It is unlikely that nature lovers will go out of their way to visit a wetland which is located between Khakibos, Cosmos flowers, Blue Gum trees, Maize fields, cattle kraals, mine dumps and power lines. We visited Blesbokspruit directly after spending 3 days in the bird paradise of Ndumo Game Reserve. We thought it will be an anti-climax and did not expect too much. What a nice surprise.
Blesbokspruit is the only Ramsar wetland in the Gauteng
province. It is situated 4 km outside Nigel, the Highveld town at an altitude
of 1,585 m. The Ramsar site area is over 2,000 hectares and extends all along
the Blesbokspruit (a small river and one of the Vaal River's larger
tributaries), from the Grootvaly Wetland Reserve in the north to the Marievale
Bird Sanctuary in the south. The wetland was formed during the 1930
construction of road and pipeline embankments for the mining industry of the
area. It was declared as a wetland of international importance on 2 October
1986.
Water levels in the Blesbokspruit are artificially
maintained by the inflow of mining, industrial and municipal effluents that are
contained by embankments. The average annual rainfall is between 600 and 700 mm
and temperatures vary from -10 °C in winter to 35 °C in summer.
The biggest attraction at this Ramsar wetland from a
tourism point of view is the Marievale Bird Sanctuary.
Marievale Bird Sanctuary, approximately 1,000 ha in
extent, was also declared an Important Bird Area by Birdlife South Africa (IBA
SA021). Over 230 bird species have been recorded here, including many national
rarities. The sanctuary, managed by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture,
Conservation and Environment, consists of large expanses of marsh with
extensive reedbeds interspersed with open patches of water and mudflats during
drier periods. There are areas of natural grassland and farmland surrounding
the wetlands.
The gravel roads inside the reserve are all open for
self-drive. One of these roads (close to the picnic area) is surrounded by
pans on both sides, offering the luxury of watching birds all around you.
Five excellent bird hides along the different dams/pans
makes it possible to get close to the birds. The reserve is very popular and is
frequented by Gauteng birders and photographic clubs because of this.
Although the bird species count is not as large as many
other wetlands, the bird variety was larger than any of the other Ramsar
wetlands we have been to so far. Within a short while, we saw waterbirds such
as Red-knobbed Coots, Goliath Herons, Grey Herons, Black-headed Herons, Squacco
Herons, Black Herons, Purple Herons, Common Moorhens, Yellow-billed Ducks,
Hottentot Teals, Red-billed Teals, Maccoa Ducks, Black Crakes, Kingfishers,
Reed Cormorants, African Darters, Whiskered Terns. 
Overnight accommodation is available at the two self-catering chalets (each sleeps 4) on the reserve, which can be booked through Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve.
Marievale was shaped by mining – much of the water that fills its open areas is pumped up from underground. Yet this has created an extraordinary body of water attractive to birds. Best of all, at the moment, entrance to the bird sanctuary is free.
It is largely thanks to the constant efforts of Stan Madden that this is a nature reserve under the protection of the Ekhuruleni Metropolitan Municipality.
As with many of the other Ramsar wetlands that we have
visited, Blesbokspruit also has to deal with a diverse ownership of land. Some
of the land belongs to AngloGold, a mining company, some to the province of
Gauteng, and in between some of the properties are in the hands of private
individuals and companies. This diverse ownership makes it difficult to
implement conservation actions.
According to the reserve management, bird numbers are on the increase but less varieties are being observed. However, the officials told us that they enjoy
great cooperation from all the neighboring stakeholders and the future
conservation of this Ramsar wetland is well assured.