Rocherpan is a nature reserve on the West Coast of South Africa, 25km north of Velddrif and is under the stewardship of CapeNature. It comprises 914 ha and the reserve was established in 1967 mainly to protect the seasonal wetland. 183 bird species have been recorded here, of which 70 are waterbirds. Rocherpan is also one of the Cape Shoveller’s most important breeding and moulting sites and the African Black Oystercatcher, listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Redlist Great White Pelican and Lesser Flamingo, both of which are endangered species are found here.

It has an interesting history in that it is an artificial wetland which was created when one Mr. Rocher dammed the Papkuils River in the first half of the 19th century as a source of fresh water for farmers and passing ships. His great grand daughter still lives in Velddrif and is a friend of my parents (she incidentally is particularly good taxidermist of dead birds, but she only does so if the birds were found to have died of natural causes or roadkill). In winter the wetland lies under shallow water and sightings of duck and other waterbird species are plentiful. As summer progresses and the waters recede, sightings of waders become more plentiful. The surrounding strandveld yields sightings of passerines common to this area as well as the odd Ostrich. There are 2 bird hides, both which offer beautiful views of the wetland and the surroundings. I was unable to find an official birdlist for this reserve so can only list my personal sightings up to this point:

Little Grebe

Black-knecked Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Red-billed Teal

Cape Teal

Cape Shoveller

South African Shelduck

Yellow-billed Duck

Southern Pochard

Hottentot Teal

Grey Heron

Purple Heron

Black-headed Heron

Little Egret

Cattle Egret

Red-knobbed Coot

African Darter

White-breasted Comorant

Reed Comorant

Hadeda Ibis

Sacred Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Lesser Flamingo

Greater Flamingo

Great  White Pelican

Black-winged Stilt

Pied Avocet

Crowned Lapwing

Blacksmith Lapwing

Three-banded Plover

Kittlitz’s Plover

White-fronted Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

Common Sandpiper

Common Greenshank

Cape Spurfowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

African Marsh-Harrier

Black-shouldered Kite

White-backed Mousebird

Red-faced Mousebird

Pied Kingfisher

European Bee-eater

Malachite SunbirdSouthern

Doublecollared Sunbird

Wire-tailed Swallow

Common Fiscal

Cape Wagtail

Cape Bulbul

Cape Robin-chat

Karoo Prinia

Karoo Scrub-robin

Southern Red Bishop

Cape Weaver

Southern masked Weaver

Yellow Canary

Cape Bunting

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