Ronde Vlei is only fifteen miles or so from Cape Town, but we might have been in the heart of the Sahara, so remote it seemed. Somewhere on the road to Muizenberg we cut off to the left motored until the road lost itself in the veld, and then followed a mere sandy track. (This was before the Prince George Drive and the Zeekoevlei Vlei road were made). Our car plunged through the sand dragging the trailer behind quite cheerfully to the shores of the lake, where the sand became firm enough to drive with ease. We looked for a good camping site and found a spot among the Port Jackson willows, sheltered from the wind. It did not take long to unpack and fix up our beds in the open and after tea we turned our attention to the birds. Herons, purple and grey , stalked sedately in the shallow mud banks on the edge of the vlei, a constant coming and going all the time; Egrets too, black billed and yellow billed came and went in all their white purity, while restlessly backwards and forwards flew the Terns.

photograph by Heather Howell

Wonderful to see the Pelicans and it was interesting to watch the open mouthed amazement of the boy who was with us, who had never before seen pelicans. A whole fleet of then sailed past as we sat at tea immersing their great heads and ridiculous bills completely under water, swimming onwards all the time as they fed. Then one by one they flew and a transformation took place. One no longer felt inclined to laugh at them or think them merely funny, for a flock of flying pelicans in triangular formation is a very beautiful sight, especially with the sun glittering on them showing up the rosy tinge in their plumage and they soar and soar until they disappear into the blue sky, that one cannot choose but gaze. Then again they would slowly descend and with legs stretched out glide into the water folding their wings neatly, thus concealing the broad band of black and becoming again great awkward- looking fisher birds.

photograph by Clifford Dorse

Zeekoe Vlei was not far off although not visible from our camp there being sand hills or bush between the sheets of water. It is a much greater expanse of water the Ronde Vlei but less favoured by the birds, being more sandy and less muddy. We set out to explore Zeekoe Vlei when we had had our fill of the pelican gazing. The sun was setting and in the golden  red glow we were just in time to see the flight of Flamingos outlined darkly against the sky.

photograph by Rob Lith

Next morning as soon as there was a streak of light in the sky we were awakened by the wild cries of many birds, accompanied by the booming of the waves beyond the sand hills for we were within a mile and a half of the sea, and on the other side of the mountains stretched towards Muizenberg and Cape Point and not a human thing in sight.

Here was the delight of sleeping in the open for unnoticed by the birds and sheltered as we were by the green background of Port Jackson willows, I could sit up and watch the birds from my bed without disturbing anybody.

To my joy I saw many birds I had not seen the day before. I was surprised and delighted to see five Sacred Ibis alight in the mud, opposite and begin to feed, probing their curved black beaks deep down in the mud and keeping their heads down, too intent upon their food to raise their heads for a second. I had last seen these interesting birds in Zululand and had not known that they were to be seen so near home.
Then a Great Black Stork alighted and slowly worked his way along towards the ibises a magnificent bird, glossy black and white breast, coral-red bill, legs and feet. Even if we had only seen this one bird, he alone would have been worth an expedition to Ronde Vlei.