SA Rare Bird News Report - 30 July 2015

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 19h30 on Thursday, 30 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
Before I get started with the report, tomorrow SARBN will be 7 years old! The first ever report was sent out on 31 July 2008 and they have not stopped since then. Thanks to all the subscribers who are constantly sending in their news and photos to be shared – without all of you, this whole thing would be a complete waste of time. Closing in on 2800 subscribers now, I hope that it will continue to grow and we will still see several thousand more birders joining the ranks of SARBN! Here’s to the next 7 years and more…J   On to some news and let's start in Kwazulu Natal where news filtered through over the last couple of days of a GULL-BILLED TERN that was seen and photographed at the northern end of Lake Shengeza near Kosi Forest Lodge last Tuesday. This is still a rather rare bird in Southern Africa and, based on available stats, seems to only be the 42nd confirmed record for the subregion. There have been no further updates on this bird as yet, but should it be relocated, I will post news here as and when I receive it.   Over in Mpumalanga, the ever popular COLLARED PALM THRUSH was still present at Ntandanyathi Hide near Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park earlier today whilst, other good records from the Kruger today included no fewer than 5 SOUTHERN POCHARDS at Mazithi Dam, an AFRICAN SACRED IBIS at Malelane Bridge and a SOUTHERN FISCAL along the H2-1 about 1,3km west of the S7 near Pretoriuskop. Elsewhere in the province, both a single WATTLED CRANE and a single GREY CROWNED CRANE were still present on Tuesday morning in a flock of Blue Cranes in farmlands near Devon roughly in the vicinity of -26.538, 28.765 whilst, earlier today, at least 4 RED-HEADED FINCHES were reported from The Rest in Nelspruit, quite possibly a first record for the area.   And finally, down in the Western Cape, a LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was reported, once again, circling over Hoekwil just above Wilderness around lunch time yesterday whilst the long-staying LESSER SAND PLOVER was still present at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park until at least yesterday afternoon.   To end off, some other exciting news, although it is not strictly rarity-related. Another population of GREEN TINKERBIRDS has just been discovered in Mozambique in recent days. I won't give away too much information on the locality just yet other than to say it is south of the Save River and north of Inhassoro, so is quite a bit further north than the previous population that everyone has been going to in order to add it to their subregion lists. I will share further information on this at a later stage, but it's a very exciting find indeed!
Gull-billed Tern at Lake Shengeza © Rene Rousouw
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 -------------------------------------------------------------