SA Rare Bird News Report - 30 May 2016

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h00 on Monday, 30 May 2016. 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
Well, Kwazulu Natal has certainly had the lion's share of the good sightings over the last few days and has, fortunately, provided more than enough to fill tonight's report out a little. It's difficult to decide what top bird is in the last few days, but a good contender would be the stunning FRANKLIN'S GULL in full breeding plumage located yesterday afternoon at the channel between yacht-mole and Wilson's Wharf in Durban harbour (almost certainly the same individual that has been reported intermittently from the Durban area over the last month or two). Another top contender must be the COLLARED PRATINCOLE located around Pond 3 at Darvill Bird Sanctuary in Pietermaritzburg late yesterday, quite an astonishing record for this area. The only other new record concerned a pair of AFRICAN PYGMY GEESE located earlier today at the hide at Sappi Stanger, another good record for the area.   Lingering provincial rarities were a common theme as well with an AYRES' HAWK EAGLE seen over Richard's Bay on Friday, the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still present at the private farm dam in Port Edward yesterday as well as the LESSER JACANA at Pond 4 at Darvill Bird Sanctuary also still around yesterday while the WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL was still showing well at Sappi Stanger earlier today.   A good turn out of twitchers at Umhlanga Lagoon Reserve on Saturday to look for the popular SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER that had been present there during the week entertaining locals ended up in depression as everyone had to leave empty-handed indicating that the bird had sadly moved off. Thanks to Digby Cyrus for providing the information, this latest record is only the 9th record ever for Kwazulu Natal. The first report on record is from Mtunzini in August 1970 and this was followed by records from near Pelindaba in January 1976, from St Lucia in December 1978 and February 1979, from west of Durban in June 1979 and then a break of more than a decade before the next record from Mkhuze Game Reserve in June 1990 and then another big break before a record from Umfolozi Game Reserve in August 2003 and then the most recent one in Mkhuze Game Reserve in June 2012.
Franklin’s Gull in Durban harbour © Mick Jackson		African Pygmy Goose at Sappi Stanger © Brad Arthur
Western Yellow Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Brad Arthur		Western Yellow Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Mark Hardouin
Rufous-bellied Heron at Port Edward © Stan Culley		Ayres’ Hawk Eagle over Richard’s Bay © Nada Crafford
Lesser Jacana at Darvill Bird Sanctuary © Ian Gordon
Over in Mpumalanga, the LESSER JACANA at the pond in front of the club house at Skukuza Golf Course in the Kruger National Park was still present until at least Saturday.   Neighbouring Gauteng delivered a bit of a surprise this morning when an adult AFRICAN GOSHAWK was seen flying and calling over Delta Park in Johannesburg. Subsequent to the breaking news alert going out, another record came to the fore of a bird seen and photographed over Fairland, just a short distance away from Delta Park, a couple of days ago, so both records possibly refer to the same individual which has now been around in the general area for a few days at least.
African Goshawk over Delta Park © Richard Montinaro
Down in the Eastern Cape, the group of YELLOW-BILLED STORKS that have recently been hanging around at Diaz Dam along the Boknes - Cannnon Rocks road were moving between there and Ngciyo Pans on the weekend and were regularly encountered at both sites in varying numbers (still some at Diaz Dam this afternoon). Also of interest, a single CAPE PARROT and two BLUE WWAXBILLS were located at Ngxoto, near Tsitsa Falls and Maclear in the old Transkei, on Saturday, seemingly both out of range in this area.   Over in the Western Cape, the AFRICAN JACANA at De Zalze Golf Estate in Stellenbosch was still hanging around the pond at the 13th green on Friday at -33.975, 18.827 whilst the bird at Strandfontein Sewage Works was also still around until at least Saturday. A pelagic trip on Saturday also turned up a distant white-backed Albatross thought most likely to be a WANDERING ALBATROSS, although the identification could not be conclusively clinched based on the views had.   Up in Botswana, a BLACK CRAKE was located at Molose waterhole in Khutse Game Reserve this morning, slightly out of range for this species.   And finally, in Namibia, the very popular YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES were still present in the gardens of Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge at Katima Mulilo late this afternoon.
Yellow-billed Stork at Ngciyo Pans © Lynette Rudman		Black Crake at Khutse Game Reserve © Ian White
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 -------------------------------------------------------------