Rust de Winter Dam & Reserve

Rust de Winter Dam and Nature Reserve lie only about 80 km north of the city of Pretoria, South Africa.  The dam covers approximately 500 hectares and is surrounded by the reserve, measuring around 1 800 hectares.  This is fairly small by South African standards but we were amazed to discover that the area boasts around 400 recorded species!  We visited the reserve in May to see what it has to offer.

The area was extremely misty and the dam looked like a place born out of Autherian legend with billowing clouds and silvered waters.  We took a ride down a fairly muddy and watery road to discover hosts of African Jacanas among the water lilies and along the shore.  Black Crake were also in evidence, hurrying away into the undergrowth at our approach.  The tangled thornbush around the dam revealed Speckled Mousebird, Cape White-eye and Crested Barbet. 

Towards the end of the morning, the mist rolled back, the sun came out – and so did the birds.  In short order, we found Red-eyed Bulbul, Red-billed Firefinch, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Natal Francolin.  An African Wild Cat also made its rather cautious appearance before slipping into the bush.  The place’s rustic camp sites were, as always, home to numerous birds.  We found several Blue Waxbills and more Red-billed Firefinches among the trees.  As we drove slowly through the reserve, Natal Francolin and Helmeted Guineafowl slid into the grass and Grey Hornbills flapped in the Acacias.  We found a picnic site which was so full of life that we decided to spend a few hours there seeing what we could find.  We were not disappointed.

Blue Waxbill

Several Blue Waxbills, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Cape White-eyes flitted among the trees.  A Chinspot Batis called its familiar three blind mice, three blind mice but did not appear to be keen on otherwise revealing its whereabouts.  A Brubru and Red-headed Finch made themselves at home among the bushveld trees while Fork-tailed Drongos hawked insects, somewhat comically, on the dirt areas of the site.  Later, a Three-streaked Tchagra appeared – quite a friendly bird but not keen to venture too far out of the leaves for photographs!  We heard African Fish Eagles calling and presently spied them perching in the tops of thorn trees, calling whenever they moved.  Two Grey Hornbills duetted to one another while Green-billed Wood-doves uttered their umistakeable calls all afternoon as the heat grew.  The dam soon mirrored the sapphire sky but we were disappointed that we didn’t see more water birds – an Egyptian Geese flew over and landed some distance away and that was about all.  A colourful monitor lizard slid into the water at our lunch spot.

Eventually, as the afternoon shadows lengthened, we decided to head for home, seen on our way by a flock of Arrow-marked Babblers and a Giant Kingfisher.