June and July was busy months for me and there wasn’t much opportunity to guide walks and drives at Rietvlei Nature Reserve the past two months. Still, on the few occasions I could, we had marvelous sightings even if the winter weather was bitterly cold!
Spotted-necked Otter
Malachite Kingfisher
African Darter
White-breasted Cormorants
Island View at Rietvlei in the early morning
Sacred Ibis
Dabchick
Sacred Ibis
White-breasted Cormorant
Grey-headed Gull
Reed Cormorant
Greater Flamingo
Egyptian Goose
Egyptian Goose
Reed Cormorant
Lesser Swamp Warbler
Red-knobbed Coot
Reed Cormorant
Crimson-breasted Shrike
Malachite Kingfisher
Wattled Lapwing
Spotted Dikkop
African Stone-chat
Common Duiker
Cape Glossy Starling
Yellow-eyed Canary
Ring-necked Parakeet
Black Sparrowhawk with a dove it killed being mobbed by a Pied Crow
Black Sparrowhawk with a dove it killed
Young Buffalo
Red Hartebeest
Island View Hide
African Stone-chat
Reed Cormorant
Buffalo bull
Buffalo bull
Crimson-breasted Shrike
Frost covering a wooden railing
Blesbok
African Pipit
Ostriches
Buffalo bull
Young buffalo
Waterbuck bull
Black-chested Prinia
Arrow-marked Babbler
Blesbok
Buffalo bull
White Rhino’s ear
Yellow-billed Duck
Green-backed Heron
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.
List of birds seen at Rietvlei Nature Reserve during June & July 2025:
| 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 |
| Amandava subflava | Rooiassie | Orange-breasted Waxbill |
| Amblyospiza albifrons | Dikbekwewer | Thick-billed Weaver |
| Anas erythrorhyncha | Rooibekeend | Red-billed Teal |
| Anas undulata | Geelbekeend | Yellow-billed Duck |
| Anhinga rufa | Slanghalsvoel | African Darter |
| Anthus cinnamomeus | Gewone Koester | African Pipit |
| Ardea melanocephala | Swartkopreier | Black-headed Heron |
| Ardeola ralloides | Ralreier | Squacco Heron |
| Astur melanoleucus | Swartsperwer | Black Sparrowhawk |
| Bostrychia hagedash | Hadeda | Hadeda Ibis |
| Burhinus capensis | Gewone Dikkop | Spotted Thick-knee |
| Butorides striata | Groenrugreier | Green-backed Heron |
| Centropus burchellii | Gewone Vleiloerie | Burchell’s Coucal |
| Ceryle rudis | Bontvisvanger | Pied Kingfisher |
| Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus | Gryskopmeeu | Grey-headed Gull |
| Circaetus pectoralis | Swartborsslangarend | Black-chested Snake Eagle |
| Cisticola fulvicapilla | Neddikkie | Neddicky |
| Cisticola tinniens | Vleitinktinkie | Levaillant’s Cisticola |
| Colius striatus | Gevlekte Muisvoel | Speckled Mousebird |
| Corvus albus | Witborskraai | Pied Cow |
| Corythornis cristatus | Kuifkopvisvanger | Malachite Kingfisher |
| Crinifer concolor | Kwevoel | Grey Go-Away Bird |
| Crithagra mozambica | Geeloogkanarie | Yellow-fronted Canary |
| Curruca subcoerulea | Bosveldtjeriktik | Chestnut-vented Warbler |
| Dendrocygna viduata | Nonnetjie-eend | White-faced Whistling Duck |
| Dendropicos fuscescens | Kardinaalspeg | Cardinal Woodpecker |
| Dessonornis caffer | Gewone Janfrederik | Cape Robin-Chat |
| Dicrurus adsimilis | Mikstertbyvanger | Fork-tailed Drongo |
| Elanus caeruleus | Blouvalk | Black-winged Kite |
| Estrilda astrild | Rooibeksysie | Common Waxbill |
| Euplectes orix | Rooivink | Southern Red Bishop |
| Euplectes progne | Langstertflap | Longtailed Widowbird |
| Fulica cristata | Bleshoender | Red-knobbed Coot |
| Gallinago nigripennis | Afrikaanse Snip | African Snipe |
| Gallinula chloropus | Grootwaterhoender | Common Moorhen |
| Icthyophaga vocifer | Visarend | Fish Eagle |
| Jynx ruficollis | Draaihals | Red-throated Wryneck |
| Lamprotornis bicolor | Witgatspreeu | Pied Starling |
| Lamprotornis nitens | Kleinglansspreeu | Cape Glossy Starling |
| Laniarius atrococcineus | Rooiborslaksman | Crimson-breasted Shrike |
| Laniarius ferrugineus | Suidelike Waterfiskaal | Southern Boubou |
| Lanius collaris | Fiskaallaksman | Common Fiscal |
| Lophoceros nasutus | Grysneushoringvoel | African Grey Hornbill |
| Macronyx capensis | Oranjekeel Kalkoentjie | Cape Longclaw |
| Megaceryle maxima | Reusevisvanger | Giant Kingfisher |
| 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 |
| Passer diffusus | Gryskopmossie | Southern Grey-headed Sparrow |
| Passer melanurus | Gewone Mossie | Cape Sparrow |
| Phalacrocorax lucidus | Witborsduiker | White-breasted Cormorant |
| Phoenicopterus roseus | Grootflamink | Greater Flamingo |
| Phoeniculus purpureus | Rooibekkakelaar | Green Wood-hoopoe |
| Platalea alba | Lepelaar | African Spoonbill |
| Ploceus capensis | Kaapse Wewer | Cape Weaver |
| Ploceus velatus | Swartkeelgeelvink | Southern Masked Weaver |
| Prinia flavicans | Swartbandlangstertjie | Black-chested Prinia |
| 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 |
| Sigelus silens | Fiskaalvlieevanger | Fiscal Flycatcher |
| 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 |
| Turdoides jardineii | Pylvlekkatlagter | Arrow-marked Babbler |
| Turdus smithi | Geelbeklyster | Karoo Thrush |
| 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 seen at Rietvlei Nature Reserve during June & July 2025:
| Scientific | Afrikaans | English |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | Rooihartbees | Red Hartebeest |
| 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 |
| Hippopotamus amphibius | Seekoei | Hippopotamus |
| Hydrictis maculicollis | Kleinotter | Spotted-necked Otter |
| Kobus ellipsyprymnus | Waterbok | Waterbuck |
| Sylvicapra grimmia | Grysduiker | Common Duiker |
| Syncerus caffer | Buffel | Cape Buffalo |
| Taurotragus oryx | Eland | Eland |
DeWetsWild 
What a dazzling array of animals and birds – well worth braving a frosty morning for such sightings!
Wonderful bird sightings, Dries!
I’ve never been or even heard of Rietvlei Nature Reserve, but it looks like a beautiful place, and I love how there’s an opportunity to see a vast variety of birds, including Cormorants. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
That Crimson-breasted Shrike is stunning!
All these animals and birds … including an otter! Marvellous.
You do have the prettiest birds, Dries.