SA Rare Bird News Report - 13 June 2022
Trevor Hardaker
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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 | |||||||||
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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 18h00 on Monday, 13 June 2022.
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 |
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Starting in the Western Cape, most of the excitement and frustration continued to be centred around the SNOWY SHEATHBILL which spent both Friday and Saturday around Seal Island in False Bay. In fact, several groups of twitchers arranged boat trips out to Seal Island on Saturday and were all successful in connecting with the bird with the prize often coming to investigate the boats that they were on. However, Sunday’s boat trips were not as successful and the bird could not be found at Seal Island at all. Scouring the coastline also revealed nothing and it was only yesterday evening that news emerged of the bird having spent the day visiting boats in the Smitswinkel Bay area much further south in False Bay. No further news has been received as yet of the bird today either.
Elsewhere, Strandfontein Sewage Works held on to the AFRICAN JACANA on Pan T1 yesterday, the FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS on Pan P4 (and a few on Pan P1 as well) yesterday and 2 PINK-BACKED PELICANS on Pan P2 yesterday as well while a single PINK-BACKED PELICAN was also seen at neighbouring Zeekoevlei on Saturday afternoon. An AFRICAN PALM SWIFT was reported at Uitkamp Wetland Park in Durbanville on Friday, 3 AFRICAN PALM SWIFTS were seen at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve on Saturday and a further 3 AFRICAN PALM SWIFTS were also seen in Melkbos at -33.733, 18.448 on Saturday too. Up on the west coast, the Velddrif region continued to be in the news with the GULL-BILLED TERN still at De Plaat yesterday (and moving between there, Kuifkopvisvanger farm and Kliphoek Salt Pans over the weekend), and the LESSER SAND PLOVER and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE also still at Kliphoek Salt Pans yesterday while no fewer than 3 ROSEATE TERNS were seen near Kleinbaai at -34.625, 19.348 on Saturday and the SQUACCO HERON was still at White Horse Dam in Plettenberg Bay this morning. | |||||||||
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Snowy Sheathbill at Seal Island © Regard van Dyk | Snowy Sheathbill at Seal Island © Rob Bowie | ||||||||
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Snowy Sheathbill twitchers at Seal Island © Regard van Dyk | |||||||||
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African Jacana at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Finn Gretschel | Pink-backed Pelican at Zeekoevlei © Finn Gretschel | ||||||||
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Gull-billed Tern at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Alex Aitkenhead | Lesser Sand Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Regard van Dyk | ||||||||
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Red-necked Phalarope at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Brian Vanderwalt | Red-necked Phalarope at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Daryl de Beer | ||||||||
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In Gauteng, there were still a few SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS at Marievale Bird Sanctuary at -26.356, 28.516 on Saturday.
Up in Namibia, an AFRICAN CRAKE was found in a garden in Swakopmund Retirement Village on Friday.
And finally, in Mozambique, a second FRANKLIN’S GULL was found at Costo do Sol in Maputo on Friday while a single HARTLAUB’S GULL and the long-staying LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (ssp heuglini) were also present there and at least 15 CAPE SHOVELERS were also still at the Bela Vista wetlands, south of Maputo, on Friday as well. | |||||||||
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African Crake at Swakopmund Retirement Village © Eckart Demasius | Hartlaub’s Gull at Costo do Sol © James Hogg | ||||||||
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Franklin’s Gull at Costo do Sol © James Hogg | |||||||||
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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 | |||||||||
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TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa |
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