SA Rare Bird News Report - 20 July 2015

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h00 on Monday, 20 July 2015. 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
It's been an interesting past few days and, for a change, let's start up in Limpopo Province where one of the weirdest and most exciting records was had yesterday at Groot Krokodil Resort about 70km north of Brits when a single PEL'S FISHING OWL was located there. Unfortunately, it was been constantly mobbed by other birds in the area and eventually moved off, but this is certainly well out of its normal range.   For those partaking in the wider Gauteng birding challenge, this record also falls just into the area and is the first known record for the challenge area. A very exciting record indeed!   In Gauteng, further news on the claimed BATELEUR sighting in Waverley has come to light suggesting that it might have been a hoax. Whatever the case, it has been proven without a doubt that the photo originally circulated was not taken in Waverley, but elsewhere and by someone else. Elsewhere in the province, at least one SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER was still present along the Dassie Trail at Kloofendal Nature Reserve on Friday whilst they were also reported from Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve yesterday.
		Pel’s Fishing Owl at Groot Krokodil Resort © Mark Tittley
Neighbouring Mpumalanga also delivered some exciting birds on the weekend, most interesting of which was the continued presence of a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT at Mkhombo Dam. Having not been reported for quite some time now, it was a surprise for birders to find that it was still present there yesterday. Elsewhere, the roaming flock of Blue Cranes hanging around near Devon had both a WATTLED CRANE and a GREY CROWNED CRANE with them yesterday whilst the COLLARED PALM THRUSH at Ntandanyathi Hide in the Kruger National Park remained on view throughout the weekend showing to most who went to look for it and was still present there earlier today.   Down in the Eastern Cape, the GREEN-BACKED HERON at Abbotsford Causeway was still present until at least Friday whilst a single VIOLET-BACKED STARLING was reported from a garden in Beacon Bay in East London on Saturday as well.   Over in the Western Cape, a single AFRICAN JACANA was located at Park Island at Zandvlei on Saturday whilst the previously reported SICKLE-WINGED CHAT on the Steenberg Plateau was still present on Saturday too.   Moving up to the Northern Cape, two interesting records were received from the town of Orania on the southern banks of the Orange River on Tuesday, the first a bit unfortunate, but 2 COMMON MYNAS were seen on the sidewalks in town showing that this species is still spreading its range in the country whilst the other record concerns a single AFRICAN GREY HORNBILL seen calling and flying around in the town. This latter record is the furthest south record currently shown in the SABAP2 database of a species that definitely also seems to be spreading south-westwards across the country.   And finally, in Namibia, at least 2 EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHERS were present at Sandwich Harbour on Saturday whilst a PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER in full breeding plumage was also present at Lover's Hill in Walvis Bay on the same day too.
Black-tailed Godwit at Mkhombo Dam © Pieter Verster		Collared Palm Thrush at Nthandanyathi Hide © Stewart Matheson
Collared Palm Thrush at Nthandanyathi Hide © Leon Bruggemann		Collared Palm Thrush at Nthandanyathi Hide © Wouter de Vos
Collared Palm Thrush at Nthandanyathi Hide © Martin Hobbs
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 -------------------------------------------------------------