Text and pictures: Peter Chadwick. Article from the September 2013 issue of Country Life Magazine.
In this Overberg village, a nature reserve, dam, lagoon, river and fynbos offer abundant birdlife. And then, nearby, there are the giant great whites
A mist rose from the Willem Appel Dam. In the half-light, a large flock of roosting Cattle Egrets looked like ghosts, as they rose and fell and shifted position in the sagging reeds.
Swamphens and Black Crakes (5 on checklist) squawked raucously from deep in the reedbed and, as the morning sun reached the water, Reed Cormorants and African Darters ruffled their wings in the gnarled, dead trees, ready to take on the cold water and search for breakfast. With much wing-slapping and clawing, an angry Red-knobbed Coot chased Common Moorhens from its newly built nest, where its partner was incubating a clutch of eggs.
Surrounding this tranquillity, the village of Stanford slowly came to life. Joggers took to the lanes, and dogs happily set off on their morning walk, stopping at every pole to read last night’s newspaper and greet one another with wagging tails and a good sniff. As the town’s activity increased I found it rather strange to be standing in the centre of the village with a pair of binoculars, which probably made me look more like a peeping Tom than a bird watcher. But to everyone else my behaviour seemed the norm.
After all, the centre of their town was a birding hotspot with a very bird-friendly dam.
As the sun climbed, an elusive Little Bittern flitted between roost sites. Small bursts of mist emerged from the beaks of loudly singing Little Rush Warblers (7), Lesser-swamp Warblers and Levaillant’s Cisticolas as they proclaimed their territorial rights. Out on the water, small families of White-backed Ducks (2) fed between the Yellow-billed variety and Egyptian Geese, before moving to the far side of the dam to the lily pads, where they tucked their head under their wings and settled down for a snooze.
I left the dam and walked back to my vehicle in the village centre, and noted how many birds the numerous indigenous gardens attracted. Cape honeysuckle and flowering ericas seemed to be the favourites for Cape White-eyes, iridescent green Malachite Sunbirds, smaller but equally vibrant Orange-breasted Sunbirds (9) and Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, as well as Cape Weavers. Olive Thrushes, Laughing Doves and Cape Spurfowls wandered on the lawns while Common Fiscal and Fiscal Flycatchers watched them from their perch.
Habitat
The diverse area has mountain and coastal fynbos, and numerous wetlands, plus the river and lagoon surrounded by thicket vegetation. Farmlands bring additional worthy bird species.
Specials
- White-backed Duck
- Blue Crane
- Agulhas Long-billed Lark
- Olive Woodpecker
- Orange-breasted Sunbird
A little later I headed out of town along the eastern banks of the Klein River towards Mosaic Farm and Wortelgat. Numerous stops for birding made it a slow process. In a stand of towering eucalyptus trees, a raptor convention seemed in full swing – a quartet of African Goshawks chased after a pair of Black Sparrowhawks in the upper branches. Lower down, a Jackal Buzzard and Rock Kestrel were perched a few metres apart and eyed one another suspiciously.
The real highlight was following a screeching call to find its owner – an adult Peregrine Falcon. In the orange flowers of wild dagga plants. Streaky-headed Seedeaters (6) and Southern Double-collared Sunbirds fed on the nectar. A Cape Grassbird (3) scrambled to the top of a nearby bush and broke into beautiful liquid song. I closed my eyes to listen and also heard the calls of the Bar-throated Apalis, Red-eyed Dove, Cape Bulbul and Common Waxbill.
At Mosaic Farm I wandered through the ancient milkwood trees, where Southern Boubous, Southern Tchagras, African Dusky Flycatchers (8), Cape Robin-Chats and Speckled Mousebirds were feeding. A gentle tapping sound among some dead branches gave me a double-value sighting of Cardinal and Olive Woodpeckers (1) searching for larvae.
Numerous water birds wallowed in the shallows of a picturesque lagoon that was bordered by rising mountains. Flocks of Greater Flamingos waded between Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilts, and many Cape Shovellers, Cape Teals and Spur-winged Geese. Great Crested-, Little- and Black-necked Grebes fed between the larger ducks. At the water’s edge, Blacksmith Lapwing, Three-banded Plovers and Kittlitz’s Plovers darted about, pecking at small aquatic insects. Spaced out along the shoreline, lone Grey Herons stood patiently waiting for passing prey.
