SA Rare Bird News Report - 11 August 2016

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 17h30 on Thursday, 11 August 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
I decided to do a quick formal report anyway and just send it out early before I go out this evening…J   Starting in the Western Cape, the headlines have remained dominated by the RUFOUS-TAILED SCRUB ROBIN at Zeekoevlei where the bird continued to entertain and was still present this afternoon. The twitcher numbers have also continued to grow and, at the moment, I have the names of 881 birders who have been to see it already. The bulk of them are still from the Western Cape with 680 twitchers while Gauteng has also provided a respectable 147 twitchers. Birders from other regions include 13 from the Eastern Cape, 9 from the Free State, 6 from Mpumalanga, 5 from Botswana, 4 from Kwazulu Natal, 3 from Limpopo and one each from North-west, Namibia and Zimbabwe while visiting birders from other parts of the world that have now also detoured to see the bird include 9 from the USA, 2 from the UK and one from Austria.   Elsewhere in the province, the AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL remained on at Strandfontein Sewage Works until at least Tuesday while at least one AUSTRALIAN GANNET was also still present on Malgas Island in Saldahna Bay yesterday. Also of interest, a WHITE-BROWED SCRUB ROBIN was mist-netted and ringed again near Nature's Valley on Tuesday. This is now the 12th individual to be recorded in the province, of which 10 have been caught in mist-nets and only 2 have been sight records.
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin at Zeekoeivlei © Klaus Schmid		White-browed Scrub Robin at Nature’s Valley © Mark Brown
Up in the Eastern Cape, the action was all around Cape Recife where the BRIDLED TERN continued to show intermittently until at least yesterday (no sign of it today unfortunately despite some searching). Also still attracting local attention, the pair of AFRICAN PYGMY GEESE were also still on show at Ottersvlei until at least Tuesday.
Bridled Tern at Cape Recife © Wouter Smith		Bridled Tern at Cape Recife © Dominique Prinsloo
Bridled Tern at Cape Recife © Chris Baker		Bridled Tern at Cape Recife © Mike Bridgeford
Bridled Tern at Cape Recife © Wilma Meiring
Elated Bridled Tern twitchers at Cape Recife © Wilma Meiring
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, an AYRES' HAWK EAGLE was seen soaring over Richard's Bay again on Sunday.   Over in the Free State, an OLIVE WOODPECKER was located on Tuesday morning at Golden Gate (Brandwag) Hotel in Clarens in front of room 12, an unusual record for the area.   In Gauteng, a single BLACK-NECKED GREBE was seen at Roodeplaat Dam on Tuesday, a seemingly unusual record for the area.   And finally, in Swaziland, a group of at least 5 SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS were found on Tuesday afternoon at Mlilwane in Eucalyptus trees near the beehive huts at Roan and were still present there on Wednesday as well. This would appear to possibly be only the second record ever of this species in Swaziland following one previous sighting of a single individual also at Mlilwane.
Ayres’ Hawk Eagle over Richard’s Bay © Kevin Westermann
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 -------------------------------------------------------------