus | Rooiwangmuisvoel | Red-faced Mousebird |
| Threskiornis aethiopicus | Skoorsteenveer | African Sacred Ibis |
| Anhinga rufa | Slanghalsvoel | African Darter |
| Laniarius ferrugineus | Suidelike Waterfiskaal | Southern Boubou |
| Prinia flavicans | Swartbandlangstertjie | Black-chested Prinia |
| Circaetus pectoralis | Swartborsslangarend | Black-chested Snake Eagle |
| Anas sparsa | Swarteend | African Black Duck |
| Ploceus velatus | Swartkeelgeelvink | Southern Masked Weaver |
| Ardea melanocephala | Swartkopreier | Black-headed Heron |
| Pycnonotus tricolor | Swartoogtiptol | Dark-capped Bulbul |
| Chalcomitra amethystina | Swartsuikerbekkie | Amethyst Sunbird |
| Apus barbatus | Swartwindswael | African Black Swift |
| Bubulcus ibis | Veereier | Western Cattle Egret |
| Icthyophaga vocifer | Visarend | Fish Eagle |
| Cisticola tinniens | Vleitinktinkie | Levaillant’s Cisticola |
| Asio capensis | Vlei-uil | Marsh Owl |
| Struthio camelus | Volstruis | Common Ostrich |
| Phalacrocorax lucidus | Witborsduiker | White-breasted Cormorant |
| Corvus albus | Witborskraai | Pied Cow |
| Lamprotornis bicolor | Witgatspreeu | Pied Starling |
| Hirundo albigularis | Witkeelswael | White-throated Swallow |
| Apus caffer | Witkruiswindswael | White-rumped Swift |
| Euplectes albonotatus | Witvlerkflap | White-winged Widowbird |
| Afrotis afraoides | Witvlerkkorhaan | Northern Black Korhaan |
The tall grass and lush vegetation is making it very difficult to see most of the mammals and especially the smaller kinds. One exception is the zebras, seeming to now prefer the reserve’s roads for walking from one grazing area to the next and giving me and my guests wonderful up-close encounters with these beautiful animals.
Black-backed Jackal with a bullfrog
Black Wildebeest
Blesbok
Buffalo
Plains Zebras
Plains Zebras
Plains Zebra
Plains Zebra female and foal
Plains Zebra foal getting a tail in the face
Plains Zebra
Plains Zebra
Plains Zebras
Red Hartebeest calf
Eland running across the road
List of mammals seen at Rietvlei in January and February 2025:
| Scientific | Afrikaans | English |
| Damaliscus pygargus | Blesbok | Blesbuck |
| Equus quagga | Bontsebra | Plains Zebra |
| Syncerus caffer | Buffel | Cape Buffalo |
| Taurotragus oryx | Eland | Eland |
| Sylvicapra grimmia | Grysduiker | Common Duiker |
| Suricata suricatta | Meerkat | Suricate |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | Rooihartbees | Red Hartebeest |
| Canis mesomelas | Rooijakkals | Black-backed Jackal |
| Hippopotamus amphibius | Seekoei | Hippopotamus |
| Antidorcas marsupialis | Springbok | Springbuck |
| Connochaetes gnou | Swartwildebees | Black Wildebeest |
| Leptailurus serval | Tierboskat | Serval |
| Kobus ellipsyprymnus | Waterbok | Waterbuck |
| Cynictis penicillata | Witkwasmuishond | Yellow Mongoose |
| Ceratotherium simum | Witrenoster | White Rhinoceros |
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 
What a gallery! It makes me long to visit again.
I hope that happens soon, john!
The header shot made me smile and that smile continued throughout the entire post. Does the African darter really have its neck twisted around once or am I not seeing correctly? I like the sunrise shot, but also Iiked everything about the post. What a plethora of riches!!
You won’t believe how supple a darter’s neck is, Janet! in Afrikaans their name is “Slanghalsvoel” which translates to “Snake-neck bird” – I think you can see why!
Oh my! So many beautiful birds!
And to think this bird-paradise is right on the edge of our capital city!
Marvellous photographs, as always. I especially enjoy seeing the Orange-breasted Waxbills and am fascinated by the most unusual (to me) sighting of the jackal with a bullfrog!!!!
What the picture doesn’t show is that the frog was still very much alive as it was being carried so gently (by jackal standards) at a trot around Rietvlei, Anne. Quite comical, though I suspect the end of the ride was less so.
Mooi fotos van koekoek. Hul is mos maar skaam ouens.(As my ma haar eiers in ‘n ander voël se nes lê sou ek ook nie graag my gesig gewys het nie). So, so bly vir die reën by julle. Daardie regte Hoëveld donderstorms is altyd ‘n belewenis. Ook die outydse geelperske reën wat nie sommer meer gebeur nie.
Ons is regtig geseend met die baie reen die afgelope ruk oor omtrent die hele land, Ineke, dog daar is nog plekke in die Noord-Kaap waar die droogte verbete vasklou.
Ek’s so bly vir die reën by julle dis tog maar al wat die natuur nodig het om te kan bly voort bestaan.