On the drive back to Stanford, I amazingly had three separate sightings of caracal sunning themselves but they sadly slunk off into cover as I stopped to watch them. After a quick stop at the corner cafe in Stanford I headed for Salmonsdam Nature Reserve, through the farmlands and vineyards. Flocks of Blue Cranes became a common sight, as did Hadedas and African Sacred Ibises, but there were far less of the extremely shy Denham’s Bustards. However, a surprise was of a pair of Karoo Korhaans (4), apparently not usually seen in this area of the Overberg. On the farm fence-posts, Large-billed Larks (10) and Agulhas Long-billed Larks called repeatedly and gave me ample opportunity for photographs. In a stand of protea bushes, Cape Sugarbirds chased one another, ignoring the Yellow Canaries and Cape Siskins that fed on the large flowerheads of proteas.
Seasons and weather
The climate is Mediterranean with warm summers and mild winters. Wind is present throughout the year with rain mainly in winter. Always be prepared for sudden changes in the weather. Summers are dry and dusty, while in winter the fynbos is lush and in flower. The best months to visit are April and September.
Get there
Stanford lies between the coastal towns of Gansbaai and Hermanus in the Overberg. It may also be reached via the R326 between Caledon and Napier.
With mid-morning fast approaching, I followed the dirt roads to the small town of Kleinbaai, famous as the great white shark cage-diving Mecca of South Africa. I had booked a trip to sea on a whale-watching boat belonging to the Deyer Island Conservation Trust and, as we headed out onto the flat green ocean, we were joined by an inquisitive Subantarctic Skua that flapped just above our heads before disappearing. Cape Gannets, Swift Terns, Kelp Gulls, Hartlaub’s Gulls, Bank Cormorants and a Caspian Tern followed in quick succession.
On rounding Deyer Island, we saw nesting Cape Cormorants, African Penguins and African Black Oystercatchers that ended off some extremely fruitful birding.
And that, of course, didn’t include the magnificent 4.5m great white shark that cruised slowly past our boat to the sound of gasps of awe and clicking cameras. What a finale.
10 specials to try and spot in Stanford in the Overberg
- The Olive Woodpecker (Gryskopspeg) inhabits forest patches and is usually found in pairs. The female has an entirely grey head, while the male is distinguished by its red crown.
- The White-backed Duck (Witrugeend) is a fairly small, compact duck that is also an excellent diver. It spends much of the day roosting among water lilies and other floating vegetation.
- The Cape Grassbird (Grasvoet) is most easily located by its liquid call as it spends most of its time in dense fynbos or rank grasslands.
- Usually found in pairs, the Karoo Korhaan (Vaalkorhaan), as its name suggests, is usually associated with Karoo scrubveld. However, in the Overberg it is found in open farmland. The male and female sing a rough-sounding duet at dawn and dusk.
- The Black Crake (Swartriethaan) is a common resident of most wetlands bounded by dense reedbeds. It is less secretive than the other crake species and may spend considerable time feeding in the open, but always close to cover.
- Occurring in small flocks, the Streaky-headed Seedeater (Streepkopkanarie) favours feeding on seeding aloes. It builds a small cup-shaped nest of rootlets that is lined with softer plant materials.
- One of the drabber warblers, the Little Rush Warbler (Kaapse Vleisanger) is a skulker, preferring to remain hidden from view in rank vegetation. It has a harsh ratchet-sounding call that accelerates towards the end of it.
- A common resident in forest edges, the Dusky Flycatcher (Donkervlieëvanger) hawks its insect prey from a prominent perch.
- The Orange-breasted Sunbird (Oranjebors-suikerbekkie) is endemic to the fynbos. The male is unmistakable with his bright orange belly, purple breast band and iridescent green head. The female is olive green.
- The Large-billed Lark (Dikbeklewerik) is a common resident in the farmlands and is best found early in the morning when it sings from prominent farm fence-posts.
Stanford Bird Fair
The annual event now known as the De Hoop Stretton’s Stanford Bird Fair takes place from 1- 6 October this year and is open to all. In addition to the exciting line-up of birding experts and presenters, there will be a number of field outings to surrounding areas that will highlight just how special a birding destination Stanford is.
Accommodation
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