SA Rare Bird News Report - 11 October 2021

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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, 11 October 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									SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands:
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Things seem to be picking up a little bit… there are still only a few reports of the scarcities like EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD and GREEN SANDPIPER so, for now, I have just included them in the main text of the report but, as the number of reports start to increase in the next few weeks, I will move all of those records to the beginning and just list them all as has been done in the past.   Starting in the Western Cape, pelagic trips on Saturday turned up both a very young SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS and a SPECTACLED PETREL while at least one PINK-BACKED PELICAN was still moving around between Pan P2 at Strandfontein Sewage Works and Zeekoevlei on Saturday as well. Other lingerers included the DOUBLE-BANDED COURSER still at usual spot along the R307 near Moorreesburg yesterday, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Saturday and the PECTORAL SANDPIPER still present at Rooisand Nature Reserve, near Kleinmond, yesterday while, further east, a GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING was still present at Outeniqua Nature Reserve near George at -33.936, 22.436 on Friday and the SQUACCO HERON was also still at Beaufort West Sewage Works on Saturday.
Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Estelle Smalberger					Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Wilna Steenkamp
Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Garth Shaw					Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker
Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Richard Crawshaw					Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Richard Crawshaw
Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Estelle Smalberger					Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Wilna Steenkamp
Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Willem Botes					Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Carin Malan
Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Estelle Smalberger					Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Karin Wilson
Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Jenny Wentzel					Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Garret Skead
Double-banded Courser near Moorreesburg © Hernus Langeveldt					Golden-breasted Bunting at Outeniqua Nature Reserve © Michael Mason
In the Eastern Cape, it was also all about lingerers with the PURPLE-BANDED SUNBIRD still on the western bank of the Umtamvuma River on Saturday and the BLACK-THROATED WATTLE-EYE and BLACK-BELLIED BUSTARD still at Mkambati Nature Reserve on Saturday as well.
Black-bellied Bustard at Mkambati Nature Reserve © Stewart MacLachlan					Black-throated Wattle-eye at Mkambati Nature Reserve © Stewart MacLachlan
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, there was some local excitement when 3 AFRICAN BARRED OWLETS were found in Tembe Elephant Park on Saturday with one seen again yesterday. Elsewhere, a BENNETT’S WOODPECKER was seen at Manyoni Private Game Reserve this morning, a DARK CHANTIONG GOSHAWK was reported near Zulu Nyala Lodge at -27.935, 32.263 on Saturday and a pair of PEARL-BREASTED SWALLOWS were found at Saxony Wildlife Estate, Karkloof on Saturday as well.   Across in Gauteng, a BUSHVELD PIPIT at Moreleta Kloof in Pretoria yesterday afternoon was an interesting local find as was a male RED-HEADED WEAVER seen at Tara Hospital in Sandton on Friday. A number of birders also managed to connect with the popular SLATY EGRET which moved between Walkhaven Dog Park in Muldersdrift and neighbouring Gnu Valley Farm and was still present yesterday.
African Barred Owlet in Tembe Elephant Park © Wade Lee					African Barred Owlet in Tembe Elephant Park © Digby Cyrus
Bennett’s Woodpecker at Manyoni Private Game Reserve © Wade Lee					Bushveld Pipit at Moreleta Kloof © Keanu Canto
Slaty Egret at Walkhaven Dog Park © Lloyd Nelson					Red-headed Weaver in Sandton © Naazneen Ebrahim
Into Mpumalanga where a single RUDDY TURNSTONE was found at Leeupan near Leandra on Saturday while there were also still at least 17 COLLARED PRATINCOLES and a pair of WHITE-FRONTED PLOVERS at Mkhombo Dam yesterday. All the AFRICAN SKIMMERS also remained in place with the 2 birds still at the Malelane bridge on the Crocodile River earlier today and the other 2 birds still at the Olifants River bridge in the Kruger National Park on Saturday.
Ruddy Turnstone at Leeupan © Tobie Pretorius					White-fronted Plover at Mkhombo Dam © Johan van der Walt
Collared Pratincole at Mkhombo Dam © Johan van der Walt					Collared Pratincole at Mkhombo Dam © Niall Perrins
In the North-west Province, the PINK-BACKED PELICAN remained in place at Rockwall Dam near Rustenburg on Saturday.   Limpopo also had some good birds on offer with 3 AFRICAN SKIMMERS and a COMMON RINGED PLOVER seen at Middle Letaba Dam near Giyani at -23.317, 30.366 on Friday while the GREEN SANDPIPER was reported again at Aloe Ridge Dam in Polokwane Game Reserve on Saturday.
African Skimmer at Middle Letaba Dam © Keenan Houareau					Common Ringed Plover at Middle Letaba Dam © Keenan Houareau
Up in Namibia, a EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD was reported this afternoon over Klein Windhoek.   Botswana produced a couple of good waders with a SANDERLING found at Phakalane Sewage Ponds at -24.585, 25.977 on Saturday and a GREEN SANDPIPER reported at Mashatu Game Reserve at -22.212, 29.136 on Saturday as well.   And finally, in Zimbabwe, a PALM-NUT VULTURE was reported again at Tembahitwa Pan in Gonarezhou National Park yesterday while Saturday also saw some interesting records with a EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD seen at Matetsi in Victoria Falls, a SANDERLING seen along the upper Zambezi River, slightly downstream of the Katombora Rapids, and a EURASIAN WHIMBREL seen along the Save River at -21.263, 32.395.
Sanderling on the Zambezi River © James Varden					Eurasian Whimbrel on the Save River © Gary Douglas
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