SA Rare Bird News Report - 15 February 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 19h25 on Monday, 15 February 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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As usual, let’s get started with a few scarcity reports first…
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:
· One in Parkhurst, Johannesburg (Gauteng) today. · One over Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Western Cape) yesterday. · One in a garden near Copperleaf Golf Estate (Gauteng) on Saturday. · Two at Rietvlei Nature Reserve (Gauteng) on Saturday. · One at Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve (Gauteng) on Saturday. · One over Rozendal in Stellenbosch again (Western Cape) on Friday. · One east of Bathurst (Eastern Cape) at -33.479, 26.931 on Friday. · Two over a farm in Muldersdrift (Gauteng) on Friday. · One close to Lanseria at -25.976, 27.9 (Gauteng) on Friday. · Two over Faerie Glen Nature Reserve (Gauteng) on Friday. · One in Brooke Avenue in Bryanston (Gauteng) on Thursday.
GREEN SANDPIPER:
· One along the S119 close to Gardenia hide in the Kruger National Park (Mpumalanga) last Saturday. · One in flooded grassland north of the Levhuvhu River bridge near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park (Limpopo) last Saturday. | |||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard at Faerie Glen Nature Reserve © Dirk Human | |||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard east of Bathurst © Tim Cockcroft | European Honey Buzzards in Muldersdrift © Ian Grant | ||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard near Copperleaf Golf Estate © Graham Kearney | European Honey Buzzard at Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve © Ernst du Plessis | ||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard at Rietvlei Nature Reserve © Karin Mitton | European Honey Buzzard at Rietvlei Nature Reserve © Jean van Rooyen | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper near Gardenia hide © Gerhard Human | Green Sandpiper near Pafuri © Madeleen van Schalkwyk | ||||||||
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On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, there were some interesting birds seen out at sea on Saturday with a single SPECTACLED PETREL seen on shark diving trip south of Cape Point and several small groups of RED PHALAROPES reported on fishing trips west of Hout Bay as well. On land, the major attraction continued to be the juvenile CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD at Spanish Farm in Somerset West which was still showing well to a group of twitchers this afternoon while the male YELLOW-CROWNED BISHOP was also still attracting attention at Lake Michelle in Noordhoek today. Up on the west coast, an immature BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE EAGLE was seen near Geelbek in the West Coast National Park on Thursday while there were also a number of reports of EUROPEAN ROLLERS over the last few days with 2 birds seen along the R326 near Elim at -34.443 19.539 on Friday, another seen east of Riviersonderend at -34.135, 19.990 on Saturday, one still along the R328, north of Brandwacht, at -34.016, 22.056 yesterday and another seen near the lodge at Roam Private Game Reserve, south of Beaufort West, on Saturday as well. 2 LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS were reported along the Knysna River at -34.021, 22.994 yesterday while there was still a single AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL at Knysna Yacht Club on Saturday and also still 4 AFRICAN PIED WAGTAILS (2 adults and 2 juveniles) around the Keurbooms River in Plettenberg Bay on Saturday as well. | |||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © David Hall | Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Matthew Prophet | ||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Albert McLean | Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Diane McLean | ||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Alex Aitkenhead | Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Robert Cooper | ||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Hernus Langeveldt | |||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Halima Beale | Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © John Graham | ||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Kevin Drummond-Hay | Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Tony Kent | ||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Daryl de Beer | Spectacled Petrel south of Cape Point © Callum Evans | ||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard twitchers in Somerset West © Kevin Drummond-Hay | |||||||||
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Yellow-crowned Bishop in Noordhoek © Lynette de Beer | Yellow-crowned Bishop in Noordhoek © Daryl de Beer | ||||||||
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Yellow-crowned Bishop in Noordhoek © Robert Cooper | Yellow-crowned Bishop in Noordhoek © Pamela Cooper | ||||||||
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Yellow-crowned Bishop in Noordhoek © Leon Strydom | Yellow-crowned Bishop in Noordhoek © David Hall | ||||||||
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Yellow-crowned Bishop in Noordhoek © Michael Mason | Black-chested Snake Eagle in the West Coast National Park © Dana Goldberg | ||||||||
