SA Rare Bird News Report - 01 July 2021
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 Thursday, 01 July 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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Starting in the Western Cape, there was some surprize when a large flock of in excess of 100 RED-BILLED QUELEAS were seen on a farm in Noordhoek yesterday, still a pretty unusual bird around Cape Town. An AFRICAN PALM SWIFT was reported this afternoon at the Philadelphia turn-off from the N7 and in the Robertson area, a GOLIATH HERON was seen again today on a private farm along the Breede River at -33.829, 19.787. Over on the Garden Route, the popular juvenile ALLEN’S GALLINULE was still present in Wilderness until at least Tuesday and there was also some local excitement when an AFRICAN GRASS OWL was seen around the channel linking Langvlei and Rondevlei, near Wilderness, yesterday while there were also at least 4 SQUACCO HERONS there yesterday as well. An AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL was also still in the Knysna Waterfront at -34.041, 23.045 this afternoon while, heading inland, at least one LONG-TAILED PARADISE WHYDAH was still present at Roam Private Game Reserve yesterday afternoon as well. | |||||||||
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Goliath Heron along the Breede River © Louis Bruwer | Squacco Heron between Langvlei and Rondevlei © Justin Ponder | ||||||||
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African Grass Owl between Langvlei and Rondevlei © Justin Ponder | |||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, a group of 4 BURCHELL’S COURSERS were found on Amakhala Game Reserve on Tuesday, an unusual record for that part of the province.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, no fewer than 4 BLACK-NECKED GREBES were reported at Lake Shepstone near Dannhauser on Tuesday while there was also some local surprize when a single LIZARD BUZZARD was seen on a farm in Port Edward on Monday afternoon, a very unusual species for the KZN south coast. | |||||||||
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Burchell’s Coursers at Amakhala Game Reserve © Wesley Gush | |||||||||
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Black-necked Grebes at Lake Shepstone © Dave Rimmer | Lizard Buzzard in Port Edward © Stan Culley | ||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, the mega LESSER WHITETHROAT continued to be the biggest drawcard in the subregion for twitchers and was still present around the Amazing Kruger View Restaurant in Henk van Rooyen Park this afternoon. Now 14 days since it was originally found, I have received names of at least 319 birders who have been to see it since the initial discovery, so that’s an average of over 22 new people every day consistently for the last fortnight. I am sure the true numbers are probably substantially higher than that, so would encourage all of you that have been to see it, if you haven’t already done so, to please send me a message just to confirm that and also let me know who all was with you and where you travelled from to twitch it. Elsewhere in the province, the AFRICAN SKIMMER continued to entertain birders at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park earlier today as well. | |||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Cliff Dorse | Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Theo Kruger | ||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Lex van Vught | Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Paul Bartho | ||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Steve Walker | Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Zach Simpson | ||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Blane Venter | Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Casper Badenhorst | ||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Leigh Hoets | Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Desiree Davis | ||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat in Henk van Rooyen Park © Rob Cliff | |||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat twitchers in Henk van Rooyen Park © Lex van Vught | |||||||||
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African Skimmer at Sunset Dam © Richard Caldwell | African Skimmer at Sunset Dam © Marc Cronje | ||||||||
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African Skimmer at Sunset Dam © Hannes Oosthuizen | African Skimmer at Sunset Dam © Herman van Heerden | ||||||||
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Up in Limpopo, a group of GREAT WHITE PELICANS was reported earlier today flying over the bridge outside Shingwedzi rest camp in the Kruger National Park. | |||||||||
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Great White Pelicans at Shingwedzi © Ard van de Wetering | |||||||||
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And finally, in Namibia, the cracking ROSS’S TURACO was still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, until at least yesterday. First reported there on 19 November 2019, it has now been available for Southern African twitchers to go and tick there for 591 days!! Once this bird moves off and disappears, who knows when there will next be such a reliable opportunity to add this massively sought after species to your subregion list…?! | |||||||||
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Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Mike Buckham | Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Adam Buckham | ||||||||
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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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