SA Rare Bird News Report - 26 September 2016

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Trevor Hardaker

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Sep 26, 2016, 2:01:02 PM9/26/16
to SA Rare Bird News, grdau...@dodo.com.au, Paul Riekert

 

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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h00 on Monday, 26 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

 

 

The last few days have seen a number of interesting records and updates coming through...

 

Starting in the Western Cape, there is a possibility that our celebrity, the RUFOUS-TAILED SCRUB ROBIN at Zeekoevlei, may well have finally packed its bags and headed off... I have not received any confirmed sightings since late on Thursday afternoon while I have received reports of birders searching for it on Friday, Saturday and Sunday without any success sadly. It should also be added that there was apparently quite a bit of "picnic activity" from locals in the area over the weekend, so perhaps it has just caused the bird to sit low and out of sight for a while. I'll keep my ears close to the ground and, if it does get relocated, will certainly post news immediately but, at the moment, things are not looking great. Be that as it may, the twitch numbers have still continued to grow since my last report and I am now aware of at least 1287 birders who have been to look for the bird since it was first found. The bulk of them are still from the Western Cape with 850 twitchers while Gauteng heads up the "outsiders" at 237 twitchers. Birders from other regions include 25 from Kwazulu Natal, 23 from the Eastern Cape, 20 from Mpumalanga, 10 from the Free State, 9 from Limpopo, 8 from the North-west, 6 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 35 from the UK, 33 from the USA, 10 from Canada, 3 from Malta and The Netherlands, 2 each from Australia, Spain and Switzerland and one each from Austria, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and France.

 

Elsewhere in the province, the popular RED-NECKED PHALAROPE at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif was still on view yesterday while Saturday saw birders enjoying some regional rarities at Paarl Bird Sanctuary when a GOLIATH HERON, an AFRICAN JACANA and several FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were all encountered there. At least 2 separate SPECTACLED PETRELS were reported from local pelagic trips on Saturday as well.

 

Up in the Northern Cape, I've received a slightly delayed record from 4 September 2016 where a GREEN SANDPIPER was present at 14th borehole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Although this species is annual in small numbers in the eastern parts of the subregion, it is still a very unusual species to encounter anywhere in the western half of the subregion, so this is an interesting record indeed!

 

 

Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip

© Trevor Hardaker

Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip

© Peter Ryan

 

 

Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip

© John Graham

 

 

African Jacana at Paarl Bird Sanctuary

© John Fincham

Goliath Heron at Paarl Bird Sanctuary

© John Fincham

 

 

Fulvous Whistling Ducks at Paarl Bird Sanctuary

© John Fincham

 

Green Sandpiper in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

© Giles Daubeney

 

 

In the Eastern Cape, a FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK was found on Saturday at the Sundale Dairy Farm on the R72 just past East London Airport in the direction of Port Elizabeth (-33 deg 5' 43.35022", 27 deg 45' 6.83899"), a really good record for the East London area while the male AFRICAN PYGMY GOOSE was also still present at Ottersvlei on Saturday and at least 8 YELLOW-BILLED STORKS remained on at Diaz Dam on Saturday as well while only 3 were seen there yesterday.

 

Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a BLACK HERON at Marina Beach in Southbroom on Thursday was a surprise find for locals while the long-staying LESSER JACANA around Pond 4 at Darvill Bird Sanctuary in Pietermaritzburg remained in place yesterday and the GREEN SANDPIPER at Kumahlahla hide in Mkuze Game Reserve was still holding on there yesterday. Another good record was an AYRES' HAWK EAGLE visiting a garden in Empangeni on Saturday.

 

Across in the Free State, there was some local excitement yesterday in Harrismith when 2 AFRICAN FINFOOTS, a female and a juvenile, were located at President Brandt Park, the first record for the province in the SABAP2 database and possibly only the third ever record for the province.

 

 

Fulvous Whistling Duck at Sundale Dairy Farm

© Foden Saunders

Black Heron at Marina Beach

© Adeline McCarter

 

 

Ayres’ Hawk Eagle in Empangeni

© Hilda Steyn

African Finfoot in Harrismith

© David Weaver

 

 

In Gauteng, the SOUTHERN WHITE-FACED OWL at the Field and Study Centre in Sandton was still drawing local attention yesterday while the wandering juvenile MARTIAL EAGLE was reported again in Verkenner Avenue in Pretoria East on Friday.

 

 

Southern White-faced Owl in Sandton

© Colin Porteous

Southern White-faced Owl in Sandton

© Pieter Verster

 

 

Up in Limpopo Province, the 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still around at Albasini Dam until at least Friday while the same day also produced a lone BLACK SAW-WING at Alldays, slightly out of range for this species. Also of local interest, 2 BLACK-BELLIED STARLINGS were reported from the Stillesoet homestead in Maré Street in Kampersrus, Mariepskop on Saturday, possibly the furthest north that this species has ever been recorded.

 

And finally, in Namibia, a group of 5 CASPIAN PLOVERS and a RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON at Onesi Dam, 40km east of Ruacana, on Thursday, created some local excitement while a number of other CASPIAN PLOVERS were also reported on Friday with 3 birds at the hot springs about 10km north of King Nehale gate into Etosha National Park and at least another 50 individuals just outside the park at the same gate. Also still attracting local attention, at least 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were still present along the Paaltjies Road in Walvis Bay yesterday as well.

 

 

African Skimmer at Albasini Dam

© Samson Mulaudzi

Rufous-bellied Heron at Onesi Dam

© Etienne Marais

 

 

Caspian Plover at Onesi Dam

© Etienne Marais

Caspian Plover just outside Etosha National Park

© Etienne Marais

 

 

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

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TREVOR HARDAKER

Cape Town, South Africa

 

 

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