Rietvlei A Photographer's Guide by Will Goodlet
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Why Rietvlei?
Rietvlei nature reserve is a photographic gem although It doesn't necessarily seem like it on first inspection. With electricity pylons overhead and what looks like a vast tangled metal cage at one end you could be forgiven for thinking its not worth it.
Looking a little deeper you will find a beautiful Highveld nature reserve with some very special creatures in a well managed and accessible space. Yes there may be a power line in your shot but that's why we invented the cloning brush!
Boasting some of the largest herds of Highveld specials like Black Wildebeest, Blesbok and Red Hartbeest as well as the ever elusive Eland.
The enigmatic lure of a possible Cheetah, Brown Hyena or Serval sighting always piques interest on a game drive.
But what's interesting from a photographic perspective is consistency. If you take the time to learn its secrets Rietvlei can deliver consistent results and some pretty idiosyncratic scenes.
Beyond the wildlife, it's the environment that produces some of the most magical opportunities. They may not always be authentic opportunities but they nonetheless make for beautiful and almost unique scenes.
The pink Pom-pom is a problem weed but it can really make for an interesting image!
But Rietvlei has even more to offer. It is also the home of spectacular Highveld weather, and while you may feel that it's pointless heading out on those cloudy days be assured that there are some wonderful scenes on offer!
Another unique feature of Rietvlei is the open backgrounds that are so common here. Unlike many of the other game parks and nature reserves, the surprising lack of thorn trees lends the reserve a uniquely East African feel.
With herds of Zebra and Wildebeest and undulating grassland one could be forgiven for assuming one was in the Masai Mara!
Winter
cool winter mornings are a photographers dream...ice covers the spruits and mists make the world magical
look out for owls in the morning and evening quartering over the grassland
Sunrise at Coot's Corner
Eland on the run at Dawn
A stray ray of sunlight highlights a weed growing in a frozen and fire blackened tree trunk.
Summer
In summer the bourgeoning grasses make a wonderful playground for young zebra to test their strength
pretty soon the Blesbok drop their young and you will see Ostrich sitting expectantly on their nests...
With patience one can catch Zebra fighting. The undulating slopes always make for great backgrounds.
Hartebeest enjoying late summer!
Year Round
Birdlife peaks in the summer months but there are year-round beauties to photograph like this black shouldered kite.
Another great thing about Rietvlei is the opening hours. There are precious few reserves that are so accommodating to the photographer.
In the winter months (April-August) the gates open at 6:00am, well before sunrise and close at 6:00pm, after sunset! The same is true of Summer with the gates opening between 5:30am and 7:00pm (September to March).
There are very few reserves with such liberal opening times and it gets better, because night drives can be booked!
Combine these opening hours with wildlife and the reserves hills and you have magical moments!
Getting there and getting in
The entrance gate for the reserve is off the Olifantsfontein Road (Goedehoop, M57) S 25° 52' 58.655" E 28° 15' 47.455"
It's easy to find from Johannesburg or Pretoria and being so close means one does't always need to spend an entire day there.
Tariffs (at time of writing November 2015) are R48 Per adult, R27 for children and pensioners. You can even buy season tickets for R750! For someone like me, who visits repeatedly that is a wondeful bonus
Points of interest
A - Main entrance
Get your entrance tickets here and visit the toilet
B - Otter Bridge.
Otter Bridge is a nice place to look out for waterbirds, Buffalo, Malachite Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher and Rhino drinking. You may not park on the bridge itself (to allow traffic to pass) but there are a couple of parking spaces. You MUST NOT get out of your vehicle (I often see people doing so) as it is one of the most dangerous areas of the park. The Cheetah is known to visit, as is the Hippo and it is a favourite place for Buffalo. Beyond the bridge on the coffee shop side is a shallow pool with a dead tree trunk. Malachites will often flit from the reeds on the far side to the reeds next to the road. It is a prime spot for photographing them fishing or perching. You can pull off the road and park here. Look out for Egyptian Geese, Reed Cormorant, Little Egret, Yellow billed and African Black Duck.
D - Marais dam picnic spot
There is a pleasant lakeside picnic spot along the edge of Marais dam. It gets very busy on weekends and public holidays. It has toilet facilities and a small shop. There is also a bird hide here.
