Northern Farm (Diepsloot)

This nature reserve is one of Johannesburg’s best kept secrets, with over 300 recorded species.

Specials
Yellow Wagtail, Goliath Heron, Little Bittern, Cape Longclaw, Red-capped Lark, African Fish-Eagle, African Goshawk, Osprey, African Purple Swamphen, Green-backed Heron, African Black Duck, Black-winged Pratincole and African Spoonbill. African Snipe, Red-chested Flufftail, Bar-throated Apalis, Lesser Striped Swallow, Black Crake, Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark, Maccoa Duck, Cape Shoveler and Southern Pochard are found as well. There are several other species that are hard to find in urban Johannesburg like the Orange-breasted Waxbill. Giant Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher and Brown-hooded Kingfisher are also resident in the reserve. The summer migrants also include Sedge Warbler, Great Reed-Warbler, African Reed-Warbler, Amur Falcon and Steppe Buzzard. White Stork are also seen over wintering in the reserve too.

Habitats
The reserve has a broad mix of highveld habitats. It includes grassland areas; heavily impacted by cattle grazing, mixed reed and grassland areas and agricultural fields. The wetland habitat has the usual farm dams, aqueducts or outlet areas with extensive reedbeds and riverine vegetation. There are extensive stands of exotic poplar trees throughout the reserve.

Facilities
There are basic facilities and only one hide at one of the large dams. The dirt road network is comprehensive and has routes that cover all the dams in the reserve. It is advisable to go with a birder who has been before as you can get easily lost in the reserve.

Birding
Early morning birding is recommended in summers and spring. In winter a later arrival with a longer stay is recommended, whilst summers are generally too hot at midday. Optimal times of the year for birding are autumn and early summer with the arrival or departure of the migrants. Diderick Cuckoo and Klaas's Cuckoo are commonly seen and heard throughout the spring/summer and the latter sometimes throughout the year. For heron enthusiasts there is a wide diversity of species and one can take up the challenge of separating residents from migrants, like the Little Bittern.

The dams and reed areas provide excellent birding all year round. It is advisable to bring a scope with you, as several of the dams have visible mixed heronries, waterbird nests and raptor nests. These areas have high densities of the following birds: Southern Red Bishop, Southern Masked-Weaver, Egyptian Goose, Yellow-billed Duck, Spur-winged Goose, Cape Shoveler, Red-knobbed Coot, Common Moorhen, Reed Cormorant, White-breasted Cormorant, Lesser Swamp-Warbler, Little Rush-Warbler and African Reed-Warbler. The reed areas should produce Black Crake, African Purple Swamphen, Purple Heron, Little Bittern (both races), Goliath Heron, Common Waxbill, Orange-breasted Waxbill and a variety of warblers dependent on the season.

The grassland areas in summer often have Black-winged Pratincole, Yellow Wagtail, Amur Falcon, African Pipit, and even Buffy Pipit. Nomadic birds like the Capped Wheatear are also seen regularly, and a numbers of Long-tailed Widowbird and White-winged Widowbird should be expected. Long-crested Eagle are seen regularly, while Black-chested Snake-Eagle hover over the grasslands.

The remnant woodland areas with rhus and acacia species are excellent for resident Fiscal Flycatcher as well as migratory Fairy Flycatcher. Willow Warbler and Cardinal Woodpecker are commonly seen in the woodland areas as well . Birds that are often seen in overlapping habitats include the Bronze Mannikin, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Common Waxbill, African Stonechat and Cape White-eye.

General
This reserve is approximately 45-minute drive from Johannesburg International Airport. The best access is off the N1 at the William Nicol turnoff. You head north towards the Fourways Shopping Center, there you turn left into Witkoppen Road, and right into Cedar Lane. You travel approximately 11 kilometers and the road becomes a T-Junction. You turn right at the junction and travel for approximately 6-8 km before you see a dirt road and an entrance on your left-hand side. It is not well sign posted so keep a eye out on the left.

Tickets are R12 per person (or R120 for 20 entries) and bought from SA Trails.
SA Trails is situated on the border to Northern Farm, just 2.7km down the road from the farms entrance gate. We are situated in Joburg North on the R114, just 5km from the Lion Park.

Open times: 6h30 to 17h30 - 1 April to 31 August and 6h00 to 16h00 - 1 September to 31 March

For more information contact Andre Cell: +27 83 411 7674

Website: www.northerfarm.co.za 
 

Ashwell Glasson 2001