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Home arrow The Sociable Nest arrow Rietvlei Nature Reserve: Update
Rietvlei Nature Reserve: Update PDF Print E-mail
Written by Candice Swarts   
Sunday, 25 July 2010

Our last trip to Rietvlei Nature Reserve was on the 7th of July.Grey-headed Gull This spontaneous decision added 3 more birds to my Rietvlei list (Rock Kestrel, African Snipe and a Green Wood-Hoopoe), pushing my list total to 137. I’m highly impressed with this total, regardless of the fact that it is only 48% of the birds recorded in Rietvlei’s pentad (2550_2815)!

The Red-knobbed Coots have four young ones ‘running’ about at Coot’s Corner Hide but other than that, all other breeding progress in the area seems to be on standby. A Little Bittern kept flying back and forth over the reeds and a Purple Heron was hunting amongst the reeds.

Some great news: my mom and I saw two pairs of Secretarybirds (it is always lovely to see them) and it looks as if a Black-chested Snake-Eagle has made itself at home on the Vlei Route. We are fairly certain that the Snake-Eagle was standing on top of a nest!


Other than that, the African Darters were causing more chaos than normal at the Bird Island View Hide and Grey-headed Gulls, along with the other water birds, showed some impressive fish catching skills…

Just for interest sake: it seems as if the Coffee Shop isn’t open during the week. 

 

 

Little Grebe

Red-knobbed Coot chasing a Moorhen

 

African Darter
 
Little Grebe (Mom's photo)

 

African Darter
 

 

Yellow-billed Duck

 

 

 

African Darter 

 

African Snipe (Mom's  photo)

 

 

» 4 Comments
1Comment
at Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:36by Jay
ah wow, Candy, you got some super shots...am most envious of the Darter with fish, tried for ages yesterday to get such a shot, no luck LOL! And WD on the total is indeed very impressive! And I feel just the same about Secretarybird sightings, so very special!
2Comment
at Monday, 26 July 2010 10:01by wildtuinman
Nice total for rietvlei, Candy! 
 
Very well done! 
 
There is a very nice article written on the breeding of Black-chested Snake-Eagles in Rietvlei. I will see if I can find it and send it to you.
3Comment
at Tuesday, 27 July 2010 09:03by MarcellC
Awesome stuff Candy and well done on that Snipe. Everybody seems to be seeing Little Bitterns except me lol
4Comment
at Tuesday, 27 July 2010 18:19by wildtuinman
As for the Black-chested Snake-Eagles breeding in Rietvlei. The article is in the 2007 October/November African Birds and Birding magazine. I am trying to get the online article for you, but there is currently a problem with their website. I will post it the moment their certificate issue is resolved. 
 
Definitely worth the read. 
 
;)
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