SA Rare Bird News Report - 20 November 2023
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, 20 November 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 https://groups.google.com/g/sa-rarebirdnews |
| SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands: | |||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
| |||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
PLEASE CONSIDER FOLLOWING ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE LINKED ICONS BELOW: | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
| ||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Starting in the Western Cape, a SPECTACLED PETREL was seen from a ship about 180 nautical miles west of Cape Point at -34.704, 14.879 on Saturday. After a long period of no reports, a single KNOB-BILLED DUCK was picked up again at the dam along R304 at -33.704, 18.682 yesterday while the lingering AFRICAN JACANA was also still at Paardevlei yesterday. Over on the Garden Route, at least 2 GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTINGS were found in a stand of Wattle trees on the northern side of Montagu Pass at -33.838, 22.444 this morning while a BLACK HERON was located at a pond in Avocet Close on Thesen Island in Knysna yesterday. Heading inland, the 2 WHITE-BROWED SPARROW-WEAVERS were still on the private farm west of Beaufort West at -32,35, 22,284 on Saturday and a single RED-BACKED SHRIKE was reported south-east of Beaufort West at -32,54, 22,972 on Saturday as well. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Spectacled Petrel west of Cape Point © Marcelina Poddaniec | Black Heron on Thesen Island © Delle Henry | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
In the Eastern Cape, a group of 7 AFRICAN PYGMY GEESE were found at the Xhora River mouth at -32.157, 28.989 yesterday while at least one BLACK HERON was still along the Qinira River in East London this morning. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
African Pygmy Geese at Xhora River mouth © Joel Radue | Black Heron on the Qinira River © Deon Theunissen | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Kwazulu Natal continues to pump at the moment, not least of which with EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHERS. One bird was still present at the St Lucia estuary on Saturday, another bird was reported moving between Umdloti Beach and the Umhlanga Lagoon on Saturday and was still there yesterday and the bird at Illovo Lagoon was joined by a second individual yesterday as well, meaning that there are at least 4 birds along the KZN coastline at the moment! Elsewhere in the province, the locally mega THICK-BILLED CUCKOO was still present along the Sand Forest walk in Ndumo Game Reserve yesterday while an AFRICAN HAWK EAGLE was also reported in Ndumo Game Reserve at -26.906, 32.283 on Thursday. Manyoni Private Game Reserve wasn’t to be left out of proceedings turning up a PENNANT-WINGED NIGHTJAR on both Friday and Saturday evenings and a YELLOW-BILLED OXPECKER at the north gate yesterday afternoon. Other good records included an AFRICAN SKIMMER at the St Lucia estuary on Friday which was still there on Saturday, a GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO reported near Empangeni at -28.674, 31.912 on Friday and still in the same area yesterday, an immature AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE seen over Glenwood, south of Pigeon Valley, on Friday and an AFRICAN CRAKE reported on a private farm in New Hanover yesterday as well. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Eurasian Oystercatcher at Illovo Lagoon © Hugo Voigts | Eurasian Oystercatchers at Illovo Lagoon © Mike Croeser | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Eurasian Oystercatchers at Illovo Lagoon © Robert Basel | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
Great Spotted Cuckoo near Empangeni © Ty van Onselen | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
African Hawk Eagle in Ndumo Game Reserve © Bart Fokkens | Ayres’s Hawk Eagle over Glenwood © John van de Ruit | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
African Skimmer at the St Lucia estuary © Sibusiso Mfeka | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Into the Free State where a EURASIAN CURLEW was found along the Sandspruit, north-west of Welkom, at -27.587, 26.171 yesterday and was still there this morning.
