ROODEPLAAT DAM NATURE RESERVE, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA

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Article by Denni Raubenheimer; photos by Denni and Yolande Raubenheimer.

White-winged Tern. Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm F/4D, TC-14EII.

Click on photo to view larger version.

        Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve is a very nice reserve for those staying in Pretoria. It is close enough for short visits from anywhere in Pretoria, it is very affordable to visit, it offers a variety of possible activities and decent facilities, plus when you’re there you feel like you are (and are) away from the city. For those staying further away from the reserve, it is most worth visiting from a bird watching perspective, but still worth visiting for bird photographers and those that wish for a day-visit to a reserve where you can explore on foot. Although the reserve can be interpreted as having three sections, the true nature reserve is the southern section of the three.

        This article focuses on the southern section, where game, such as large antelope, is managed, and from which angling is not allowed. Hereafter, where referring to the reserve, it should be interpreted as referring to the southern section.

General info:

        The reserve lies along the southern shore of the Roodeplaat Dam and was proclaimed in 1977¹. The reserve covers an area of roughly 795 ha and is dominated by open acacia woodland, although portions of broad-leaved woodland do occur. A variety of antelope are common in the reserve. Jackals abound and small predators like Caracal and genet (possibly both Large-spotted and Small-spotted) are present. Due to an absence of dangerous game, hiking is allowed. A marked hiking trail of 7 km circles through the south-western portion of the reserve. The network of paved and gravel roads also make the reserve attractive to mountain bikers (which are allowed). Facilities include a well-planned picnic- and braai area, four bird-hides and ablutions at all the afore-mentioned, large conference facilities and self-catering accommodation ranging from chalets to a guest house which can accommodate up to 8 people. A large portion of the road network is paved and gravel roads can take you into the more remote portions of the reserve. Of the four hides, three are easily accessed by sedan vehicle. Only one of the hides is not situated on the banks of the dam and is thus productive not only for bird-watching, but also for game (when water is present). Entrance fee into the reserve is only R10 per adult and R10 per vehicle. Gate times are from 06h00 to 18h00.

        Directions: From Pretoria CBD get on N1-north and take Zambezi offramp. Turn right in Zambezi and keep straight. After crossing the intersection between the R513 (Zambezi) and the R573 keep straight for roughly 5 km and turn left on tarred road. After a further 3.7 km turn left on gravel road leading to reserve entrance.

Bird watching:

        Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve boast an impressive array of bird species. Over 250 species have been identified in the reserve and data from the South African Bird Atlas Project 2 suggests that the true number is possibly nearer to 300 than 250. This speculation of mine is based on the 9 by 8 km atlas grid in which the reserve occurs. More than 240 minimum two-hour atlas lists and a handful of shorter lists have been compiled for this grid over the past six years – and the total amount of species identified in the grid is 300! To have a look at the bird atlas project’s species list for the grid go to: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/summary_pentad.php?pentad=2535_2820. Personally, I have identified more than 120 bird species in the reserve after roughly 35 visits, not all of which included focused bird watching. I also have to add that if I had been a more experienced birder, this total would be higher.

        Bird watching at Roodeplaat can be rewarding throughout the year, but early summer is by far best. The reserve is quite good for raptors and waterbirds. African Fish-Eagles are resident and African Harrier-Hawk and European Honey-Buzzard (summer) are not uncommon. Noteworthy waterbirds to look out for are Great Crested Grebe, Goliath (uncommon), Purple (common), and Black (common at eastern-most hide) herons, Great and Yellow-billed (uncommon) egrets and White-winged Tern. In summer it seems that migrant bird species find Roodeplaat an attractive foraging/breeding grounds. Cuckoos and swallows are well represented. Atlas data suggests that at least eight cuckoo species visit the reserve in summer. Kingfishers are also well represented: Pied, Giant, Malachite, Brown-headed, Striped (inferred from atlas data), Half-collared (likewise inferred), Woodland  and Grey-headed. That’s 8 out of ten SA species, and chances are that the migratory African Pygmy-Kingfisher has just been unnoticed by atlasers.