E - Coffee Shop
The Rietvlei coffee shop is a pleasant place to grab a coffee, piece of cake or enjoy a meal. There is a climbing frame for the kids in the grounds as well as a toilet and shower (a little rough though). Also spaces for picnics and braais. They also organise game drives and book lion tours from here. Contact Melanie Dieppenaar, the manager, at 0825004422 or melanie@rietvleicoffee.co.za to find out more. In terms of photo opportunites, there are quite a few! This is a great spot for Groundscraper Thrush, Crimson Breasted Shrike and African Hoopoe. Bushpig have also been spotted from the coffee shop terrace. There are often opportunities to catch the birds flying up to leaking taps to get a drink in the winter months.
F - Bird Island Hide
This hide is one of the best in the reserve. It is perched on the waters edge at the end of a gravel track and looks south west towards bird island. It has a sloped shelf, so it's not really ideal for using gimbal heads and you need to keep a firm grip on your equipment at all times!
On the left side of the hide is a shallow area which is attractive to species like Black Crake and African Reed Warbler. There is also a large dead tree and cormorant and darter will often perch in it to dry their wings. At breeding time, Cormorant will communally feed their young here which can make for interesting interaction and photos! It is also a good spot for Malachite Kingfisher.
I have also spotted numerous buffalo tracks here, they obviously come down to drink. Watch out for them when entering the hide, they are not always easy to spot!
In front of the hide there is an expanse of water. Cormorant will often fly across this between the dead tree next to the hide and bird island. Look out for opportunities to catch them in flight, particularly in the mornings when the light is behind you. There are also a couple of perching sticks which White Throated Swallow frequent in summer.
The Right hand side of the hide is obscured by the reeds. You can see warbler scurrying around in the thickets, but it's not really great for photography.
Species commonly encountered at Bird Island are: Reed Cormorant, White Breasted Cormorant, African Reed Warbler, Malachite Kingfisher, African Black Duck, Southern Grey Headed Sparrow, Black Crake, Masked Weaver, Red Knobbed Coot.
On leaving the hide, look out for opportunities for catching birds in the busy area behind the water line, there are African Stone Chat and Levaillant's Cisticola in the area amongst other species. Also look out for the conveniently located toilet!
G - Marais Dam Hide
I have't visited this hide much due to the crowds of picnic go'ers, I will do so and add to this section at a later date.
H - Finfoot hide
This hide is on the dirt road following the south bank of the Sesmyl spruit. It is brand new and overlooks a pleasant shallow area of the spruit and the reed beds beyond.
The reed beds are a favourite haunt of Bufallo and Waterbuck but they are not easily seen here. The Hippo has also been photographed and early signs are that this will be a good aftenoon hide for White Fronted Bee Eater, Reed Cormorant and possibly migrating summer waders which enjoy the exposed mud flats. African Finfoot has also been spotted here!
The road leading past Finfoot hide westwards is a prime location for catching hawking White-fronted Bee-eaters in flight and eating. Look out for them on exposed branches along the banks of the stream. They often return to the same spot after hunting, so it's possible to set yourself up near a perch and catch excellent bird-in-flight shots.
I - Fern Fountain
Fern Fountain is a hidden away hide with a concrete floor situated on the roof of a pumping station. The concrete is great because there are no vibrations caused by people walking in and out.
Recently the tree on the left of the hide has been chopped down. This used to provide an excellent perch for photographing the weavers, Streaky Headed Seed-eaters and Pin-tailed Whydahs. Now it has gone the area is a little barren and the birds further away.
Nevertheless it is a good spot for Cape Robin Chat, African Purple Swamphen and Little Bittern. White Fronted Bee Eater will often hawk from the trees and fence at the entrance gate too.
Fern Fountain also boasts a little track where one can view the local ferns as well as a nice toilet and picnic table and bench overlooking the valley.
J - Panorama
Panorama is a hide or platform overlooking the Sysmyl Spruit valley. There is a pleasant vista but pylons mar the view on the left. There is not much that is close enough for useful photography here, although birders enjoy the panoramic view for spotting distant specials and raptors often sit on the power lines.
The area behind the hide and to the West is a good place to spot Cheetah as one is a regular here.
K - Vlei Bridge
Vlei bridge is a nice little spot for photography. Bird species such as the locally unusual Dark Capped Yellow Warbler have been seen here and the Giant Kingfisher is a regular amongst the Weavers, Quelea and Duck. In summer, it is also a good spot for the less usual Yellow Bishop and Long tailed Widow birds enjoy perching on the reeds on the roadside.
Vlei bridge is also notable because it is a regular haunt of Reedbuck. They are often sheltering in the reeds or eating out in the open near the road. They can be very photogenic.
It also remains the only place in the reserve that I have seen and photographed the elusive Serval!
