Voëlvlei, Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay enjoys a mild all-year-round sunny climate. The best birding areas are west of Mossel Bay, off the N2, on the Gouritz River Mouth and to Herbertsdale.

Specials
Karoo birds such as Karoo Scrub-Robin, Yellow Canary, White-throated Canary, Red-capped Lark, Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Large-billed Lark occur down to the coast at Gourits River Mouth and the surrounding areas. Capped Wheatear breed in the burrows in the vicinity of Voëlvlei. Blue Crane and Denham's Bustard may be seen in the fields, and Cloud Cisticola (very spotted) in the grassland. Jacobin Cuckoo, Verreauxs' Eagle, Booted Eagle and Lanner Falcon occur.

Habitats
Farmlands with remaining pockets of Renosterveld. Reins Nature Reserve: approximately 8km west of Gourits River Mouth - consists 3550ha of unspoiled fynbos and coastal forest. The floodplain of Voëlvlei.

Facilities
Hotels, country lodges, chalets, Bed and Breakfast, Eight Bells Mountain Inn, hiking trails and picnic sites.

Birding
Voëlvlei is a floodplain west of Mosselbay, and is surrounded by farmed lands with small pockets of renosterveld. The floodplain supports a large number of waterbirds, waders and other birds dependent on the system, but in years of low rainfall the water dries up and all the birds disappear. These include in summer hundreds of Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Kittlitz's Plover and Common Ringed Plover, Black Stork and Pied Avocet feed here, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, African Fish-Eagle, Booted Eagle and Lanner Falcon.

On the road to Voëlvlei from the N2 look for Capped Wheatear, Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Large-billed Lark, Red-capped Lark, White-throated Canary, Yellow Canary, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Blue Crane, White Stork, Denham's Bustard and Verreauxs' Eagle. 19 kilometres from Mosselbay turn off the N2 at the Vleesbaai/Gourits turn off. The road passes Boggomsbaai, Vleesbaai and just before the turn off to Gourits River Mouth turn right on to a sand road, which will take you to the vlei. As this is farmland there are gates to be opened and closed and care should be taken.

General
Contact Mossel Bay Tourism - Tel: +27 691 2202 Fax: +27 44 690 3077 email: admin@visitmosselbay.co.za website: www.visitmosselbay.co.za

Anne Brash 2002