South-eastern Wetlands and Grasslands – Devon Grasslands
About the Birding
One starts their birding at the first farm dam adjacent to the N17 highway just as you take the offramp toward the town of Devon. Scan here for Maccoa Duck, Southern Pochard, Black-necked Grebe, and Cape Shoveler. Make your way south along the R548 before venturing off onto the surrounding dirt roads (a good map of the area and its birding spots can be found in the “Chamberlains Guide to Birding Gauteng” book – page 239).
About the Birding Site
This top-notch birding destination is a mixture of pristine highveld grassland, maize fields, seasonal wetlands, a few river systems, and a fair amount of farm dams. The network of dirt roads is publicly accessible, but the property adjacent to the road is private property, so birders are encouraged to respect and adhere to the privacy of the local farmers.
Other Related Information
Access and facilities:
The local farms in the area have done an incredible amount of work in terms of partnering with BirdLife South Africa and combatting various mining and other environmental threats so as to protect these stunning patches of privately owned grasslands. As such, a good relationship has been formed between farmers and birders and visitors to the area are asked to respect any private property and to stick solely to the demarcated public roads.