K - Dead Forest
Rietvlei has an active management. The dead forest is one example of that. It is an area of non-indigenous Eucalyptus that has been felled. There is a power substation behind it, but if you can find animals grazing within the tree trunks it can make for eerily captivating photographs.
M - Water Pipe
Site M is accessed by a dirt loop. It takes you to the head of the Marais dam. There is not much going on here, however being beside a stream, it does attract Waterbuck and birds that enjoy that kind of environment.
N - Grasslands
This area is mainly notable for two species. It is a favourite area for Ant Eating Chat and, in summer, for Amur Falcons which like to sit on the road signs and on the road itself. The Amurs can be found in many other areas of the reserve but this is the best area for Chats.
Rietvlei is a reserve comprised mostly of Highveld grassland and it shouldn't be discounted. It can produce wonderful opportunities, particularly for birds in summer.
O - Central area
This area is one of the most productive in the reserve. It is an undulating grassy area favoured by Blesbok, Black Wildebeest, Zebra, Springbok, Cattle Egret, Rufous Naped Lark, Longclaw, Crowned Lapwing and Spotted Thicknee.
The backgrounds are particularly photogenic as they are generally far away. Additionally, the game likes to gather here in large mixed herds. It is an area that can make for some engaging shots.
The gravel road loops around the area and at the apex, the point where it bends sharply round, you can often find resting Thicknee near or under bushes. Look carefully because they are usually well hidden and motionless!
P - Intersection
The area where the gravel and tar roads meet is bound on the Southern side by a ridgeline, good for Eland, Blesbok and Springbok and on the Northern side by views down to Rietvlei dam. Grasses on the North side of the road often attract decent sized herds, particularly of Eland and Hartbeest. It is a favourite area for frolicking Zebra and Jackal.
Q - Coots corner hide
This hide is the first you come across after entering the reserve. It is on the left of the road by the lakeshore. It overlooks the Rietvlei dam and faces East.
In the mornings one can often get misty sunrise shots here, and it is a particularly good spot for Red Bishop and bathing weavers. Of course all the usual suspect waterbirds are here too, however, the lack of any real exposed mud mitigates against close proximity. Many of the birds are quite far away. It can be a rewarding place to photograph coots, dabchicks and ducks.
It's not one of my favourites, it tends to get quite busy as it's the first place visitors stop and the board floor moves quite a bit when they enter making photography awkward. In addition to this, one shoots into the early and late morning light and it doesn't really come good til late afternoon.
This said, there are more than nature photos available here. The local sailing club often holds races on the weekend and one can get some lovely shots of the boats in action. Especially under afternoon thunderclouds.
R - Lapa
The Lapa area is off limits to normal visitors. It is a functions venue and, I believe, the location where night drives start.
S & T - Grave Sites
S is not the only grave site in the reserve but it is the most extensive. It is a small cemetery housing the remains of the family who owned Rietvlei before it became a reserve. The graves of some of the farm workers are also here. Not much going for it in terms of photography but it may hold historical interest for some. Site T is also a grave. It cannot be approached as it is some way off the road. This area is also a useful place to look for Eland, European Bee Eaters (in the copses of trees) and Secretary bird.
U & V - Sailing Club and Fishing Area respectively
The sailing club is members only and the fishing area is a fenced off area next to the banks of the Dam. Not much going on in terms of photography.
W - North West
This area is extensive and a favourite hang out for Common Duiker, Zebra, Wildebeest, Springbok and Eland. Also it is excellent for Black Korhaan - a bird famous for its spectacular flight display. Normally, however, it is secretive and shy. Jackals can often be seen here too.
The backgrounds in morning light are pleasant here provided the grass is not too long. The far hills rise up gently behind the animals. There is a spruit flowing through the area which generally attracts a good concentration of antelope.
The management has been conducting controlled burns in the park which has encouraged young shoots to grow. Owing to the short grass in this area it has become popular with antelope. when the grass has grown then viewing is not as useful as the animals can be well hidden.
X - Lion Park
The lion park is situated on the North Eastern Side of the R50 and is not open to private vehicles. You can book a scheduled tour from the Rietvlei coffee shop.
Y - Meerkat Corner
One of my favourite sections of the reserve is near the R50 and past Vlei Bridge on the Eastern side of the reserve. It is here that the family of Meerkats often spend their mornings in the company of Yellow Mongoose. If you look carefully, you can frequently see the group sunning themselves in the early mornings to warm up or foraging later on.
A stream flows through the area and is also a favourite place for Red Hartebeest and Crowned Lapwing.
This guide is an ongoing work in progress and will be updated further!
Photos and words by Will Goodlet © 2016