SA Rare Bird News Report - 04 February 2013
Trevor Hardaker
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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h15 on Monday, 04 February 2013. Information has been gleaned from various websites, email groups as well as from individual observers who have passed on their sightings. This report cannot be taken as being totally comprehensive as it is based only on information made available at the time of writing. All bird sightings reported here are reported in good faith based on information as provided by the observers. Any inaccuracies are totally unintentional and the writer cannot be held liable for these. For those who may have only joined the group recently and are interested in finding out what has been seen in the past, previous reports can be viewed at http://groups.google.co.za/group/sa-rarebirdnews | ||
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Starting in the Western Cape, it has been a combination of exhilaration and depression over the last few days with the NORTHERN ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN showing well throughout the entire weekend at Soetwater Resort to the admiring crowds, but doing a disappearing act overnight and not being seen at all today. Let's just hope that it shows up again sometime soon and that nothing untoward has happened to it. I have been asked by a number of people how it was identified as a Northern as opposed to Southern Rockhopper Penguin. Although there is a difference in the yellow feather tufts on the side of the head between the two species, this is of little value with this particular moulting individual and so, the best way to separate them is on the underflipper pattern with Northern having a far more extensive black tip to the underside of the flipper than Southern. Anyone who had the opportunity to see this feature on this bird would have noticed that it had a very extensive black tip to the underflipper confirming that it was, in fact, a Northern Rockhopper Penguin.
Elsewhere in the province, 2 COMMON REDSHANKS were still present at Geelbek in the West Coast National Park on Friday whilst Strandfontein Sewage Works continued to prove attractive to twitchers with the PECTORAL SANDPIPER showing well throughout the weekend on Pan P1 and the BLACK TERN putting in regular appearances mostly at Pan P2 (it was still there earlier today.). The BAILLON’S CRAKE at Intaka Island Wetland Reserve also continued to show over the weekend. | ||
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Northern Rockhopper Penguin at Soetwater © Freddie Strauss | Northern Rockhopper Penguin at Soetwater © Daan Reitmann | |
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Northern Rockhopper Penguin at Soetwater © James McFarlane | Northern Rockhopper Penguin at Soetwater © Basil Boer | |
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Trevor Hardaker | Black Tern (with Caspian Tern) at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Howard Langley | |
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Over in the Eastern Cape, at least one PECTORAL SANDPIPER remained on view at the Mondplaas Ponds on the weekend whilst another individual was reported from the Boknes Lagoon over the weekend and was still present earlier today.
Kwazulu Natal was still holding its own turning up a EURASIAN BITTERN on the Nibela Peninsula on Saturday whilst a PECTORAL SANDPIPER and WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL were reported from Mpempe Pan on the same dam. The weekend also saw at least 2 EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARDS reported from Phinda Private Game Reserve whilst both PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were also still present at Junction Dam in the reserve as well. | ||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Boknes Lagoon © Christoph Groenewald | Pectoral Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Mark Kirk | |
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Western Yellow Wagtail at Mpempe Pan © Mark Kirk | ||
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European Honey Buzzard at Phinda Private Game Reserve © Daryl Dell | Pectoral Sandpiper at Junction Dam © Daryl Dell | |
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In Mpumalanga, the AFRICAN PYGYMY GEESE and at least 2 ALLEN’S GALLINULES were still present at Leeupan in the Kruger National Park earlier today.
Moving into Gauteng, the GREEN SANDPIPER in Waterfall Estate along the Jukskei River in Midrand continued to show on the weekend.
Not to be outdone, the North-west Province’s PECTORAL SANDPIPER at Kgomo Kgomo was also still present on the weekend attracting some reasonable attention.
And finally, in Limpopo Province, a EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD was reported from Entabeni Forest in the Soutpansberg on the weekend as well. | ||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Kgomo Kgomo © Neil Ebedes | Pectoral Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Dylan Vasapolli | |
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Please remember to send through your details to be included on the various listing clubs that are hosted at www.zestforbirds.co.za. This website also has an extensive rarities gallery that has many additional photos of a number of rarities that are mentioned in these reports. | ||
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Thank you to all observers who have contributed their records. Please continue to send through any reports of odd birds as well as continued updates on the presence of rarities already previously reported, no matter how mundane you think they may be. Even if you think someone else has probably sent in a report, rather send the report yourself as well. The only way to improve this service and to make it as useful as possible to everyone is if it can be as comprehensive as possible. | ||
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Kind regards Trevor | ||
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TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa
Follow our local exploits in the field at: http://hardakerwildlife.wordpress.com/
See our photos and trip reports at:
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SA RARE BIRD NEWS Get the latest rarity news by joining at: http://groups.google.co.za/group/sa-rarebirdnews
SOUTHERN AFRICAN RARITIES Online database of all SA rarities ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||
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