SA Rare Bird News Report - 09 January 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, 09 January 2023.
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 were still a number of FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS at Strandfontein Sewage Works earlier today while other good birds to the north of Cape Town included a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE north of Mamre at -33.475, 18.468 on Friday and the EUROPEAN ROLLER also still north of Mamre at -33.464, 18.465 earlier today, 2 MARABOU STORKS in the West Coast National Park at -33.159, 18.125 on Friday and an immature COMMON CUCKOO at Bushmanskloof near Clanwilliam on Friday. The PECTORAL SANDPIPER remained on at Paardevlei today while a EURASIAN HOBBY was also reported there this afternoon. A VILLAGE INDIGOBIRD was also a surprize find between Robertson and Ashton at -33.817, 19.988 on Saturday. EUROPEAN ROLLERS were reported south-east of Bredasdorp at -34.577, 20.108 on Saturday, in Arniston yesterday and outside Mossel Bay at -34.181, 22.019 this morning while, in the Plettenberg Bay area, as many as 8 RED KNOTS were seen on the Keurbooms River estuary on Friday and at least 2 were still there yesterday and the NORTHERN ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN was also apparently still present at an isolated location on the Robberg Peninsula on Friday. Inland, a EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE was seen at Red Stone Hills near Calitzdorp at -33.514, 21.864 on Saturday, a LESSER GREY SHRIKE was found east of Beaufort West at -32.326, 22.639 on Saturday, a RED-BACKED SHRIKE was reported near Ko-Ka Tsara Bush Camp at -32.295, 22.561 on Friday and a TAWNY EAGLE was found near Murraysburg at -32.054, 23.488 this morning. | |||||||||
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Fulvous Whistling Ducks at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Graham Pringle | Brown Snake Eagle north of Mamre © John Graham | ||||||||
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European Roller north of Mamre © Gilbert Reinhardt | Marabou Stork in the West Coast National Park © Robert Boyes | ||||||||
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Common Cuckoo at Bushmanskloof © Zenobia van Dyk | Village Indigobird between Robertson and Ashton © Adrius Rabie | ||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Paardevlei © Andy Loughton | Pectoral Sandpiper at Paardevlei © Gilbert Reinhardt | ||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Paardevlei © Stephen Mills | Pectoral Sandpiper at Paardevlei © Sarel Snyman | ||||||||
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Lesser Grey Shrike near Beaufort West © Marne Janse van Veuren | Tawny Eagle near Murraysburg © Hardus Theron | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, the PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER was still at the Keiskamma River estuary in Hamburg on Saturday and a BATELEUR was reported flying over Kariega Game Reserve on Saturday as well while 3 RED KNOTS were present on the Kromme River estuary at St Francis Bay earlier today. | |||||||||
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Red Knots on the Kromme River estuary © Hugh Retief | |||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the St Lucia area continued to hold plenty of attraction with the immature CRAB PLOVER still at the estuary today, the 3 AFRICAN SKIMMERS still showing well at the estuary yesterday, a HARTLAUB’S GULL found at the estuary on Saturday which was still there yesterday, the juvenile CAPPED WHEATEAR still on the beach near the boardwalk yesterday and a SOOTY FALCON found outside town along the R618 at -28.371, 32.256 yesterday. Elsewhere, a RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was reported along the Vlei Loop on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park on Saturday, a GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER was reported again on Manyoni Private Game Reserve yesterday, 2 LESSER MOORHENS were present at Simbithi Eco Estate in Ballito this morning, a young COMMON CUCKOO was seen at Simbithi Eco Estate on Saturday and the LESSER JACANA was still at the northernmost pond at Darvill Bird Sanctuary in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday. | |||||||||
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African Skimmer at the St Lucia estuary © Digby Cyrus | African Skimmer at the St Lucia estuary © John van de Ruit | ||||||||
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African Skimmers at the St Lucia estuary © Calvin Harris | |||||||||
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African Skimmer at the St Lucia estuary © Georg Jacobs | African Skimmers at the St Lucia estuary © Ian Ferreira | ||||||||
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Crab Plover at the St Lucia estuary © Digby Cyrus | Crab Plover at the St Lucia estuary © Ian Ferreira | ||||||||
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Sooty Falcon near St Lucia © Digby Cyrus | Sooty Falcon near St Lucia © Athol Marchant | ||||||||
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Capped Wheatear at St Lucia © Athol Marchant | Lesser Moorhen at Simbithi © Brian Roberts | ||||||||
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Over in the Free State, 4 SADDLE-BILLED STORKS were found at Ganspan at -27.967, 26.502 on Saturday and were still there this morning while 2 AFRICAN OLIVE PIGEONS were reported at Sandymount Park Private Nature Reserve near Fauresmith on Friday. | |||||||||
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African Olive Pigeon at Sandymount Park Private Nature Reserve © Vella Brink | Saddle-billed Stork at Ganspan © Dorita Bester | ||||||||
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Into Gauteng where the WESTERN MARSH HARRIER was still at Hadeda hide at Marievale Bird Sanctuary yesterday while an AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE was seen soaring over the Voortrekker Monument yesterday. While the latter species is not strictly a rarity in the Pretoria region generally, this season has been particularly devoid of reports until now, hence the inclusion of it here.
The North-west Province chimed in with 2 STRIPED CRAKES around the Plat River in the Zaagkuildrift area at -25.157, 28.102 on Saturday which were still vocal in the area yesterday, but didn’t offer any visuals. | |||||||||
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Ayres’s Hawk Eagle at the Voortrekker Monument © Dirk Human | Striped Crake around the Plat River © Jandre Verster | ||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, there were at least 2 PINK-THROATED TWINSPOTS still at Daisy's Den in Marloth Park at -25.349, 31.780 on Saturday.
Limpopo’s offering came in the form of a CASPIAN PLOVER along the Tropic of Capricorn Loop in the Kruger National Park at -23.438, 31.439 on Friday. | |||||||||
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Pink-throated Twinspot in Marloth Park © Paul Dill-Franzen | Pink-throated Twinspot in Marloth Park © Judy Norton | ||||||||
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Up in Namibia, the mega ROSS’S TURACO was still showing well at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, until at least Thursday.
Over in Botswana, a single CASPIAN PLOVER was found in the northern Tuli Block on Thursday afternoon.
And finally, in Mozambique, a single RED KNOT was found in the north of Maputo Bay at -25.905, 32.661 on Saturday and was still present there earlier today. | |||||||||
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Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Barry Scott | |||||||||
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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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