SA Rare Bird News Report - 23 December 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, 23 December 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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This will be my last formal report that I send out for 2021, but I will continue to post alerts and updates until Saturday evening, after which Garret Skead will take over while I am away. I will post another reminder about his contact details closer to the time for everyone as well. But, for now, let’s get going with a few scarcity reports first…
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:
· One in Herbertsdale (Western Cape) today. · One in Letaba in the Kruger National Park (Limpopo) this morning. · One in the gum trees at the old Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape) yesterday. · One in Southbroom (KZN) yesterday. · One near Barberton (Mpumalanga) yesterday. · One in Windhoek West (Namibia) yesterday. · One over Mill Park in Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape) on Tuesday. · One at Lake Sibaya (KZN) on Tuesday. · One in Three Rivers, Vereeniging (Gauteng) on Tuesday. · One at Kube Yini Private Game Reserve (KZN) on Monday.
GREEN SANDPIPER:
· One at Ruighoek Dam hide in Pilanesburg National Park (North-west Province) on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard at Kube Yini Private Game Reserve © Johnny de Beer | European Honey Buzzard in Three Rivers © Elsabe Jacobs | ||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard in Southbroom © Louis Breytenbach | European Honey Buzzard in Windhoek West © Jacob Henry | ||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard near Barberton © Theuns Anderson | European Honey Buzzard in Letaba © Abu Muhammad | ||||||||
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On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, a EUROPEAN ROLLER was found this afternoon along the road between Scarborough and Cape Point at -34.218, 18.407, an immature EURASIAN HOBBY was seen in Parklands on Tuesday morning, a very rare bird in the Cape Town metro and 2 AFRICAN PALM SWIFTS were also reported again at Dolphin Beach Pans on Tuesday. Up on the west coast, a BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER was found at Geelbek in the West Coast National Park yesterday while the BAIRD’S SANDPIPER at Macassar Sewage Works continued to entertain twitchers until at least Tuesday as well. Three BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were found on private property near Joostenbergkloof on Tuesday, the AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL remained on at the dam at Postcard Café in Jonkershoek today and a EUROPEAN ROLLER was found along the R43 near Bot River at -34.319, 19.147 this morning. Rooisand Nature Reserve remained a popular destination with birders with the PECTORAL SANDPIPER still there today and the WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL still there until at least Tuesday while a EUROPEAN ROLLER was also seen along the entrance road to the reserve on Tuesday as well. The GREATER SAND PLOVER was also still in place at the Uilenkraals River, east of Gansbaai, on Tuesday, 2 ROSEATE TERNS were seen on the rocks at Pearly Beach at -34.669, 19.513 on Tuesday and an immature SADDLE-BILLED STORK, almost certainly the same individual that was around Pringle Bay on the weekend, was seen about 3km south of Grootvadersbosch at -34.017, 20.833 yesterday, some 190km east of the previous sighting. Over on the Garden Route, a EUROPEAN ROLLER was spotted around the Sedgefield Lagoon at -34.007, 22.772 yesterday, the popular EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay yesterday, at least one PECTORAL SANDPIPER was still at Bietou Vlei in Plettenberg Bay yesterday while a couple of BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were also seen there again on Tuesday. Heading inland, a GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO was reported on the farm Weltevrede, about 25km south-west of Leeu Gamka, at -32.837, 21.732 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpipers at Macassar Sewage Works © Gerrit Wyma | Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Marc Lindsay-Rea | ||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Stanislav Novotny | Eurasian Hobby in Parklands © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater near Joostenbergkloof © Cliff Dorse | Broad-billed Sandpiper at Geelbek © Thinus van Staden | ||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Lester van Groeningen | Western Yellow Wagtail at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Lester van Groeningen | ||||||||
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European Roller near Bot River © Pieter Verster | Roseate Terns at Pearly Beach © Steve James | ||||||||
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European Roller in Sedgefield © Kevin Gow | |||||||||
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Saddle-billed Stork near Grootvadersbosch © John Moodie | Pectoral Sandpiper at Bitou Vlei © Evan Schoeman | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, there was some action at Kei Mouth yesterday with a PECTORAL SANDPIPER seen at -32.67, 28.378 and a LESSER MOORHEN and 3 KNOB-BILLED DUCKS seen at -32.67, 28.376. The LESSER SAND PLOVER was still along the Kromme River at St Francis Bay yesterday and 3 GREATER SAND PLOVERS were reported just upstream of the Gamtoos River mouth on Tuesday while a young WHITE-BACKED VULTURE was seen again on Shamwari Private Game Reserve yesterday. Inland, a EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE was found in the vicinity of the Urquhart Caravan Park in Graaff-Reinet at -32.245, 24.526 on Tuesday while a single THICK-BILLED WEAVER was seen in the same area on Tuesday as well. | |||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Kei Mouth © Foden Saunders | Knob-billed Ducks at Kei Mouth © Foden Saunders | ||||||||
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Lesser Sand Plover in St Francis Bay © Alan Bedford-Shaw | Eurasian Golden Oriole in Graaff-Reinet © Leonie Fouche | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the mega GOLDEN PIPIT near Albert Falls stuck it out for its 36th day on site and was still in the same area at -29.495, 30.386 today. Elsewhere, 2 GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOOS were found near Memorial Gate at Hluhluwe Game Reserve at -28.291, 32.068 this morning, the SOOTY FALCON was still present around the first traffic circle in Mbazwana yesterday, a LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE was reported at Karkloof Spa at -29.446, 30.313 yesterday, at least 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were still at Mpempe Pan this morning, 2 DARK CHANTING GOSHAWKS were seen again at Manyoni Private Game Reserve this morning and the ALLEN’S GALLINULE remained in place on the private farm dam in Port Edward yesterday. | |||||||||
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Golden Pipit near Albert Falls © Richard Flack | Golden Pipit near Albert Falls © Cassie Carstens | ||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule in Port Edward © Arno Ellmer | Allen’s Gallinule in Port Edward © Arnold van Zyl | ||||||||
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The Free State remained in the news with the super popular MADAGASCAN CUCKOO that was still showing well at Soetdoring Nature Reserve at -28.833, 26.047 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Madagascan Cuckoo at Soetdoring Nature Reserve © Michael Heyns | |||||||||
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Madagascan Cuckoo at Soetdoring Nature Reserve © Justin Nicolau | Madagascan Cuckoo at Soetdoring Nature Reserve © Bart Fokkens | ||||||||
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In Mpumalanga, the RUFOUS BELLIED HERON was still at the dam at the DusktoDawn Farm Guesthouse in Piet Retief this afternoon.
Across in the North-west Province, another RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was reported at the Kgomo Kgomo floodplain at -25.169, 28.084 on Monday.
Limpopo delivered a TREE PIPIT on a private eco reserve near Vaalwater yesterday. | |||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron in Piet Retief © Johann Engelbrecht | |||||||||
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Up in Namibia, the YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES were back in the gardens of Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge in Katima Mulilo yesterday while several FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were still at Avis Dam in Windhoek until at least Tuesday.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, a SENEGAL LAPWING was found at Mandebele Pan, on the border of Hwange National Park, at -18.644, 26.901 on Tuesday, well out of range for this species. | |||||||||
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Fulvous Whistling Ducks at Avis Dam © Michael Dande | Senegal Lapwing at Mandebele Pan © Steve Alexander | ||||||||
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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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