Outing to Witzands Nature Reserve and Silverstroomstrand.
20 October 2024.
Led by Daryl de Beer and Elzette Krynauw (City of Cape Town).

Almost 40 eager birders arrived at the Conservation Area’s main buildings for the club’s second outing to this spot up the West Coast. Any newcomers would have wondered if they were in the right place as they found themselves amongst an array of noisy dune buggies and leather-clad riders. However, everyone eventually located the CBC group where co-leaders Daryl de Beer and Elzette Krynauw (City of Cape Town) filled us in on the plans for the morning. The group perfectly reflected the “new look” of the CBC, with a number of very enthusiastic youngsters, families and “senior” members all present and eagerly looking forward to the morning.
We then headed back towards the R27 and turned left into the section of the reserve which contained the wetlands (Pond 7). On this short drive, several people managed to spot two White Storks circling overhead. As all the cars were being juggled into the limited parking inside the fence-line, a pale morph Booted Eagle circled low overhead. Soon a Rock Kestrel joined the list, as did species such as Malachite Sunbird, Namaqua Dove, Yellow Bishop, Karoo Prinia and others. Those lagging at the back of the group were fortunate to hear and see a small group of European Bee-eaters moving through.
Daryl had emphasised that the outing would be a nature walk rather than a pure birding outing, and the many spring flowers still in bloom soon caught people’s attention, as did the attending butterflies, beetles and dragonflies (as well as a few not-so-welcome horseflies).
After a short walk along the sandy track, we arrived at the wetlands where waterbirds abounded. Amongst the very large numbers of Red-knobbed Coot a number of other species were spotted. These included the attractive SA Shelduck, Red-billed and Cape Teal, Southern Pochard, a number of Hartlaub’s Gulls, a few Little Grebes and a single Great Crested Grebe.
Along the water’s edge there were numerous African Sacred Ibis, a few Glossy Ibis, Blacksmith Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, several Black-headed Herons as well as both Western Cattle and Little Egret.
Behind us, the bush and reed beds contained Little Rush Warbler, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Cape White-eye, Cape Robin-chat and Karoo Scrub Robin. A couple of the more diligent birders also managed to add species such as Long-billed Crombec and White-throated Canary.
Several Yellow-billed Kites flew over, and in the distance on the way back to the parked cars a circling Jackal Buzzard was spotted and added to the list. A second raptor equally distant turned out to be a Black Harrier, but this was sadly missed by most of the group.
The group then headed back onto the R27 freeway and a few kilometers farther north we turned left onto the Silverstroomstrand Road. By now the initially gentle south-easter had become fairly strong and a short walk down a gravel side-track showed that all the birds had hunkered down.
We continued to the entrance of the Resort, where the area was carefully scrutinized in the hope that a couple of the previous year’s specials may be around. Several folks managed to spot a small group of Grey-winged Francolin and Cape Bunting was added to the list.
The Large Rock Martin nest in the front of the entrance building was good to see. A fly-by by two European Bee-eaters was probably the best sighting here, as it was a lifer for Max, one of the juniors on the outing.
A number of birders now entered the Resort and looked for a sheltered area to enjoy their refreshments. From here several coastal species could be added to the list.
With the tide going out, a number of African Oystercatchers were moving about on the rocks, and a group of Sanderlings were feeding along the shoreline. In the distance the tern roost at the northern end of the beach, which contained Greater Crested, Sandwich and Common terns, was just visible and occasionally one of these birds would come gliding past.
As the south-easter grew steadily stronger, the few remaining birders headed home. It had been a very enjoyable outing (until the wind picked up). It is difficult to compile an accurate species list, but an estimate would be 65-70 species.
Photographs by Daryl de Beer, Zachariah Kaspersen, Penny Dichmont and Otto Schmidt.
Report by Otto Schmidt.