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SA Rare Bird News Report - 17 April 2023

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Trevor Hardaker

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Apr 17, 2023, 12:01:16 PM4/17/23
to sa-rare...@googlegroups.com

 

 

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

 

 

 

This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 18h00 on Monday, 17 April 2023.

 

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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Starting in the Western Cape, a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Saturday turned up both a NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS and a SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS for all to enjoy on board. Also creating some local interest was the discovery of a CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTING in Simon’s Town at -34.197, 18.440 yesterday. Elsewhere, lingerers included a SAND MARTIN still at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Saturday, the GOLIATH HERON seen flying over the R44 near Paardevlei on Saturday, the PECTORAL SANDPIPER still at Paardevlei yesterday, the DUSKY SUNBIRD still in Strand this afternoon and a group of RED-BILLED QUELEAS still in Rooiels at -34.303, 18.818 yesterday while, over on the Garden Route, 2 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were seen near Vleesbaai at -34.296, 21.913 on Friday and the AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL was still around the Parks Board offices in Knysna yesterday.

 

 

Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Trevor Hardaker

Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Trevor Hardaker

 

 

Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Tony Kent

Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip

© Gaynor Donovan

 

 

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting in Simon’s Town

© Luke Goddard

Sand Martin at Strandfontein Sewage Works

© Garret Skead

 

 

Dusky Sunbird in Strand

© Jacques Giliomee

Dusky Sunbird in Strand

© Marieta Foord

 

 

Pectoral Sandpiper at Paardevlei

© Garret Skead

Red-billed Quelea in Rooiels

© Graham McCleland

 

 

Up in the Northern Cape, a STRIPED KINGFISHER flew into the window of a house in Onseepkans yesterday and stunned itself. It eventually came right and then flew off.

 

The Eastern Cape produced some interesting records with a SOOTY TERN found at Marina Salt Pans in Port Elizabeth at -33.850, 25.582 this morning and a pair of BLACK-RUMPED BUTTONQUAILS reported in the grassland above Morgan’s Bay at -32.717, 28.319 this morning while a few BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were also still around Colchester this morning.

 

 

Striped Kingfisher in Onseepkans

© Koos Barkhuizen

Sooty Tern at Marina Salt Pans

© Godfrey Lodge

 

 

Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, LESSER MOORHENS were reported just outside Ladysmith at -28.500, 29.840 today, at the westernmost dam at Weenen Nature Reserve at -28.861, 29.975 yesterday and at the end of Pan Loop on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park on Saturday while a MARABOU STORK was seen at the Middelrus turnoff near Moo River at -29.163, 30.147 yesterday.

 

Mpumalanga chimed in with a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and a CHESTNUT-VENTED TIT-BABBLER at Leeupan near Leandra yesterday.

 

 

Lesser Black-backed Gull at Leeupan

© Tobie Pretorius

Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler at Leeupan

© Tobie Pretorius

 

 

Gauteng delivered a number of SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS with a group reported in Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve at -26.520, 28.239 yesterday and singletons reported at Marievale Bird Sanctuary at -26.355, 28.516 on Saturday and in Vanderbijlpark at -26.715, 27.85 on Saturday. Other records of local interest included a LARK-LIKE BUNTING at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve at -26.484, 28.182 on Saturday, a male GREY-BACKED SPARROW-LARK in Rietvlei Nature Reserve on Friday and a juvenile SOUTHERN BALD IBIS at Glen Austin Pan on Friday.

 

The North-west Province also got in on the SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER action with one reported south of Boons at -26.047, 27.227 yesterday and at least 4 seen around Hartbeespoort Dam at -25.733, 27.852 on Friday.

 

Limpopo’s records all came from the Kruger National Park and all concerned GREAT WHITE PELICANS with one seen at Nshawu near Mopani yesterday and a group of at least 15 seen over the S142 close to Pioneer Dam on Saturday.

 

And finally, in Namibia, the long-staying BLACK SPARROWHAWK was still around on the southern bank of the Swakop River in Swakopmund on Saturday.

 

 

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater in Vanderbijlpark

© Wian van Biljon

Southern Bald Ibis at Glen Austin Pan

© Mike Pope

 

 

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

 

TREVOR HARDAKER

Cape Town, South Africa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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