Given the extent of the habitat, at least a morning is required to cover the area thoroughly with visits best timed with the low tide.

The Swarkops Estuary hosts globally significant numbers of nesting African Oystercatchers, roughly 20% of the South African breeding population of Caspian Terns, colonies in excess of 700 pairs of Kelp Gull, over 600 pairs of Grey-headed Gull, and the second largest breeding colonies of White-breasted Cormorant anywhere in South Africa. Moreover, the vast mudflats – teeming with small intertidal invertebrates – are widely regarded as one of the premier wader-watching sites in all of Southern Africa. The estuary complex supports, on average, 14 500 birds of 77 species each year though this occasionally passes 20 000 birds. Roughly 3 300 of these are Palearctic migrantes, present mainly during the summer months, and including globally significant wintering populations of the Red Knot, Euraisan Curlew, Greater Sand Plover and Terek Sandpiper. Perhaps most numerous in the wader flocks are Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, both Grey and Common Ringed Plovers, and Ruff.

Explore various areas of the salt marsh and intertidal banks from the public roads in Bluewater Bay, Swartkops and Amsterdamhoek (see details below). Alternatively, park on the bridge over the Swatkops River at -33.8568, 25.6000 and walk south scanning the shore edges and mudflats constantly for waders. The eastern edge of this island, opposite Riverside Lodge in Bluewater Bay, is usually most productive. Swift (Greater Crested), Sandwich, Little, Caspian and Common Terns can usually be seen foraging over the river itself while Kelp, Grey-headed and Hartlaub’s Gulls follow fishermen. Goliath Heron is sometimes seen on the salt marshes with large flocks of Greater Flamingo. Important numbers of Black-necked Grebe, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, South African Shelduck, Cape Teal, Cape Shoveler, Pied Avocet, Curlew Sandpiper and Sanderling also occur on the nearby Redhouse Salt Pans.

The site is equally famous for the number of shorebirds it supports, as it is for the frequency at which which vagrant species are reported. Notable mentions in recent years include Hudsonian Godwit, Red-necked Phalarope, Baird’s Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and Franklin’s Gull.

The Valley Bushveld in the surrounding Swartkops Valley Nature Reserve holds Cape Bulbul, Grey Tit, Olive Bush-shrike, Southern Tchagra, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Cape Penduline-Tit, Black-bellied Starling and Knysna Woodpecker.

Key species:

Terek Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Red Knot, Greater Sand Plover