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The still, aquamarine waters of the sheltered, 16-km long Langebaan Lagoon, the jewel of the West Coast, provide excellent birding. Granite inselbergs rise sharply from its northern shores, while South Africa’s largest saltmarsh lies at its southern end. The West Coast National Park has become a legendary birding site, best known for the large numbers of migrant waders that crowd the mudflats during summer. These can easily be observed from the well-positioned bird hides, offering local birders an excellent chance of finding rarities. The top-class strandveld birding, spring flowers and proximity to Cape Town (taking the direct route along the R27, it is less than an hour from the city) all make the West Coast National Park a most productive, pleasant, and accessible birding destination.

Marsh Sandpiper occurs at 1 on the Map

Approaching from the south along the R27, the well-marked turn-off to the West Coast National Park is 10.9 km beyond the R315 Yzerfontein/Darling junction. An entrance fee, which includes a map and birdlist, is payable at the gate. A meandering tar road leads northwards into the park, passing through some excellent strandveld. Roadside birding in the park is highly rewarding. Ostrich are readily seen, resembling giant prehistoric reptilians rather than birds as they stride across the vegetated dunes. Cape Francolin is very common throughout the reserve, and coveys of the smaller and scarcer Grey-wing Francolin should be carefully searched for on the road edges in the early morning and evening. Black Harrier (p.57*) may be seen quartering low over the vegetation anywhere in the park. Black-shouldered Kite prefer roadside perches, and many roost communally at night in the large reedbeds on the eastern side of the lagoon, after gathering in one of the lonely palms trees in this area. Flocks of Pied and Wattled Starlings occur throughout the park. Southern Black Korhaan (p.57*) is regularly seen at the roadside, especially between Geelbek and the park’s northern exit near Langebaan village.

Because the vegetation is so dense, visitors are unlikely to see many of the mammals that occur here. Two small antelope, Common Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) and Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris), are often startled at the road edges (especially in the early morning), giving a brief view of themselves before darting back into the vegetation. The peculiar tortoise roadsigns along this route refer to Angulate Tortoises (Chersina angulata), which are commonly seen crossing the park roads.

The strandveld vegetation throughout the park harbours species such as White-backed Mousebird, Karoo Lark, Cape Penduline Tit, Cape Bulbul, Cape Robin, Karoo Robin, Titbabbler, Layard’s Titbabbler, Grey-backed Cisticola, Long-billed Crombec, Bar-throated Apalis, Grassbird, Bokmakierie, Lesser Double-collared Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Cape Weaver, White-throated Canary, Yellow Canary and Cape Bunting.

Check for Pearl-breasted Swallow among the flocks of commoner European and White-throated Swallows.

The Geelbek mudflat bird hide (1 on site map overleaf) allows for superb wader watching in summer, and is arguably South Africa’s best waterbird hide. The array of desirable vagrant waders that have been found here over the last few years (see p.50) render it the favoured haunt of dedicated twitchers such as Trevor Hardaker, who make the pilgrimage here with fanatical regularity. It allows for close-up views of a large diversity of wading species; common summer migrants include Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Sanderling, Knot, Turnstone, Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper (unusually common here), Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, and a smaller number of resident White-fronted and Chestnut-banded Plovers. A few of the localized Curlew are always present, and it usually takes some careful scanning to pick up the scarce but regular Terek Sandpiper and, with luck, Greater Sandplover or Redshank.

Timing is very important: the area is at its most rewarding on the correct part of the tidal cycle. This is notoriously difficult to predict, although the best viewing usually begins about 4.5 hours after the ‘High tide in Table Bay’ as listed in Cape Town newspapers. At about this time, the water drops and slowly begins to expose the mud and its invertebrates on the surface. The longer-legged waders land first, soon to be joined by the smaller species as the water recedes further still. If you get the timing wrong, try the Seeberg hide (opposite), which is better at high tide, or console yourself with the view of the distant white cliffs of the lagoon’s western shore. These were recently in the international limelight when the most ancient of recorded Homo sapiens footprints were discovered here (having lain preserved in rock for the past 117 000 years).

A wide variety of other waterbirds may be seen from the hide, including South African Shelduck. African Rail is regularly seen darting in and out of the sedges, especially in the early morning on the right-hand side of the hide. African Marsh Harrier breeds in the adjacent reedbeds, and Osprey passes overhead in summer. The approach to the hide is by way of a wooden boardwalk that serves to protect a splendid tract of multicoloured saltmarsh. This endangered vegetation type is very sensitive to disturbance and takes many years to recover from damage from trampling. Check the small pools here for Kittlitz’s Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Blacksmith Plover and Cape Wagtail. Noisy Levaillant’s Cisticola, African Sedge Warbler and Cape Reed Warbler occur in the adjacent reedbeds.

