SA Rare Bird News Report - 10 April 2017
Trevor Hardaker
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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h00 on Monday, 10 April 2017. 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 | |||
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As usual, let's start with the scarcities…
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:
* One over Delta Park in Johannesburg (Gauteng) today. * One in a garden in Alberton (Gauteng) yesterday. * One in Kloof (KZN) yesterday. * One in Jwaneng (Botswana) yesterday. * One at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Western Cape) on Saturday. | |||
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European Honey Buzzard in Aalberton © Elsa Janse van Rensburg | European Honey Buzzard at Kirstenbosch © Pieter le Roux | ||
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European Honey Buzzard in Jwaneng © Elmarie Dekker | European Honey Buzzard in Kloof © Rich Everett | ||
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On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, one ELEGANT TERN was back at Pan P2 at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Saturday along with the long-staying AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, but neither bird could be relocated there yesterday. Elsewhere, the NORTHERN SHOVELER was also still present at Oudebaskraal Dam in the Tanqua Karoo National Park earlier today while one RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was also still holding on at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif earlier today as well. Perhaps the biggest surprize was another sighting of the wide-ranging WHITE-BACKED VULTURE again late yesterday afternoon after a period of more than a month with no reports at all (with the last one being on 7 March). The bird was seen along the R315 between the R27 and Darling about 3km from the intersection with the R27, but has not been seen again today in this area.
Further east in the province, up to 8 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were still in place yesterday at the usual site on the Agulhas Plains while the SOOTY FALCON was also still present at Emily Moon Resort in Plettenberg Bay yesterday as well. After disappearing on Friday, the FRANKLIN'S GULL was also back at Klein Brak River on Saturday, but has not been reported again since then while another good record concerned 2 WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATERS that were found this afternoon at Blue Hill Nature Reserve near Uniondale. | |||
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Elegant Tern at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Mike Buckham | Elegant Tern at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Daryl de Beer | ||
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Northern Shoveler twitchers at Oudebaskraal Dam © Pieter la Grange | |||
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White-backed Vulture near Darling © Sheena Nutter | White-fronted Bee-eater at Blue Hill Nature Reserve © Alan Lee | ||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater on the Agulhas Plains © Sandy Sutherland | |||
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Up in the Northern Cape, a DUSKY LARK was still present in Mokala National Park earlier today while other good records for the park today included a TINKLING CISTICOLA and a LONG-TAILED PARADISE WHYDAH, both rather unusual for the area.
In the Eastern Cape, a female RED-FOOTED FALCON was found in a flock of Amur Falcons on Saturday about 81km from Queenstown on the road to Aliwal North.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, there was major excitement this morning when 2 WHITE-THROATED BEE-EATERS were located close to Nsumo Pan in Mkhuze Game Reserve. This represents the 20th record of this species in Southern Africa and may well be the same individuals that were seen at Hluhluwe Game Reserve 11 days ago. We all wait with eager anticipation to eventually get a bird or birds that might be vaguely twitchable.
And finally, in Namibia, news has also filtered through of a single RED PHALAROPE that was located in a borrowpit along the C27 at NamibRand Nature Reserve on Wednesday. | |||
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Red-footed Falcon near Queenstown © Susan Schlebusch | Red Phalarope in NamibRand Nature Reserve © Murray Tindal | ||
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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
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