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B I R D L I F E O F E L A N D S B A Y A N D S U R R O U N D I N G S |
HABITATS
A large saline pan is present at Wadrif, and an extensive area of vlei, reed beds, marsh, and seasonally flooded grassland at Verlorenvlei. The area is predominantly West Coast strandvlei, which also occurs on the rocky hillsides and various types of low scrubby vegetation. Sandy beaches line the coast, except at Baboon Point just south of Elands Bay where there are small rocky sections.
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BIRDING
1. Moving north up the coast, Verlorenvlei is the first birding locality. The vlei itself is narrow but very long, stretching almost 30km all the way from the sea to Redelinghuys. A good variety of water birds are present including White Pelican, Hottentot Teal, South African Shelduck and Malachite Kingfisher; Purple Heron, Little Bittern, African Marsh Harrier, African Rail and Redchested Flufftail lurk in the extensive reed beds. Local rarities recorded here in recent years have included Black Egret, Goliath Heron and Palm nut Vulture. There is often a mixed gull and tern roost on the rocks and beach adjacent to the mouth of the vlei.
2. Wadrif Soutpan, about mid-way between Elandsbaai and Lambert's Bay, is a vast ephemeral saline pan cut in two by the Sishen-Saldhana railway line, which also makes a good vantage point from which to scan the pans, ideally with a telescope. Huge numbers of terns, ducks, flamingos and waders are usually present, and it is well worth scanning carefully through flocks of the latter, as the pan has in the last few years produced a number of interesting rarities including Pectoral Sandpiper and American Golden Plovers and Pacific Golden
Plovers, Black necked Grebe, South African Shelduck, and Grey Plover and Chestnut banded Plover are all regular.
3. Strandveld birds common to the whole area include European Bee-eater, Karoo Robin, White throated Canary, Southern Ant eating Chat and Fairy Flycatcher.
Acknowledgements to Claire Spottiswoode & Callan Cohen
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