Over in Mpumalanga, the Kruger National Park had 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS still along the river at Lower Sabie late yesterday and 3 CAPE SHOVELERS at Sunset Dam yesterday as well while the COMMON TERN was also still at Mkhombo Dam at -25.139, 28.840 yesterday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Eurasian Curlew along the Sandspruit © Roelof van der Merwe | African Skimmer at Lower Sabie © Wessel de Wet | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
In Gauteng, a GREEN SANDPIPER was found along the Jukskei River at Helderfontein Estate on Saturday and was still there this afternoon while a RED-CAPPED ROBIN-CHAT, a NARINA TROGON and an OLIVE WOODPECKER were all reported at Deale’s Rock yesterday. Amazingly, at least two of each of those species were present at the same site again this morning. Also still attracting local attention, the long-staying and popular SLATY EGRET remained on at Gnu Valley farm on Saturday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Estate © Grant Fairley | Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Estate © Chris de Klerk | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Estate © Samantha Bradley | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
Red-capped Robin-Chat at Deale’s Rock © Jandre Verster | Narina Trogon at Deale’s Rock © Jandre Verster | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Tristyn Ross | Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Kevin Ross | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Limpopo chimed in with an absolute mega when Southern Africa’s 12th EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE, a moulting juvenile, was found at Engelhardt Dam near Letaba in the Kruger National Park at -23.837, 31.628 on Wednesday. Our first record dates back to June 1988 at Dalkeith waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Northern Cape). This was followed in January 1989 at Shingwedzi in the Kruger National Park (Limpopo), August 1997 at Malilangwe Conservancy in Zimbabwe, May 2002 near Mata Mata in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Northern Cape), June 2002 at Tsaro camp in Moremi National Park (Botswana), July 2002 at Namutoni in Etosha National Park (Namibia), November 2012 along the Savuti Channel opposite Presidents Camp (Botswana), November 2012 at a waterhole at Ghoha Hills Lodge (Botswana), December 2014 in Phinda Private Game Reserve (KZN), May 2017 at NG30 about 40km west of Maun (Botswana) and, most recently, February 2023 at Craig Lockhart waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Northern Cape). Also in the park, a CASPIAN PLOVER was present about 800m east of Tihongonyeni waterhole yesterday and a SHAFT-TAILED WHYDAH was reported at Tihongonyeni waterhole this morning.
I am indebted to Killian Mullarney, Thibaut Chansac, Gary Allport, Ohad Sherer, Yoav Perlman, Jonathan Meyrev and Itai Shannai who all provided valuable input in order to resolve the ID of this juvenile Dove. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
European Turtle Dove at Engelhardt Dam © Ivan Putter | Caspian Plover near Tihongonyeni waterhole © Keith Foster | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Up in Namibia, there was plenty to keep birders/twitchers entertained with the long-staying ROSS’S TURACO still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, on Friday, the mega NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER still in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony near Nunda River Lodge on Saturday and a single SANDERLING also seen there along the river on Friday, the COLLARED FLYCATCHER still visiting the garden in Rossmund in Swakopmund on Saturday, a SANDERLING found at Avis Dam in Windhoek yesterday and a group of around 20 STARK’S LARKS seen in Mahango Game Reserve at -18.181, 21.691 on Thursday afternoon. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Duncan Fletcher | Northern Carmine Bee-eater at Nunda River Lodge © Alan Bilbrough | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Collared Flycatcher in Rossmund © Dayne Braine | Collared Flycatcher in Rossmund © Anton Jooste | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Collared Flycatcher in Rossmund © Lex van Vught | Sanderling at Avis Dam © Wessel Myburgh | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Across in Botswana, a EURASIAN CURLEW at Phakalane Sewage works in Gaborone at -24.587, 25.980 on Friday caused some local excitement.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, a single OLIVE BEE-EATER was reported on Long Island at Lake Kariba yesterday while the PALM-NUT VULTURE was also still present at Chewore Lodge late yesterday afternoon. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Eurasian Curlew at Phakalane Sewage Works © Kate Nelson | Palm-nut Vulture at Chewore Lodge © Ron Webb | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
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 |
|
|
|
| |||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
