SA Rare Bird News Report - 28 November 2022
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, 28 November 2022.
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, there was some surprize when a single CAPE (GLOSSY) STARLING was found in the car park at Cape Point on Saturday, rather out of range for this species. It proved reasonably popular amongst locals and was still there earlier today. Elsewhere, Strandfontein Sewage Works held on to at least one BAILLON’S CRAKE on Pan P2 on Friday while several FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were still there yesterday as well. Other interesting records included a EURASIAN HOBBY over Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Friday and a LESSER CRESTED TERN in a very large Tern roost at Macassar Sewage Works on Saturday while 3 FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were also reported at Paarl Bird Sanctuary on Saturday. The long-staying MARABOU STORK remained at the dump site near Op die Berg at -33.070, 19.332 on Friday. Over on the Garden Route, a COMMON CUCKOO was reported along the Seven Passes Road near Wilderness Heights about 1km from the nursery yesterday and a GREAT EGRET was seen at Rondevlei near Sedgefield on Saturday while, inland, the COMMON SCIMITARBILL was still in Meiringspoort at -33.367, 22.554 on Saturday and a single EURASIAN WHIMBREL was also found at Springfontein Dam in Beaufort West on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Cape (Glossy) Starling at Cape Point © Andrew Core | Cape (Glossy) Starling at Cape Point © Cliff Dorse | ||||||||
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Cape (Glossy) Starling at Cape Point © Karin Wilson | Cape (Glossy) Starling at Cape Point © Dana Goldberg | ||||||||
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Fulvous Whistling Ducks at Paarl Bird Sanctuary © John Fincham | Marabou Stork near Op die Berg © Wessel Uys | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, the popular ALLEN’S GALLINULE was still at Dodd’s Farm in Port Elizabeth yesterday. | |||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Dodd’s Farm © Patrick Kilian | |||||||||
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Kwazulu Natal stuck its hand up to be counted when Southern Africa’s 2nd ever WHITE WAGTAIL was found at the Sappi wetlands in Stanger at -29.361, 31.298 on Saturday. Naturally, the bird proved extremely popular and drew many local twitchers in as well as a few from further afield and was still showing well there today. The only previous record of this species in Southern Africa was a bird present at Rooisand Nature Reserve near Kleinmond in the Western Cape from 6-10 January 2018. This was a real “Patagonian Picnic Table Effect” as the finders of this bird had actually gone there to look for the 2 LESSER JACANAS that had been reported along the access road to the wetlands at -29.347, 31.308 earlier on Saturday and at least one of those was still there today. Although not a true rarity for the area, a WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL was also found in the same area as the White Wagtail and added to the draw for locals and was also still there today. | |||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Decklan Jordaan | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Hennie Jordaan | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Luke Allen | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © John van de Ruit | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Matt Kiln | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Paul Josop | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Kevin Nel | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Anthony Woodhouse | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Bart Fokkens | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Brad Arthur | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Marco Franchini | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Craig Marwick | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Roger Hogg | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Hugo Voigts | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Stewart Clarke | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Keenan Houareau | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Athol Marchant | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Dave Rimmer | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Liam O’Connor | White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Gavin Walter | ||||||||
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White Wagtail at Sappi Stanger © Brian Roberts | Lesser Jacana at Sappi Stanger © Brian Roberts | ||||||||
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White Wagtail twitchers at Sappi Stanger © Chris Brits | |||||||||
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White Wagtail twitchers at Sappi Stanger © Brandon Gould | |||||||||
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Into Gauteng where the SLATY EGRET was seen downstream of Walkhaven Dog Park in Muldersdrift at -26.01, 27.872 on Friday afternoon while Marievale Bird Sanctuary also held some attraction with 1 male and 2 female WESTERN MARSH HARRIERS seen there on Friday with at least one bird still present there yesterday around the Duiker hide. | |||||||||
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Male Western Marsh Harrier at Marievale Bird Sanctuary © Jandre Verster | Female Western Marsh Harrier at Marievale Bird Sanctuary © Jandre Verster | ||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, the popular MADAGASCAR CUCKOO was still on view at Kranspoort Holiday Estate yesterday while AFRICAN SKIMMERS were also noted with a singleton at Nsemani Dam in the Kruger National Park on Saturday and at least 3 birds still on the river in front of Simbavati River Lodge on Saturday.
The North-west Province chimed in with a RED-FOOTED FALCON at the Kgomo Kgomo bridge yesterday.
Limpopo’s offerings all came from the Kruger National Park with a TEREK SANDPIPER found at Sable Dam yesterday which was still there today, possibly the first ever confirmed record for the park and also only the second ever record for the province following one previous sighting at Turfloop Dam near Polokwane, while a GREEN SANDPIPER was seen around the windmill on the H15, just off the H1-6, on Saturday.
The news coming from Namibia is a little depressing as it seems that the NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER that was so reliable in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony near Nunda River Lodge may finally have moved off. It was last seen on Friday afternoon and there has been no sign of it since, despite regular checks twice a day for the last 3 days.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, the big news was a male EURASIAN BLACKCAP seen outside the entrance of Victoria Falls Backpackers at -17.922, 25.825 on Friday (but sadly not seen again), probably only the 31st ever record for Southern Africa, while a single RUDDY TURNSTONE was found at Fothergill in Matusadona National Park yesterday. | |||||||||
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Terek Sandpiper at Sable Dam © Leigh Hoets | Terek Sandpiper at Sable Dam © Willem Botha | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper along the H15 © Leigh Hoets | |||||||||
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Red-footed Falcon at Kgomo Kgomo © Jandre Verster | Ruddy Turnstone at Fothergill © Adam Jones | ||||||||
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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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