Cape Francolin are common in the Park

The Geelbek manor house (2 on map), restored in the typical Cape Dutch style, has a small restaurant with tame Cape Francolins and Cape Weavers in attendance. Acacia Pied Barbet, Titbabbler and the occasional Cardinal Woodpecker frequent the stands of largely alien trees. A further two bird hides (and another in preparation, sponsored by the Cape Bird Club) are located at a pan on the edge of a vast saltmarsh (3), a 20-minute walk from the manor house. Starting at the parking area, it passes through old farmlands where Thick-billed Lark, Levaillant’s (near water) and Grey-backed Cisticolas, Stonechat and Cape Sparrow are common. The number of birds on this saltpan depends on the water level, and on the state of the tide; high tide is best, as many birds roost here when forced off their mudflat feeding grounds.

The Geelbek manor house (2 on map), restored in the typical Cape Dutch style, has a small restaurant with tame Cape Francolins and Cape Weavers in attendance. Acacia Pied Barbet, Titbabbler and the occasional Cardinal Woodpecker frequent the stands of largely alien trees. A further two bird hides (and another in preparation, sponsored by the Cape Bird Club) are located at a pan on the edge of a vast saltmarsh (3), a 20-minute walk from the manor house. Starting at the parking area, it passes through old farmlands where Thick-billed Lark, Levaillant’s (near water) and Grey-backed Cisticolas, Stonechat and Cape Sparrow are common. The number of birds on this saltpan depends on the water level, and on the state of the tide; high tide is best, as many birds roost here when forced off their mudflat feeding grounds. Mainly smaller waders occur here, including large numbers of Little Stint. When water levels are low, White-fronted, Chestnut-banded and Kittlitz’s Plovers are often common. Small groups of Caspian Plover, a species unknown elsewhere in the Cape, have in recent years regularly been seen in this vicinity. Keep a look out overhead for Peregrine Falcon, which consistently harass the waders.

On the road to Langebaan village, the Seeberg lookout (4) can be seen perched on a granite hillock, and provides a panoramic view of the lagoon. It is worth scanning for Black Harrier (p.57*) in this vicinity. The granite boulders below are home to a group of dassies (Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis). The viewsite is reached by a short, unsurfaced road that is probably the best place in the park to look for Southern Black Korhaan (p.57*). This small bustard is often seen at close quarters in the open areas near the viewsite parking area, especially in the morning and evening. Also look out for Grey-wing Francolin.

The short road down to the Seeberg hide (5) offers good strandveld birding, and is covered with flowers during spring. The low ridge of dunes on the right, about 100 m down the road, is home to a covey of Grey-wing Francolin, which are almost always found in this vicinity. Most of the strandveld species can be seen at the parking area near the hide, including Cape Penduline Tit (p.81) and Layard’s Titbabbler. Although the Seeberg hide is not as well situated as that at Geelbek, it offers a good selection of waders and terns, especially at high tide. Large numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit may be seen here, and Little Tern often roosts on the closest sandbank.

Abrahamskraal waterhole (6) is one of the only sources of fresh water in the park, and many birds come here to drink, including Namaqua Dove, Wattled Starling, White-throated and Yellow Canaries, and Cape Bunting. Cape Reed Warbler, African Sedge Warbler and Levaillant’s Cisticola are common and easily seen in the reeds, while Black Crake skulks lower down at the reed bases. A variety of widespread waterbirds also occur here, including African Spoonbill, Moorhen and Three-banded Plover. Brown-throated Martin hunts overhead.

The viewsite at 7 offers not only panoramic views over the lagoon and sea, but is a good spot to look for Karoo Lark. The northwestern Postberg section of the park (8) is open only during the flower season (August to October). Dominated by sloping meadows strewn with granite boulders, this part of the reserve offers spectacular scenery, excellent flower viewing, pleasant birding and a variety of introduced game species, including Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) and Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis). There is year-round access to the sea at Tsaarsbank (at 9, outside the Postberg section), where African Black Oystercatcher (p.32*) and Cape, White-breasted and Crowned Cormorants occur on the rocks. Cape Gannet and White-chinned Petrel can often be seen offshore.