SA Rare Bird News Report - 18 February 2013

[Trevor Hardaker]

This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h10 on Monday, 18 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
Before I get started with the news, I just want to quickly clear something up. Over the last week or so, my inbox has been inundated with emails relating to the Flock at Sea cruise happening in early March. There are numerous questions relating to the birding on the trip, what to do to prepare photographically for the trip, etc and also just emails saying that people are looking forward to seeing me again or meeting me for the first time on the cruise. So, rather than reply to all of you individually (which would take me a rather long time), please excuse the rather impersonal blanket response. Unfortunately, I won’t be on the Flock at Sea cruise so, as much as I would love to see many of you again or meet you for the first time to put a face to a name, it won’t be happening this time. We’ll just have to make another plan some other time…J Also, if you do have any queries specific to the trip, I would suggest that you address them directly to BirdLife South Africa and I’m sure they would happily answer them for you – it is not really my place to be answering questions about this cruise since I am not involved in it. All that remains is to wish all of you that are going on the cruise a wonderful time – I am sure you are going to have a blast!   Alright, so on to some news and I thought I would change the format of the report slightly with reference to certain species which seem to be being reported with far more regularity these days. I will be lumping all the reports of these species together in future, rather than splitting them regionally.   EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD   -       One reported at Vaal Dam on Sunday, 10 February (Gauteng). -       One reported over Wynberg Hill on Wednesday (Western Cape). -       One reported at Pietersburg Golf Club on Saturday (Limpopo). -       One reported along the 7th fairway at Simbithi Golf Course in Ballito on Saturday (KZN). -       One reported over Hyde Park High School yesterday (Gauteng). -       One reported on a farm just outside Kenton-on-sea over the weekend (Eastern Cape). -       At least 5 different individual reported from Phinda Private Game Reserve over the last few days (KZN).   PECTORAL SANDPIPER   -       The bird on Pan P2 at Strandfontein Sewage Works was still present until at least Tuesday (Western Cape). -       A single bird was located at Dicken’s Pan on Saturday (Gauteng). -       A single bird was located at a dam on the farm Kaysersworth near Kayser’s Beach on Saturday (Eastern Cape) -       Two individuals were present at a dam on the farm Danielskuil about 40km from Bloemfontein on the weekend (Free State). -       A single bird was still present at Mkhombo Dam yesterday (Mpumalanga).
European Honey Buzzard at Phinda Private Game Reserve © Daryl Dell	European Honey Buzzard at Simbithi Golf Course © Mike O’Donaghue
European Honey Buzzard at Pietersburg Golf Course © Michael Bosman	European Honey Buzzard at Vaal Dam © Ineke van Dijk
Pectoral Sandpiper at Dicken’s Pan © Matthew Axelrod	Pectoral Sandpiper near Bloemfontein © Lizette de Coning
On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, a EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was located at Skrywershoek near Churchaven in the West Coast National Park yesterday during the annual waterbird count there. Unfortunately, the bird is in an area that is not accessible to the public, so unless some specific access can be arranged, it seems unlikely that this bird is going to be twitchable. Over in the Overberg region, it would appear that the GROUNDSCRAPER THRUSH that was first reported from Bredasdorp in November 2011 is still present in the town and was seen again on the weekend. Also of interest in the area, it seems that the ABDIM'S STORK that caused so much excitement in October last year has not totally disappeared either and has been reported on a farm to the south of Napier where it has apparently been present for some time now. Once again, it is on private land and access at this stage seems unlikely, but hopefully, all the keenest provincial listers got to see it anyway when it was just outside Arniston. Elsewhere in the province, 2 YELLOW-BILLED STORKS have been reported from a dam opposite the entrance to the Safari Ostrich Farm in Oudtshoorn.   In the Eastern Cape, there was a report of a BATELEUR near the FM radio transmitter at Grahamstown on Tuesday whilst, on Friday, a BLACK HERON was seen at Kwandwe Game Reserve.   Moving into Kwazulu Natal, a MARABOU STORK was reported from the Empangeni dump site on Tuesday.
Eurasian Oystercatcher at Skrywershoek © Michael Brooks	Yellow-billed Storks in Oudtshoorn © Ian Mileham
Black Heron at Kwandwe Game Reserve © Justin Nicolau	Marabou Stork in Empangeni © Johan Gouws
In Gauteng, the EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR in a Randburg garden was still causing some local excitement last week whilst other interesting reports over the last few days included an AYRES’ HAWK EAGLE over Rietondale Park in Pretoria and a SOUTHERN YELLOW-BILLED HORNBILL in suburban Vanderbijlpark.   The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, although not reported at all over the weekend, was also again present at Dicken’s Pan in Bapsfontein earlier today.   In Limpopo Province, it was all happening at Nysvlei Nature Reserve on the weekend where a WESTERN MARSH HARRIER was reported and a EURASIAN BITTERN was heard booming.   Finally, in Namibia, a second ELEGANT TERN was located at Mile 4 Salt Works in Swakopmund yesterday whilst the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at the same site was also still present and the AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER at Walvis Bay Lagoon was still on view on Saturday as well.
	Black-tailed Godwit at Dicken’s Pan © Mark Tittley
European Nightjar in Randburg © Anton Kruger	European Nightjar in Randburg © Sue Oertli
Ayres’ Hawk Eagle over Rietondale Park © Anton Kruger	Elegant Tern at Mile 4 Salt Works © Mark Boorman
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.
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.
Kind regards Trevor
------------------------------------------------------------------------   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: www.hardaker.co.za     ZEST for BIRDS Pelagics, rarity photos, listing clubs and more: www.zestforbirds.co.za     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 www.rarities.co.za -----------------------------------------------------------------------