SA Rare Bird News Report - 23 April 2018

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

S O U T H E R N   A F R I C A N   R A R E   B I R D   N E W S   R E P O R T
This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h00 on Monday, 23 April 2018.   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.   None of the records included in this report have undergone any adjudication process with any of the subregion’s Rarities Committees, so inclusion in this report does not constitute any official confirmation of the particular record. Observers are still encouraged to make the necessary submissions accordingly.   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			SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands:
Just a single scarcity report received in the last few days...   EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:   ·         One seen over the entrance to Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve (Western Cape) yesterday.   On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still hanging around on Pan P6 at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Saturday while the other long-staying RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was also still on view earlier today at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif. Elsewhere, the locally popular juvenile AFRICAN HAWK EAGLE was still on view at Knorhoek farm near Sir Lowry's Pass Village earlier today and the MARABOU STORK was also seen again along the Karwyderskraal road near Bot River on Saturday while mammal enthusiasts were treated to a SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL that came up on to the rocks in front of the parking area at Cape of Good Hope near Cape Point on Friday and was still there yesterday.
African Hawk Eagle at Knorhoek farm © Michael McSweeney	African Hawk Eagle at Knorhoek farm © Gaynor Watson
Red-necked Phalarope at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Francois Dreyer	Southern Elephant Seal at Cape of Good Hope © Susan Miller
In the Eastern Cape, the popular CITRINE WAGTAIL that was present at Cape Recife Water Works upped and left on Thursday evening and has not been seen since then. The WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL continued to show there on Friday, but then also took its toys and left and was not seen at all over the weekend and neither bird was present there today either.
Western Yellow Wagtail at Cape Recife Water Works © Tim Cockcroft	Western Yellow Wagtail at Cape Recife Water Works © Rob Boyd
Western Yellow Wagtail at Cape Recife Water Works © Jorrie Jordaan	Western Yellow Wagtail at Cape Recife Water Works © Rod Green
Western Yellow Wagtail at Cape Recife Water Works © Krista Oswald	Western Yellow Wagtail at Cape Recife Water Works © Jenny Parsons
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a FRANKLIN'S GULL was reported in Durban harbour yesterday while there was at least one SOOTY FALCON still present at Mbazwana on Thursday.   In the Free State, over 30 KNOB-BILLED DUCKS were found on a small dam on the eastern side of the N1 about 12,7km north of the Verkeerdevlei Toll Plaza on Saturday, an unusual record for the area.   Over in Mpumalanga, the immature EGYPTIAN VULTURE was seen again about 1km outside of Satara in the Kruger National Park along the H1-4 at the bridge just before the S100 turn-off yesterday. Other interesting records from the park included a SENEGAL COUCAL seen along the S36 near Satara yesterday, quite far south for this species, and a BAT HAWK seen around 1km into the park from Numbi gate this morning.
Sooty Falcon at Mbazwana © Wayne Johnston	Egyptian Vulture near Satara © Petro Rossouw
Across in the North-west Province, at least 6 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still present at Finfoot Lake Reserve on the banks of Vaalkop Dam earlier today.   And finally, in Namibia, a rather lost and out of range AFRICAN PARADISE FLYCATCHER was found on Ichaboe Island on Saturday and was still there yesterday.
African Paradise Flycatcher on Ichaboe Island © Jan-Antonie Delport
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