SA Rare Bird News Report - 03 February 2025
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, 03 February 2025.
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 |
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Back into the exciting world of Southern African rarities, one would have thought that it would have been reasonably quiet considering that there were around 1900 birders all away on the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 cruise, but that was certainly not the case. I’m sure that there will be plenty of reports on the actual cruise coming through in due course, so I won’t go into too much detail here. It was, however, a great trip with many incredible birds and marine mammals seen and, from a subregion perspective, multiple records of TROPICAL SHEARWATERS and SOOTY TERNS, both in Eastern Cape and Kwazulu Natal waters, so that in itself was quite exciting for subregion listers.
Alright, let’s try and catch up with what has happened in the last week while many of us were away and, starting in the Western Cape, a pelagic trip out of Simon’s Town yesterday delivered a juvenile WANDERING ALBATROSS and a SPECTACLED PETREL. Also creating some local excitement, a MARSH WARBLER was found at the entrance to Rondevlei Nature Reserve on Saturday, 25 January and was still present there this afternoon while a GOLIATH HERON was also present there yesterday. At least 3 SAND MARTINS were reported around Pan P1 at Strandfontein Sewage Works this afternoon, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still on Pan P4 there on Sunday, 25 January and a GOLIATH HERON was also seen there on Pan P1 on Friday, 24 January. Elsewhere, AFRICAN JACANAS remained at Dreyersdal wetlands on Tuesday and at Paardevlei on Friday while Southern Africa’s 9th LESSER YELLOWLEGS was also still at Geelbek in the West Coast National Park on Saturday. The park also continued to host the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER at Seeberg on Saturday and a LESSER CRESTED TERN was also found there on Saturday and remained on view there yesterday. Elsewhere on the west coast, at least 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif yesterday along with a GOLIATH HERON, while a GULL-BILLED TERN and both GREATER and TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVERS were present at the Olifants River estuary near Papendorp on Monday. Another GREATER SAND PLOVER was also reported at the Uilenkraals River estuary near Gansbaai on Saturday, 25 January and was still there the following day while up to 3 GREATER SAND PLOVERS were at De Mond Nature Reserve on Thursday.
This latter site also produced Southern Africa’s 24th BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER on Wednesday when a single individual was found at the estuary there, rather atypical habitat for this species. Unfortunately, despite a concerted effort, it could not be relocated again the following day, but there is a huge amount of suitable habitat just to the north of the estuary, so the bird could literally have moved anywhere there. Our first record was in Richard's Bay in December 1977 followed by one in Swakopmund in February 1984 and one in Walvis Bay in November 1984. The next record was from Barberspan Nature Reserve in January 1986, followed by one at the Berg River estuary in September 1993, one at the Umvoti River estuary in March 1995, a dead bird found at Durban Airport in December 2000, the famous twitchable one at Marievale Bird Sanctuary in January 2001, another bird at Barberspan Nature Reserve in February 2001, a bird at Krugersdrift Dam in the Free State in February 2008, then the well twitched bird at Muzi Pan as well as the bird near St Francis Bay, both in December 2010, one at Kei mouth in April 2011, one at Mile 4 Salt Works in Swakopmund in April 2012, one at Waterfall Estate in Midrand in September 2012, one again at Mile 4 Salt Works in January 2013, one at Rakops River Lodge in Botswana in March 2019, 2 birds together at Voelvlei, near Mossel Bay, in December 2020, a bird at Mpempe Pan in March 2021, possibly the same individual again at Mpempe Pan in December 2021, a bird near Sojwe in Botswana in December 2022, a bird at Voelvlei, near Mossel Bay, again in December 2023 and, most recently, a bird at Monzi in February 2024.