        Also worth mentioning for bird-watchers making day-lists, or atlas-lists, is the bridge that lies north-east from the turn-off to the reserve on the main road leading past the reserve entrance. A day-list can always be augmented by birdwatching from the bridge (do not stop your vehicle on the bridge-section of the road).

Squacco Heron. Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm F/4D, TC-14EII. 1/2000s, F/7.1, ISO-640.

Seekoeigat hide. Click on photo to view larger version.

Photography:

        I would not say that Roodeplaat has as much to offer the wildlife photographer as the relatively nearby Rietvlei Nature Reserve, but for bird photographers it is well worth visiting and a given day at Roodeplaat might turn out more productive than another at Rietvlei. However, the four hides combined with the fact that you are allowed to leave your vehicle make Roodeplaat a very attractive affordable bird photography destination for those in and around Pretoria.

        In the light of my experience, I prefer spending time at the Seekoeigat hide . There is often a steady flow of White-breasted Cormorants flying past the hide as it looks out at a heronry (if that’s the right word) where cormorants and Sacred Ibis breed. Cormorants aren’t the only birds often flying by – various waterbirds fly-by and if you keep you’re eyes open interesting species will pass within photo-range. Action photos are not the only possibilities, with swimming species often close to the hide and shoreline- and trees abutting the hide on opposite sides. 

White-breasted Cormorant. Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm F/4D, TC-14EII. 1/2500s, F/7.1.

Seekoeigat hide. Click on photo to view larger version.

        The second-best photo-hide in my opinion is the eastern-most hide (which sedan vehicles can reach with due caution). To reach this hide turn in towards the office buildings and follow the gravel road past these, keeping more-or-less straight for about 1 km. Interesting species are often present around this hide (though often teasingly distant) like Black and Purple heron, Little Egret, African Jacana, Black Crake and Giant-, Pied- and Malachite kingfishers to name a few. Photographers from time-to-time put up perches close to this hide with either morning, or afternoon light in mind. These are often utilized by Pied Kingfisher and White-throated Swallow (summer). I’m sure a few lucky photographers have gotten very nice Malachite photos on these. Finally, opportunities to photograph game are not uncommon at this hide.

        The other two hides can also be good and I always try and quickly stop at the hide on the paved loop-road that lies away from the dam, which is productive for thirsty mammals, especially near sunset.   

        Photography from one’s vehicle can also be productive. The antelope species in the reserve can be quite confiding and the large number of Black-backed Jackal can offer nice photo opportunities. Furthermore, keep cameras ready near sunset and sunrise (at certain times of the year entry- and exit- times overlap with dawn and dusk) as you never know whether a caracal, or some similar night-time predator, might be encountered. 

Baby Banded mongoose. Olympus E-620. 1/640s, F/5.6.

 Click on photo to view larger version.

Final thoughts:

        Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve will continue to draw me and my wife back for more visits. Cameras will go along and binoculars too. We might sometimes leave the cameras when visiting the reserve with friends – probably then doing some hiking and spending time at the picnic area. When the need grabs me to get out and do some serious bird-watching, Roodeplaat is usually one of the options in my mind.

        I would strongly recommend visiting Roodeplaat Nature Reserve to any nature lover in and around Pretoria that has never been there before. 

Pied Kingfisher. Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm F/4D, TC-14EII. 1/2000s, F/7.1.

Seekoeigat hide. Click on photo to view larger version.

*** Due to an external hard drive presently not functioning I was unable to post a wider spectrum of photographs. I will be updating this post with mammal photos and pictures of some of the hides.

References:
1)  Roodeplaat Nature Reserve - An Unofficial Guide. www.roodeplaat-reserve.co.za.
I also liberally used the general information brochure for the reserve, which was produced by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment.  

