SARBN: Updates
Trevor Hardaker
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U P D A T E |
Sunday, 13 May 2012 @ 11h30 |
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Seeing as there won’t be an official report tomorrow night (due to a prior commitment), here is just some news that I have received over the last couple of days...
- A female VIOLET-BACKED STARLING was located at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens in Betty’s Bay (Western Cape) yesterday and is probably only the second or third record ever for the province.
Violet-backed Starling in Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Robyn Kadis
- A TUFTED DUCK was located amongst a group of Southern Pochards at the Rondevlei hide in the Wilderness National Park (Western Cape) yesterday. According to the observer, the bird appeared to be in a good state and looked genuinely wild. This is still a species that should be taken into serious consideration for the official SA list, although nobody has yet submitted it to the Rarities Committee yet. An individual has been returning to the Western Cape now for a number of seasons with Southern Pochards at this time of year and there is every chance that it is, in fact, a genuine vagrant, rather than an escapee. Many people have already made the effort to see it when it was at Strandfontein Sewage Works and at De Hoop Nature Reserve, so hopefully, there is a potential “armchair” tick there just waiting to happen...:)
- A BLACK-COLLARED BARBET was, once again, present in a garden in Wilderness Heights (Western Cape) yesterday as well. It is suspected that a pair is in the area and, combined with the recent records of this species in Plettenberg Bay, could imply that there is a movement to establish themselves on the Garden Route now.
Black-collared Barbet in Wilderness Heights © Paul Rixom
- At least 2 LONG-CRESTED EAGLES were present in George (Western Cape) yesterday between the Fancourt Golf Course and the mountains.
Long-crested Eagle in George © Henk Alting
- A SICKLE-WINGED CHAT was located at Mabusa Game Reserve (Mpumalanga) yesterday and is another out of range record for this species in the province, perhaps indicating a previously unknown winter dispersal from the Drakensberg plateau.
Sickle-winged Chat at Mabusa Game Reserve © Niall Perrins
- An AFRICAN CUCKOO HAWK was discovered along Strand Drive in Vineta in Swakopmund (Nambia) on Friday. This is well out of range for this species and a particularly exciting find for the area.
African Cuckoo Hawk in Swakopmund © Sean Braine
Good luck if you are planning on chasing any of these and keep us updated! |
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Kind regards Trevor |
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TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa
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