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European Roller east of Riviersonderend © Dean Boshoff | European Roller north of Brandwacht © Estelle Smalberger | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, new records included more than 30 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS seen in Colchester on Saturday with some still there yesterday, a LAPPET-FACED VULTURE seen on Amakhala Game Reserve this afternoon, a juvenile WHITE-BACKED VULTURE seen at Reed Valley homestead on Amakhala Game Reserve on Friday and a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE seen in the van Stadens River Valley on Thursday while lingerers included the BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER still at Kei Mouth on Saturday, the PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER still at Hamburg at -33.281, 27.481 yesterday and at least 2 RED KNOTS still at the Kromme River estuary at -34.143, 24.836 on Friday. | |||||||||
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Pacific Golden Plover at Hamburg © Craig Widdows | Pacific Golden Plover at Hamburg © Tim Cockcroft | ||||||||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Colchester © Patrick Killian | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Colchester © Melissa Riordan | ||||||||
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Red Knot at the Kromme River estuary © Hugh Retief | Brown Snake Eagle in the van Stadens River Valley © Barry Kurten | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, perhaps the most exciting record was the discovery of 2 STEPPE EAGLES in Pongola Nature Reserve on Saturday which were still there yesterday while a LESSER GREY SHRIKE was also found in the reserve at -27.340, 31.917 yesterday and other notable records from the reserve over the weekend included several MONTAGU’S HARRIERS and a DUSKY LARK. Other lingerers included the ALLEN’S GALLINULE still at Muzi Pan yesterday, the SOOTY TERN still at St Lucia yesterday, the SOOTY FALCON still near Mtubatuba today and the other SOOTY FALCON still in the trees at first traffic circle into Mbazwana on Friday. Several other noteworthy records for the province included a BRONZE-WINGED COURSER in Spioenkop Nature Reserve at -28.699, 29.521 yesterday, a COMMON WHITETHROAT at Bisley Nature Reserve at -29.665, 30.394 on Saturday, a KNYSNA WARBLER at Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve on Saturday and a TEMMINCK’S COURSER at Duzi Turf next to Darvill on Friday. | |||||||||
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Steppe Eagle at Pongola Nature Reserve © Decklan Jordaan | Steppe Eagle at Pongola Nature Reserve © Bart Fokkens | ||||||||
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Steppe Eagle at Pongola Nature Reserve © Zach Simpson | Sooty Falcon near Mtubatuba © Zach Simpson | ||||||||
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Dusky Lark at Pongola Nature Reserve © Zach Simpson | Montagu’s Harrier at Pongola Nature Reserve © Bart Fokkens | ||||||||
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Sooty Tern at St Lucia © Caroline Fox | |||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Muzi Pan © David Taylor | Bronze-winged Courser at Spioenkop Nature Reserve © Michael du Plessis | ||||||||
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Into the Free State where the popular MADAGASCAN CUCKOO was still at Soetdoring Nature Reserve yesterday, the DWARF BITTERN was still at Soutpan at -28.761, 26.050 on Friday and the 2 AFRICAN CRAKES were also still just outside Bloemfontein at -29.011, 26.233 on Friday as well.
In Gauteng, a LESSER JACANA was found on a private farm north-east of Bronkhorstspruit on Saturday. Unfortunately, this is on private property and the farmer has said that no access will be granted to birders, so there is no chance of trying to twitch this bird. Elsewhere, a RED-FOOTED FALCON was seen at Northern Farm at -25.925, 27.957 on Friday. Other interesting records included BRONZE-WINGED COURSERS reported at Greengate in Muldersdrift on Friday and at Marievale Bird Sanctuary at -26.378, 28.510 on Saturday. Although this species is pretty regular in Gauteng, they are not often recorded that far south in the province. | |||||||||
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Madagascan Cuckoo at Soetdoring Nature Reserve © Adrian Haagner | Lesser Jacana near Bronkhorstspruit © Thinus van Staden | ||||||||
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Into Mpumalanga where all the news came from Mkhombo Dam with an AFRICAN SKIMMER found there at -25.116, 28.890 on Saturday which was still there yesterday afternoon, a PINK-BACKED PELICAN seen at -25.125, 28.872 on Saturday which was also still there yesterday and several COLLARED PRATINCOLES also still there yesterday afternoon.
Across in the North-west Province, 2 LESSER MOORHENS with a chick were present on a private farm just south of Finfoot Lake Reserve at Vaalkop Dam on Friday while a BRONZE-WINGED COURSER was unknowingly flushed from a garden in Rustenburg on Tuesday (and has not been seen since). | |||||||||
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African Skimmer at Mkhombo Dam © Jandre Verster | Bronze-winged Courser in Rustenburg garden © Geoff Finney | ||||||||
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Up in Namibia, a FRANKLIN’S GULL was seen in Walvis Bay near Bird Paradise this morning, a GREATER SAND PLOVER was present at Sandwich Harbour yesterday, a COMMON REDSHANK and 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were reported at Walvis Bay during the bird count on Saturday and 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were present at Cape Cross Lagoon on Friday.
Across in Zimbabwe, the MADAGASCAN CUCKOO was still present in Monavale in Harare until at least Friday.
And finally, in Mozambique, a mixed group of Frigatebirds (about 10 individuals) containing both GREAT and LESSER FRIGATEBIRDS was seen at Tofinho on Friday. | |||||||||
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Great Frigatebird at Tofinho © Gary Rowan | Great Frigatebird at Tofinho © Jordi Fernandez | ||||||||
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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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