Entering the Strandveld: Silwerstroomstrand

Uniform thickets of tall vegetation line the road as you head north along the R27, beyond the ever-expanding borders of Cape Town. These alien trees, introduced from Australia in the 19th century to stabilize the dunes, continue to spread and smother the indigenous plants. Resisting most attempts to root them from the landscape, they currently pose one of the greatest threats to the natural vegetation.

As you proceed further north, the low, scrubby plant cover native to the area becomes more evident. Here referred to broadly as ‘strandveld’ (although it contains elements of lowland fynbos, see p.7), it occurs on very sandy soils and is characterized by low, dense, thicket vegetation (with many fruit-bearing shrubs) interspersed with stands of restios (brown, reed-like plants), and supports a rich bird community.

Interestingly, the prominent hill on the right, close to the R27, is the site of a battle that had a decisive influence on the course of history in South Africa. It was after this confrontation, nearly two centuries ago, that an invasion force of 63 British warships captured the Cape and brought 150 years of Dutch rule at the southern tip of Africa to an abrupt end. On the left, only 30 km from the centre of Cape Town, loom the controversial reactor domes of South Africa’s only nuclear power station, Koeberg. Black-shouldered Kite, Pied Crow and Fiscal Shrike are common roadside birds along the R27, and they are joined in summer by Steppe Buzzard and Yellow-billed Kite. From Koeberg northwards, strandveld vegetation is largely dominant and there are a number of places where one can gain access to its birds.

In early 2000, seve-ral massive fires swept over much of the West Coast south of Lange-baan and devastated huge tracts of its vegetation, which can now be seen in various stages of recovery.

Silwerstroomstrand is the closest prime strandveld site to Cape Town, and supports a rich diversity of birds. Take the ‘Silwerstroomstrand’ turn-off to the left 32.7 km, north of the ‘Dolphin Beach’ pans, and park on the edge of the road after 0.8 km.

The thicker vegetation harbours species such as the White-backed Mousebird, Karoo Lark (common, but inconspicuous), Cape Penduline Tit (p.81), 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, and Yellow and White-throated Canaries, while the more open patches should be searched for Grey-wing Francolin (their calls can be heard early in the morning), Southern Black Korhaan (p.57*), Clapper Lark (see p.116*; uncommon) and Cape Bunting. Even the rare Hottentot Buttonquail (see p.23) has been flushed here.