“Binoculars ready?” The question hangs in the air as we approach the Salt Marsh hide. This isn’t just any viewpoint. It’s a portal into a world teeming with life, a place where patience is rewarded with glimpses of avian wonders.
The Salt Marsh hide offers a unique vantage point. It overlooks the Rietvlei section of the Table Bay Nature Reserve. The reserve itself is quite expansive. It covers approximately 880 hectares.
The reserve comprises diverse habitats. Permanent and seasonal wetlands define much of the landscape. Cape Flats dune strandveld and Cape Flats sand fynbos vegetation surround these wetlands.
Rietvlei Wetland sits in the Diep River floodplain. It lies between Milnerton and Table View. The Diep River eventually drains into Table Bay. It does so via the Milnerton Lagoon. The wetland boasts a variety of habitats. A permanent freshwater lake provides a constant water source. Shallow marshes flood during winter. Reed beds offer shelter and nesting sites. An estuarine lagoon with salt marshes connects to the sea. Coastal dunes link the reserve to Table Bay.
The Salt Marsh hide, like the Old Friends Hide, provides bird-watching opportunities. Boardwalks enhance the experience. Many common water birds thrive here year-round. Their large numbers create a rewarding spectacle. Red-knobbed Coot and Common Moorhen are frequently seen. Little Grebe and Great White Pelican are also common. Keep an eye out for Lesser and Greater Flamingo. Spur-winged and Egyptian Goose are present too. White-breasted and Reed Cormorant can be spotted. Also look for African Darter.
Grey, Black-headed, and Purple Heron grace the landscape. Little Egret, Cattle Egret, and Yellow-billed Egret are also present. Hadeda, Sacred, and Glossy Ibis feed in the shallows. African Spoonbill joins them. Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilt are often seen.
Common duck species include Yellow-billed Duck, Cape Teal, and Red-billed Teal. Cape Shoveller can also be found. Southern Pochard and Maccoa Duck are less common. Great Crested Grebe inhabits the open water. They are particularly prevalent in the southern section.
Kelp and Hartlaub’s Gull are usually present. Grey-headed Gull can often be spotted.
Migrant Palearctic waders arrive during summer. Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, and Ruff are abundant. Common Greenshank also appears in good numbers. Marsh, Common, and Wood Sandpiper are less common. However, they are regularly seen here.
Swift and Caspian Tern grace the skies. Sandwich Tern arrives in summer. Common and White-winged Tern can also be abundant.
Pied and Malachite Kingfisher frequent Rietvlei. Giant Kingfisher stays near the riverine habitat. Look upstream where the Diep River enters Rietvlei. Marsh Owl can be found close to Cape Town in the dense reeds.
African Fish Eagle hunts here. Black-shouldered Kite is also present. African Marsh Harrier has bred in the reedbeds. Peregrine Falcon regularly visits to hunt.
The checklist boasts around 166 species. It includes many other common and less common passerines, hirundines, and waders. Birding is generally good year-round. Spring and early summer are especially rewarding. Migrants are present, and the system holds water from winter rains.
Rare vagrants have appeared in the past. A Black Skimmer in 2012 was notable. A Common Cuckoo in 2014 also drew attention. In September 2020, a Long-toed Lapwing was spotted near the Old Friend’s Hide.
Remember to respect the environment while enjoying the Salt Marsh hide. Keep noise to a minimum. Avoid disturbing the birds or their habitats. Take only pictures and leave only footprints. The Salt Marsh hide awaits offering a window into nature’s beauty.