SA Rare Bird News Report - 07 December 2024
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, 07 November 2024.
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 https://groups.google.com/g/sa-rarebirdnews |
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Starting in the Western Cape, an AFRICAN PALM SWIFT was seen at Blue Bay Lodge in Saldanha Bay on Tuesday, still quite a rare find on the west coast while at least one AUSTRALASIAN GANNET was still at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay this afternoon. Elsewhere, the 2 AFRICAN JACANAS were still at Paardevlei this morning, 2 BLACK HERONS were seen on the Nuwejaars River floodplain and viewed from the Elim-Struisbaai Road at -34.679, 19.913 on Monday afternoon and an AFRICAN JACANA was found at a dam along the road between Sedgefield and Karatara at -33.956, 22.822 yesterday.
In the Eastern Cape, a juvenile PALM-NUT VULTURE was seen in Quenera Nature Reserve in East London at -32.955, 27.959 this morning. | |||||||||
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African Palm Swift at Blue Bay Lodge © Kyle Dods | Black Heron on the Nuwejaars River floodplain © Warwick Board | ||||||||
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Australasian Gannet at Bird Island © Regard van Dyk | |||||||||
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Kwazulu Natal stepped in with some massive news when a SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was found at Umlalazi Nature Reserve near Mtunzini at -28.942, 31.783 this morning. Subsequently, it came to light that the bird has actually already been seen yesterday, but the ID was not resolved then. This is the first record for SOUTH Africa and only the 3rd record for Southern Africa following 2 birds that were present at Macaneta, north of Maputo. First reported there on 18 February 2018, at least one bird returned for several successive seasons with the last confirmed record being on 10 April 2023. A single GREATER SAND PLOVER was also found at the same site this morning. Please be advised that the road after the slipway is very muddy and potholed and is probably only suitable for high clearance vehicles. Turning and parking is also very limited at the site, so the suggestions is to maybe park at the end of the picnic site and walk to the spot.
Elsewhere, a STRIPED CRAKE was reported at Stengen’s Dam along the N2 outside Mtunzini yesterday, possibly the same individual that was first reported there in August, the ALLEN’S GALLINULE was still at Simbithi Eco Estate yesterday, at least 2 RUFOUS-BELLIED HERONS were still around Amazibu hide on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park this morning and a THICK-BILLED CUCKOO was also reported in the sand forest at Ndumo Game Reserve this morning. | |||||||||
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Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Luke Allen | Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Tristan Naude | ||||||||
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Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Paul Goslin | |||||||||
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Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Hugh Chittenden | Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Peter Sharland | ||||||||
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Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Warren Sutherland | Allen’s Gallinule at Simbithi Eco Estate © Warren Sutherland | ||||||||
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Greater Sand Plover at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Tristan Naude | Greater Sand Plover at Umlalazi Nature Reserve © Luke Allen | ||||||||
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Mpumalanga produced a few interesting records of local interest including a group of 4 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS seen flying over a private farm north of Wakkerstroom yesterday, an AFRICAN CUCKOO HAWK found north-east of Wakkerstroom at -27.192, 30.281 yesterday and a BROAD-BILLED ROLLER seen again at Idle&Wild B&B outside Hazyview on Tuesday. Also of interest, a pair of PINK-THROATED TWINSPOTS were seen in the Singita Lebombo concession in the Kruger National Park this afternoon.
In Gauteng, a GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARK was reported south of Devon at -26.449, 28.786 yesterday. | |||||||||
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African Cuckoo Hawk north-east of Wakkerstroom © Johan van Rensburg | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater north of Wakkerstroom © Julius Falck | ||||||||
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Over in the North-west Province, a GREAT WHITE PELICAN was found at Finfoot Lake Reserve at Vaalkop Dam on Tuesday while a WAHLBERG’S EAGLE was seen just outside Klerksdorp, opposite the Portugese Hall on the road to Faan Meintjies Nature Reserve, on Sunday.
Up in Limpopo, the COLLARED PALM THRUSH was still around Crooks Corner near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park yesterday, but there has been no sign of the SPUR-WINGED LAPWING at Klopperfontein Dam north of Punda Maria since Monday afternoon. | |||||||||
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Wahlberg’s Eagle near Klerksdorp © Elna Grobler | Great White Pelican at Finfoot Lake Reserve © Sarel van der Westhuizen | ||||||||
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Into Namibia where at least one RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still at Walvis Bay Salt Pans yesterday, the AFRICAN BROADBILL was still at Caprivi River Lodge in Katima Mulilo yesterday along with several PALE-THROATED GREENBULS (aka YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES) as well, the TREE PIPIT was still at Okonjima Plains Camp on Tuesday and an AFRICAN RAIL was found in a garden in Klein Windhoek on Monday and was then caught and released at Avis Dam. It has not been seen again since this. A CASPIAN PLOVER was also seen earlier today in Etosha National Park on the Halali plains about 400m from the Halali junction towards Okaukuejo.
And finally, in Botswana, the country’s first SCALY-THROATED HONEYGUIDE was still at Muchenje Campsite and Cottages on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Tree Pipit at Okonjima Plains Camp © Buzzy Joell | African Rail in Klein Windhoek © Adele Potgieter | ||||||||
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African Broadbill at Caprivi River Lodge © Dayne Braine | Scaly-throated Honeyguide at Muchenje Campsite and Cottages © Stone Muzila | ||||||||
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Caspian Plover in Etosha National Park © Marc Cronje | |||||||||
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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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