SA Rare Bird News Report - 05 September 2016

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h00 on Monday, 05 September 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
As Spring starts gaining its momentum and the migrants start arriving, now is the time to be extra attentive out in the field as one never knows what you might find while birding out there.   Starting in the Western Cape, the RUFOUS-TAILED SCRUB ROBIN at Zeekoevlei remains the centre of attention in the subregion and performed well throughout the weekend for the steady stream of twitchers that came to see it. As things currently stand, I have the names of 1154 birders who have been to see the bird since it was first found. The bulk of them are still from the Western Cape with 804 twitchers while Gauteng heads up the "outsiders" at 210 twitchers. Birders from other regions include 20 from Kwazulu Natal, 17 from the Eastern Cape, 14 from Mpumalanga, 9 from the Free State, 8 from Limpopo, 7 from the North-west, 5 from Botswana, 3 from Namibia and 2 from Zimbabwe while visiting birders from other parts of the world that have now also detoured to see the bird include 23 from the UK, 21 from the USA, 3 from Malta and The Netherlands and one each from Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and France.   Elsewhere in the province, there was also quite a bit on offer. Several pelagic trips went out to sea yesterday from Simon's Town and, between them, managed to build up a reasonable collection including at least 2 SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSSES, a single NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS while bird of the day was a brief LITTLE SHEARWATER. Still also drawing attention, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE remained present at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif throughout the weekend, the LESSER SAND PLOVER was still on view yesterday afternoon at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park and a SQUACCO HERON was discovered at Paarl Bird Sanctuary yesterday where at least one FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK was also still present. Also of local interest, a LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was reported yesterday on the old Hoogekraal pass north of Sedgefield. And, just for completeness sake, I have also included a photo of the CROWNED HORNBILL on the farm Kapteinskraal about 50km north of Klaarstroom mentioned in Thursday’s report.
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin at Zeekoeivlei © Sue Goodman		Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin at Zeekoeivlei © Duane Fischer
Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © John Graham
Squacco Heron at Paarl Bird Sanctuary © Andrew de Blocq		Crowned Hornbill near Klaarstroom © David Hall
Red-necked Phalarope at Velddrif © Wim de Klerk		Red-necked Phalarope at Velddrif © Sally Sivewright
Red-necked Phalarope at Velddrif © Linda du Plessis
In the Eastern Cape, a lot of attention remained centred around Cape Recife in Port Elizabeth where the BRIDLED TERN continued to entertain until at least Saturday. Imagine the surprise of birders yesterday though when they picked up a dark-backed Tern there thinking that they had found the Bridled Tern but, on closer inspection, realized that it was actually a SOOTY TERN, quite possibly the same individual that was reported on Bird Island in Algoa Bay last week. Elsewhere, the pair of AFRICAN PYGMY GEESE at Ottersvlei and at least 11 YELLOW-BILLED STORKS at Diaz Dam were also all still present yesterday as well.
Sooty Tern at Cape Recife © Andre Marais
Up the coast in Kwazulu Natal, midlands birders were excited again when a KNYSNA WARBLER was reported, once again, at Doreen Clark Nature Reserve and remained there throughout the weekend while at least 2 HOODED VULTURES were also present at the Zululand Rhino Reserve on the weekend. After a long period of no reports, the SOOTY TERN was, once again, also present today along the estuary boardwalk at St Lucia.   For the first time in an SARBN report, Swaziland also features with several WHITE-EARED BARBETS that were discovered at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday morning. This is apparently the second record in the sanctuary in recent weeks with no other known previous records in the area and all other previous records of this species in the country being over on the eastern side of the country.   Over in Mpumalanga, the LESSER JACANA remained active in front of the 9th green at Skukuza Golf Course in the Kruger National Park on Saturday.   Across in Gauteng, there was some local excitement again when a SOUTHERN WHITE-FACED OWL was found at the Field and Study Centre in Sandton on Saturday (and was still present there yesterday). A bird was also present at this same site last year, so the assumption is that it is possibly the same individual that has now returned (or as been there all along and has just remained undetected). Also creating local excitement, an AFRICAN GOSHAWK was seen flying over Delta Park in Johannesburg on Friday morning, the latest in a collection of recent sightings of this species in the province.   Up in Limpopo Province, the RUPPELL'S VULTURE remained in place on the nest at the Cape Vulture nesting colony in Blouberg Nature Reserve near Vivo until at least Friday whilst I've also received a delayed report of a single SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER seen at Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park on 19 August 2016.   And finally, in Namibia, the YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES have continued their activity throughout the weekend in the gardens of the Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge in Katima Mulilo while there were also at least 7 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES present along the Paaltjies Road in Walvis Bay yesterday.
White-eared Barbets at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary © Mark Meiring
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater at Punda Maria © Ian Robertson		Southern White-faced Owl in Sandton © Alan Bedford-Shaw
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 -------------------------------------------------------------