BIRDING ON THE VAAL

Join us on a relaxing birding cruise on the Vaal River and up to Taaibosspruit on a private chartered cruiser.

The Private *Birding Charter includes the use of a luxurious cruiser for 3 hours, coffee, tea and tasty snacks.
A fully stocked bar (cash, tab, limited or specified bar) is also available. * Min 6 passengers required. Contact us for pricing.

Regularly spotted on a 3 hour Birding Cruise:

Stonechat African
Swallow Barn
Swallow Greater Striped
Swallow South African Cliff
Swallow White Throated
Swamphen African Purple
Swift African Palm
Swift Little
Swift White Rumped
Teal Red Billed
Tern Caspian
Tern Whiskered
Tern White Winged
Thrush Karoo
Tit Babbler Chestnut Vented
Wagtail Cape
Warbler African Reed
Warbler Great Reed
Warbler Lesser Swamp
Waxbill Common
Weaver Southern Masked
Weaver Thick Billed
White Eye Cape
White Eye Orange River
Whydah Pin Tailed
Widowbird Long Tailed
Widowbird White Winged

Vaal Bird Club winter CWAC on the Vaal River August 2018

At 06h30 on Saturday 18 August 2018 twenty-four enthusiastic birders met at Stonehaven-on-Vaal for the Vaal Bird Club’s bi-annual coordinated water bird count (CWAC). After a few days of warmer weather, it turned out to be a very cold and extremely windy morning. Three boats and skippers from Stonehaven-on-Vaal were used to count the water birds on the Vaal River, from the Barrage to the Taaibosspruit, including the Taaibosspruit.

The total number of water birds counted was 1708, this count was 367 more than last year’s winter count. The species count was forty different species including two new species for the river system, namely Little Stint and African Jacana (both seen on the Taaibosspruit). A noteworthy sighting was a flock of sixty Greater Flamingos flying from West to East along the river, as well as thirty-five Greater Flamingos seen flying over the Taaibosspruit.

The data gathered during a CWAC is sent through to the ADU (Animal Demographic Unit) at the University of Cape Town and is used for much needed water bird conservation around the world.

The Vaal Bird Club would like to thank Stonehaven-on-Vaal as the water bird counts on the Vaal River are fully sponsored by them.

The Vaal Bird Club meets monthly on the second Monday of the month at 19h00 at the Old Mutual Building on the corner of Frikkie Meyer Boulevard and Barrage Road.  We welcome visitors and new members.