SA Rare Bird News Report - 06 June 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 19h30 on Monday, 06 June 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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It’s been a busy few days and, starting in the Western Cape, a NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS was seen on pelagic trip out of Simon’s Town on Saturday while news also came through this morning of a SNOWY SHEATHBILL which alighted on a small fishing boat just offshore of Miller’s Point in False Bay. Subsequently, news was also received of what was presumably the same individual that landed on a boat about 8 miles west of Cape Point yesterday. A small group of birders then set about searching for the bird along the False Bay coastline and, eventually, it was located in Kalk Bay harbour this afternoon where a number of twitchers managed to catch up with it. Strandfontein Sewage Works continued to deliver surprizes with an AFRICAN CRAKE found between Pans S6 and S7 on Saturday while the AFRICAN JACANA was still on Pan T1 on Saturday and numerous FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were also still on Pan P4 on Saturday and adjacent Zeekoevlei held on to at least one PINK-BACKED PELICAN yesterday as well. There was some excitement when an ABDIM’S STORK was found in Betty’s Bay yesterday afternoon and was still there this morning (but not seen after midday) and the AFRICAN FINFOOT was also still along the Breede River outside Robertson at -33.822, 19.864 until at least Saturday as well. Up on the west coast, the GULL-BILLED TERN continued to entertain birders at De Plaat in Velddrif today while the same site also hosted the GREAT EGRET on Saturday and the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was also still at Kliphoek Salt Pans on Saturday.
Over on the Garden Route, the big news was of Southern Africa’s 3rd ever CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD (ID confirmed late this afternoon by both Dick Forsman and Andrea Corso, international raptor experts) seen over Witfontein Forest above George at -33.935, 22.434 on Saturday before moving off in an easterly direction while the long-staying EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER and a GOLIATH HERON were seen on the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay on Friday and 3 AFRICAN PIED WAGTAILS were at the Alkantmooi picnic site on the Keurbooms River on Friday as well. | |||||||||
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Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Dalton Gibbs | Snowy Sheathbill offshore of Miller’s Point © Photographer unknown | ||||||||
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Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Joel Radue | Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Garret Skead | ||||||||
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Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Ian Rijsdijk | Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Robert Cooper | ||||||||
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Snowy Sheathbill twitchers in Kalk Bay harbour © Carin Mackinnon-Little | |||||||||
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Snowy Sheathbill twitchers in Kalk Bay harbour © Garret Skead | |||||||||
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Snowy Sheathbill twitchers in Kalk Bay harbour © Joshua Olszewski | |||||||||
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African Crake at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Simon Fogarty | Fulvous Whistling Ducks at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Johan van der Westhuizen | ||||||||
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Pink-backed Pelican at Zeekoevlei © Garret Skead | Abdim’s Stork in Betty’s Bay © Imar Krige | ||||||||
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Abdim’s Stork in Betty’s Bay © Annette Theron | Abdim’s Stork in Betty’s Bay © Michael McSweeney | ||||||||
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Abdim’s Stork in Betty’s Bay © David Hall | Abdim’s Stork in Betty’s Bay © Pieter la Grange | ||||||||
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African Finfoot in Robertson © Karin Wilson | African Finfoot in Robertson © Adrius Rabie | ||||||||
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Red-necked Phalarope at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Blair Zoghby | Gull-billed Tern at De Plaat © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Crested Honey Buzzard over Witfontein Forest © Pieter Uitenweerde | African Pied Wagtail on the Keurbooms River © Neil Ebedes | ||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher on the Keurbooms River © Ian Pletzer | Eurasian Oystercatcher on the Keurbooms River © Rupert Horley | ||||||||
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Goliath Heron on the Keurbooms River © Ian Pletzer | Goliath Heron on the Keurbooms River © Rupert Horley | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, a BATELEUR was reported near Kidds Beach yesterday while a RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD was seen in front of the lighthouse at Cape Recife this morning.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a BLUE KORHAAN was reported again along the D174, off the R617, at the western end of Midmar Dam at -29.556, 30.160 on Saturday while an AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE was seen south of Ndumo Game Reserve at -27.174, 32.148 on Friday and another AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE was seen over Meerensee in Richard’s Bay earlier today.
Gauteng held on to several SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS at De Tweedespruit at -25.581, 28.599 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Ayres’s Hawk Eagle in Richard’s Bay © Nada Crafford | Swallow-tailed Bee-eater at De Tweedespruit © Jean van Rooyen | ||||||||
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Namibia’s strong east winds last week delivered a number of unusual species to the Swakopmund area on Saturday with an AFRICAN CRAKE found in a garden there on Saturday evening, 2 COMMON BUTTONQUAILS found near the Tug Restaurant and a male HARLEQUIN QUAIL and a GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING found in town as well.
And finally, in Mozambique, there was some excitement when the country’s 3rd ever FRANKLIN’S GULL was found at Costo do Sol in Maputo at -25.907, 32.656 on Friday. A pelagic trip out of Maputo on Saturday picked the bird up again just offshore as well while the same trip also turned up a single CAPE CORMORANT in the bay too, always an unusual bird for the country. The LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (ssp heuglini) was also still at Costo do Sol in Maputo on Friday and at least 8 CAPE SHOVELERS were still at the Bela Vista wetlands south of Maputo on Thursday. | |||||||||
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Franklin’s Gull at Costo do Sol © James Hogg | Franklin’s Gull at Costo do Sol © Tom Moore | ||||||||
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Franklin’s Gull on pelagic trip © Samuel Liebert | Franklin’s Gull on pelagic trip © Olivier Hamerlynck | ||||||||
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Cape Cormorant on pelagic trip © Samuel Liebert | Cape Cormorant on pelagic trip © James Hogg | ||||||||
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Cape Shovelers at Bela Vista wetlands © James Hogg | |||||||||
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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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