SA Rare Bird News Report - 26 April 2021

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Trevor Hardaker

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Apr 26, 2021, 12:00:58 PM4/26/21
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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

 

 

 

This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 18h00 on Monday, 26 April 2021.

 

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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Just a couple of scarcity stragglers still around…

 

EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:

 

·         One in Bapsfontein (Gauteng) on Saturday.

·         One in the Elandsvlei Bewaria area (Gauteng) on Saturday.

 

On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Saturday delivered a SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS while another one was seen on a fishing trip out of Simon’s Town yesterday. Other lingerers included the AFRICAN JACANA still at the southern end of Little Princess Vlei yesterday, the SQUACCO HERON still at Dick Dent Bird Sanctuary in The Strand on Friday, the LESSER SAND PLOVER still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Saturday, the DOUBLE-BANDED COURSERS still near Moorreesburg at -33.210, 18.436 this morning, the AFRICAN FINFOOT seen again along the Breede River in Robertson late yesterday afternoon, about 25 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS still around the bird hide at Rooisand Nature Reserve on Thursday afternoon and the WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL still at the Klein River Lagoon in Hermanus yesterday. A LESSER SAND PLOVER was found this afternoon along the Uilenkraals River, east of Gansbaai, about 500m upstream of the bridge and a SQUACCO HERON also turned up this afternoon in Robertson along the Breede River opposite Silverstrand Estate, while other new records all concerned AFRICAN CRAKES with one found in a garden at Lake Michelle in Noordhoek this morning and another found at Groot Sleutelfontein Private Game Reserve, east of Prince Albert, on Saturday which was still there yesterday.

 

There also seems to be a major influx of CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTINGS into the province in areas where they don’t normally occur. A single bird was found along Tafelberg Road near the Lower Cable Station on Table Mountain at -33.950, 18.408 on Friday and was still there on Saturday. Yesterday, a pair was found together just a bit further along the road at -33.955, 18.418 and were still in place there earlier today. Another 4 birds were found on the mountain above the lighthouse in Kommetjie yesterday while other reports include a singleton at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens in Betty’s Bay at -34.351, 18.927 this afternoon, 2 birds in front of Die Opstal at De Hoop Nature Reserve on Wednesday, one near Dana Bay at -34.174, 22.015 on Friday and another on the Robberg Peninsula in Plettenberg Bay on Saturday. Clearly, there is something odd happening with this species at the moment and it doesn’t seem too farfetched that we can expect a few more out of range records of them in the coming days…

 

 

Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Peter Rosewarne

Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Michael Mason

 

 

Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Geoff Moller

Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Robert Cooper

 

 

Southern Royal Albatross on fishing trip

© Alan Blacklaws

Squacco Heron at Dick Dent Bird Sanctuary

© Stanislav Novotny

 

 

Western Yellow Wagtail in Hermanus

© Gary Baumgarten

Western Yellow Wagtail in Hermanus

© Stanislav Novotny

 

 

African Crake at Lake Michelle

© Judy Spagnoletti

African Crake at Groot Sleutelfontein Private Game Reserve

© Bennie Steyn

 

 

Lesser Sand Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans

© Graham Luden

Squacco Heron in Robertson

© Mary Clarke

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Garret Skead

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© John Graham

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Zunaid Barday

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Dana Goldberg

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Joel Radue

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Rob Bowie

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Lynette de Beer

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Daryl de Beer

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on Tafelberg Road

© Kevin Shields

Cinnamon-breasted Buntings on Tafelberg Road

© David Hall

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Buntings in Kommetjie

© Robert Cooper

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Buntings in Kommetjie

© Pamela Cooper

Cinnamon-breasted Buntings at De Hoop Nature Reserve

© Marilyn Metcalf

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Buntings near Dana Bay

© Estelle Smalberger

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting on the Robberg Peninsula

© Claire Carr

 

 

In the Eastern Cape, the SOOTY GULL was seen briefly at the Walskipper Restaurant beach at Marina Martinique pier in Jeffrey’s Bay on Thursday afternoon, but then disappeared and was not seen for a while until it was rediscovered late this afternoon back at the Kabeljous River estuary. Elsewhere, at least one GREATER SAND PLOVER was still on the Kromme River estuary at St Francis Bay this morning.

 

Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the popular BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was still at Mpempe Pan today while other good records included a DWARF BITTERN present at KwaMahlala hide in Mkuze Game Reserve yesterday and BRONZE-WINGED COURSERS seen at Kube Yini Private Game Reserve on Saturday night and in Mkuze Game Reserve at -27.599, 32.227 yesterday. The province also seems to be experiencing an odd influx of CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTINGS into areas where they do not normally occur with a group of 9 birds seen at Midmar Game Reserve on Friday.

 

 

Sooty Gull at the Kabeljous River estuary

© Hugh Retief

Bronze-winged Courser at Kube Yini Private Game Reserve

© Dieter van Schalkwyk

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Buntings at Midmar Game Reserve

© Ingrid Weiersbye

 

 

Across in Gauteng, a YELLOW-BREASTED PIPIT was found at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve as you descend towards the dam on the tourist route at -26.501, 28.288 on Friday while, close by, a SICKLE-WINGED CHAT was also found at -26,522, 28.271 which was still present in a similar area earlier today. A small group of SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS were also still near the entrance to Bronkhorstspruit Dam Nature Reserve at -25.937, 28.684 on Saturday.

 

 

Yellow-breasted Pipit at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

© Niall Perrins

Sickle-winged Chat at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

© Niall Perrins

 

 

Mpumalanga delivered a group of 3 SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS at Walkersons in Dullstroom on Saturday.

 

Up in Limpopo, there were also some interesting local records with a MALACHITE SUNBIRD seen in Raptors View Estate in Hoedspruit yesterday and a SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER seen along the Zaagkuildrift road at -25.187, 28.276 yesterday while the lone PINK-BACKED PELICAN was also still in the same area at Vogelfontein on Saturday.

 

And finally, in Namibia, the YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES were back in the gardens of Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge in Katima Mulilo this afternoon again.

 

 

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater in Dullstroom

© George Skinner

 

Pink-backed Pelican at Vogelfontein

© Jody de Bruin

Malachite Sunbird in Hoedspruit

© Garrett Fitzpatrick

 

 

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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