SA Rare Bird News Report - 24 March 2025
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, 24 March 2025.
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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PLEASE CONSIDER FOLLOWING ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE LINKED ICONS BELOW: |
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Starting in the Western Cape, a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Friday produced a FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER while other lingerers included at least one SAND MARTIN around Pan S3 at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Saturday, the LONG-CRESTED EAGLE still near Klapmuts at -33.819, 18.877 yesterday (with 2 seen together there on Friday) and the LESSER YELLOWLEGS still at Geelbek in the West Coast National Park on Saturday. The park also produced a single ROSEATE TERN at Seeberg on Saturday while, heading eastwards, the BLACK TERN was still at the Bot River Lagoon yesterday and a RED-BREASTED SWALLOW was found there at -34.364, 19.106 yesterday as well, only the second ever record for the province. Other records of interest included a LARK-LIKE BUNTING in Kleinmond at -34.332, 19.034 last Saturday, another LARK-LIKE BUNTING in Fernkloof Nature Reserve in Hermanus at -34.399, 19.283 yesterday and, over on the Garden Route, an AFRICAN HAWK EAGLE seen along the Seven Passes road at -33.936, 22.665 on Saturday. Heading inland, there were a number of interesting records including a COMMON SCIMITARBILL at Matjesvlei near Calitzdorp on Saturday, 2 WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATERS and a MARSH WARBLER near Leeu Gamka at -32.681, 21.902 on Friday, a RED-BACKED SHRIKE seen along Lammertjiesleegte Loop in Karoo National Park on Friday, another RED-BACKED SHRIKE seen along the N1, south of Three Sisters, at -31.971, 23.021 yesterday and another WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER also south of Three Sisters at -31.975, 23.009 yesterday as well. |
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Flesh-footed Shearwater on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker |
Roseate Tern at Seeberg © Luke Allen |
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Roseate Tern at Seeberg © Joshua Olszewski |
Roseate Tern at Seeberg © Garret Skead |
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Long-crested Eagle at Klapmuts © Bryn de Kocks |
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Red-breasted Swallow at Bot River Lagoon © Pieter Verster |
Black Tern at Bot River Lagoon © Pieter Verster |
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Lark-like Bunting in Kleinmond © Daniel Correia |
African Hawk Eagle on the Seven Passes Road © Riaan Meyer |
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Up in the Northern Cape, the recent good rains have pulled in a few interesting birds with a EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE seen on a farm 45km west of Carnarvon on Thursday and a TEMMINCK’S COURSER seen on a farm about 40km west of Carnarvon on Thursday as well. |
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Eurasian Golden Oriole west of Carnarvon © Sybrand Venter |
Temminck’s Courser west of Carnarvon © Sybrand Venter |
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Into the Eastern Cape where the big news came yesterday when Southern Africa’s 34th WHITE-THROATED BEE-EATER was found at Tankatara at -33.714, 25.777. With all the additional eyes in the area looking for this bird, a LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER was then also turned up in the same area yesterday as well. Elsewhere, a PALM-NUT VULTURE was reported this morning on the road to Kwelera Mouth outside East London at -32.901, 28.042. |
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Lilac-breasted Roller at Tankatara © Carin Malan |
White-throated Bee-eater at Tankatara © Daryl de Beer |
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White-throated Bee-eater at Tankatara © Carin Malan |
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the locally popular LESSER JACANA was still at the Wattled Crane hide in the Karkloof Conservancy this morning while a HOODED VULTURE was seen at Manyoni Private Game Reserve on Friday. |
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Lesser Jacana at the Wattled Crane hide © Hugh Bulcock |
Lesser Jacana at the Wattled Crane hide © Decklan Jordaan |
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Mpumalanga held on to at least one AFRICAN SKIMMER which was still at the low level bridge at Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park on Saturday.
Over in Gauteng, a VERREAUX’S EAGLE OWL was found, ironically, at the Marsh Owl hide in Marievale Bird Sanctuary yesterday while the GREY CROWNED CRANE was also still at Marievale Bird Sanctuary on Saturday.
Into the North-west Province where a GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER was seen at Red Sand Safari Lodge, west of Mafikeng, on Saturday. |
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African Skimmer at Lower Sabie © Michael Piper |
Grey-headed Kingfisher at Red Sand Safari Lodge © Ard van de Wetering |
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Grey Crowned Crane at Marievale Bird Sanctuary © Marlina Elburg |
Grey Crowned Crane at Marievale Bird Sanctuary © Matthew Mullins |
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And finally, in Namibia, an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was found at the seal colony at Mowe Bay on Friday while a DWARF BITTERN was seen at Springbokhaar Dam near Nomtsas yesterday. |
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American Golden Plover at Mowe Bay © Ruben Portas |
Dwarf Bittern at Springbokhaar Dam © Albert Voigts von Schütz |
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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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