Pretoria: Rietvlei Nature Reserve

The first three places in Pretoria that I would recommend for nature lovers are Rietvlei Nature Reserve, the Pretoria Botanical Gardens and Austen Roberts Bird Sanctuary. It must be noted though, that the latter two cater more for bird lovers and bird photography. Also worth note, and by no means inferior, except arguably to Rietvlei, are Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve and the Magaliesberg Mountain Range. Finally, for those seeking a relaxing walk through nature or to do some birdwatching in Pretoria East, the Fearie Glen Nature Reserve is a very affordable option. Please note that the series of articles I am writing on the nature areas in and around Gauteng will be limited to ones I have personally visited.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve is situated on the eastern outskirts of Pretoria adjacent to, and southwest of, the R50 to Delmas. One of the features of this roughly 4000 ha reserve is its wide range of mammals, ranging from mice and mongoose to black wildebeest, white rhino and a pair of cheetahs. The reserve also boasts a wide range of birds (roughly 280 species have been observed), including water-affinite species like African Fish Eagle, Kingfishers (Giant, Malachite, Pied and Half-collared are common) and Goliath Heron, a whole host of water birds and grassland species such as Korhaans (Northern Black, Barrows and Blue), Orange-throated Longclaw and African Grass Owl.

Grasslands, marshes, gently undulating hills and two dams dominate the landscape. Luckily the network of roads and 4 hides allow visitors excess to almost every nook and cranny of the reserve. Until recently there were only three hides, one at each of the dams and the other along the Vlei Route downstream of Marais Dam. The reserve’s new hide is situated on the eastern side of the Rietvlei Dam, roughly southeast of the camping area. In my opinion it is by far the best hide. It looks out onto a small island which hosts breeding colonies of Reed- and White-breasted Cormorant and allows the visitor a 270º viewing range. Grey-headed gulls, Reed-knobbed Coots, Little Grebes and African Darters are some species usually within sight. Furthermore, there are reedbeds on both sides of the hide that together with a half-drowned dead tree a few metres from the hide attract a number of birds, and offer Kingfishers desirable perches.

Another birding and photography hotspot is at the small bridge just downstream of the Marais Dam along the Vlei Route. Here my wife and I have had the opportunity to photograph Black-shouldered Kite and Malachite Kingfisher and I have read in more than one source that it is prolific for sightings of not only Malachite Kingfishers but also Pied-, Giant-, and Half-collared Kingfishers.

Visitors may enter the reserve between 05:30 and 17:00 in summer (Sept.-Mar.) and between 06:00 and 16:00 in winter. Entrance is R35.00 per person, but no fee is charged for children under the age of 12. The reserve offers accommodation in the form of two overnight huts, as well as camping in a separate portion of the reserve. Please note that the camping fee does not include entrance to the other part of Rietvlei. Finally, guided hikes and game drives are also available to the public.

All in all Rietvlei is a jewel of Pretoria that is well maintained and managed. It offers a wide variety of fauna and natural beauty in close range of the Pretoria CBD at prices affordable to the average Joe.

In my next entry I will be discussing the Pretoria Botanical Gardens and Austen Roberts Bird Sanctuary.

Denni Raubenheimer
dennirau@yahoo.com

PS: In writing this article I consulted ‘The Chamberlain Guide to Birding Gauteng’, a desirable book to any Gauteng birder. To view more photos like those shown on this blog go to www.wildlifestockimage.com.