Tucked away close to the N7 national road, just over 200 km north of Cape Town, Kransvlei Poort is a highly accessible and reliable site to see the often-elusive Protea Canary (see opposite). From the N7, exactly 10 km south of Clanwilliam, turn left onto the gravel road marked ‘Paleisheuwel’. Just over 2 km further on, the road enters the ‘poort’ (see box, p.8). Here the road follows a reed-lined stream through a steep valley lined with low cliffs.

Search for Protea Canary in the taller vegetation fringing the roadside and the lower cliffs, especially near the prominent bend in the road towards the end of the poort. The protea stands that line the route as it rises out of the poort are, oddly, not the best place to look for this bird. Other canaries found in the poort include Streaky-headed, White-throated, Bully and Cape Canaries. African Sedge Warbler and Yellow-rumped Widow are found along the stream, and Ground Woodpecker (p.105*) frequent the cliffs and rocky outcrops. Layard’s Titbabbler, Long-billed Crombec and Fairy Flycatcher occur in the hillside scrub. Cape Eagle Owl (p.105*) occurs in this vicinity. Visit this site en route to Lambert’s Bay, Namaqualand or Bushmanland.