Peregrin Falcon Delight at Rietvlei Nature Reserve

Article and photographs by Denni Raubenheimer

          Yolande and I have recommitted ourselves to posting on a regular basis on our blogs. I have a few articles in the back of my mind, but a recent visit to Rietvlei Nature Reserve (Gauteng, South Africa) has provided me with a good subject for a quick post to start the wheel into motion again.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve has given me and my wife many rewarding hours of bird watching, game viewing and wildlife photography. Recently, we have been visiting the reserve primarily for photography and when you visit a decent patch again and again you are sure to encounter great photographic opportunities.

          On the visit of interest we were a party of three photographers with two cameras and one baby to juggle (when she is older Yolande and I will be able to shoot simultaneously again:)). It was nearing late afternoon when, after having briefly stopped at Otter bridge (which is quite a productive spot for waterbirds), we headed up the road towards the reserve restaurant. At the crossing nearest to Otter bridge I spotted a raptor in a dead Bluegum tree. It was relatively high up, but it didn't look like a common species for the reserve – at least for winter months. I snapped an ID photo and re-positioned the vehicle so that the sun was roughly behind us and that my father-in-law would also be able to photograph the bird through his window. Luckily, baby was sleeping and Yolande was feeling patient :). I only realized later that it was a Peregrin Falcon – a species that I did not expect in the grassland dominated reserve. After re-positioning the car, I immediately started hoping to catch it taking flight. I was encouraged that the raptor was facing towards us and that it was facing into the wind – this meant that if it took flight its flight path would probably be roughly towards us. The waiting then began.

          I choose my camera settings for the hoped-for flight. Because the falcon was quite distant for my fixed 420 mm focal length I didn’t want my shutter speed (and thus ISO-) too high, as I would be cropping the photos. A 1/2000 s and a F7.1 (at which the D800 still has 9 cross phase detect focus points active) gave me acceptable ISOs with ISO on AUTO and using manual mode. I also wanted multiple (but not all) focus points activated in combo with Continuous Auto Focus for when the falcon would be flying. 

Peregrin Falcon testing the wind. Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm F/4D, TC-14EII. 1/1600s, F/7.1, ISO-560.

Click on images to view larger versions.

          Then the nagging question came up – what about nice portrait-type photos while the bird was still perched? The chosen settings would not give optimal photos of this type, and I didn’t even know if the raptor would take flight in the time frame I had available to wait. I made minor adjustments that would produce better perched-photos, but not too great changes to not be able to quickly switch back. So I dialled the shutter speed down to 1/1600 (only one notch as I didn’t have firm support for the camera) and changed to a single activated focus point, still keeping the camera on C-AF. At least that’s how I remember it, but then the falcon gave a pre-flight wing stretch/flap, as if to test the wind and (I’m sure I did then make some sort of adjustment) then it jumped into flight. Luckily, I was then aiming through my view-finder and shooting away, frantically trying to keep the raptor in the centre of my frame.

In the end I’m very satisfied with how the three posted photos came out. Most of the other photos were sufficiently sharp, but didn’t have all the elements, like bodily position etc., just right. The metadata shows that I had not switched the SS back to 1/2000 s and also not the focus points to 21 activated points, but nevertheless the in-flight photos came out nicely for me – the wing tips just not being frozen on 1/1600 s. 

Peregrin Falcon taking flight. Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm F/4D, TC-14EII. 1/1600s, F/7.1, ISO-500.

Peregrin Falcon in flight. Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm F/4D, TC-14EII. 1/1600s, F/7.1, ISO-500.

          After identifying the raptor I was quite interested to see how often the species has been reported in recent atlas lists for Rietvlei Nature Reserve. I found this info on the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2's website (sabap2.adu.org.za). With the grid sizes used for this atlas project the reserve covers the majority of a certain grid. It is then a fair assumption that most of the lists were made inside the reserve. For all of roughly 400 minimum two-hour bird atlas lists that were made for the grid over the past 6 or so years, the species has only been listed 6 times (and that by enthusiastic bird identifiers). What this means for me is that I was blessed with a very rare photo opportunity for where I found myself and with the Peregrin being the fastest flying bird in the world (up to about 400 km/hour at maximum speed!) I am very chuffed with having caught this species nicely in flight :)