A number of EUROPEAN ROLLERS were also reported with one seen about 50km north of Ceres in the Koue Bokkeveld on Sunday, 26 January, one between Baardskeerdersbos and Elim at -34.563, 19.676 on Monday, one near Pearly Beach at -34.676, 19.550 on Thursday, one still present along the R328 outside Mossel Bay at -33.975, 22.038 on Sunday, 26 January, one on a farm just off the N9 at -33.789, 22.695 yesterday and one along the Uplands Road near Plettenberg Bay on Saturday, 25 January. Several BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were also reported at Brandfontein Nature Reserve pan on Sunday, 26 January, a YELLOW-BILLED STORK was found along the Hartenbos River at Karookraal yesterday, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was also still at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay on Saturday and the latter site also delivered an ELEGANT TERN earlier today. | |||||||||
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Marsh Warbler at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Ian Rijsdijk | Marsh Warbler at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Oli Main | ||||||||
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Goliath Heron at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Andre Demblon | African Jacana at Paardevlei © Charles Britz | ||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Kyle Dods | Lesser Crested Tern at Seeberg © Kyle Dods | ||||||||
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Red-necked Phalarope at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Dean Boshoff | Goliath Heron at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Dean Boshoff | ||||||||
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Buff-breasted Sandpiper at De Mond Nature Reserve © Lester van Groeningen | Greater Sand Plovers at De Mond Nature Reserve © Lester van Groeningen | ||||||||
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European Roller along the R328 © Ritz de la Bat | European Roller just off the N9 © Pieter Steyn | ||||||||
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European Roller along the Uplands Road © Mike Bridgeford | Eurasian Oystercatcher at the Keurbooms River estuary © Pieter Schoeman | ||||||||
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Elegant Tern at the Keurbooms River estuary © Pieter Schoeman | |||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, an AFRICAN HAWK EAGLE was found at Amakhala Game Reserve on Thursday and then seen again along the Sidbury road at -33.469, 26.147 on Friday. I have searched back through the archives of the last 16,5 years of SARBN and cannot find any records of this species in the province before so, unless there are some historical records that I am not aware of, this may well constitute the first confirmed record for the Eastern Cape. Elsewhere, the MONTAGU’S HARRIERS were still present at Tankatara yesterday. | |||||||||
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African Hawk Eagle at Amakhala Game Reserve © Gregor Bell | African Hawk Eagle along the Sidbury Road © Jorrie Jordaan | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the discovery of Southern Africa’s 33rd WHITE-THROATED BEE-EATER along the D162, south of Wartburg, on the north bank of the Umgeni River at -29.471, 30.478 on Saturday created much excitement with the bird still showing there earlier today. Elsewhere, the GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER and AFRICAN CRAKE were still at Saxony Wildlife Estate on Saturday, a CORN CRAKE was reported along the Pevensey road, east of Himeville, at -29.731, 29.563 on Saturday, another CORN CRAKE was reported at Cedara yesterday, a DWARF BITTERN was found at the main pond at Mkomazana Mountain Cottages at Sani Pass yesterday evening, 2 GREAT SNIPES were reported at Mpempe Pan at -27.719, 32.482 on Saturday, the St Lucia estuary continued to hold both GREATER and TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVERS on Saturday while 3 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were also found there then and were still in place there yesterday. An exhausted BARAU’S PETREL was brought into a rehab centre in Sodwana Bay on Saturday while both PECTORAL SANDPIPER and PEARL-BREASTED SWALLOW were reported at Darvill Bird Sanctuary in Pietermaritzburg on Friday. | |||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Colin Summersgill | White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Thea Jenkins | ||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Gilbert Reinhardt | White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Jaap le Grange | ||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Stewart Clarke | |||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Garret Skead | White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Jacques Malan | ||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Hennie Jordaan | White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © David Hoddinott | ||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Jordan Brophy | White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Peter Sharland | ||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Leon Bruggemann | |||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Athol Marchant | White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Hugo Voigts | ||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Liz Blomeyer | White-throated Bee-eater along the D162 © Tyron Dall | ||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater twitchers along the D162 © David Hoddinott | |||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater twitchers along the D162 © Bart Fokkens | |||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater twitchers along the D162 © Peter Sharland | |||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater twitchers along the D162 © Justin Ponder | |||||||||
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White-throated Bee-eater twitchers along the D162 © Jason McCormick | |||||||||
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African Skimmers at St Lucia © Wian van Biljon | African Skimmers at St Lucia © Dana Goldberg | ||||||||
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Grey-headed Kingfisher at Saxony Wildlife Estate © David Hoddinott | African Crake at Saxony Wildlife Estate © David Hoddinott | ||||||||
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Mpumalanga chimed in with an absolute killer when Southern Africa’s 4th NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER was found in Manyeleti Game Reserve at -24.629, 31.593 on Thursday, 23 January. Unfortunately, the bird was only seen on that one late afternoon, and not again, so was never really available for twitchers. Our first record was on 17 December 2020 in Bwabwata National Park followed by our second record on 4 January 2021 on a farm along the southern bank of the Crocodile River in Limpopo Province in South Africa. Both of these records were “one day wonders” and totally untwitchable, and it was only when a bird spent time from 28 September 2022 – 25 November 2022 and again from 17 September 2023 – 21 November 2023 in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony near Nunda River Lodge in Namibia that many twitchers could finally catch up with it and add it to their subregion lists.
Elsewhere, the Kruger National Park had a few goodies on offer with 3 AFRICAN SKIMMERS present near Lower Sabie at -25.142, 31.941 this afternoon and a SOOTY FALCON reported along the S28 at -25.289, 31.924 last Sunday. | |||||||||
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Northern Carmine Bee-eater at Manyeleti Game Reserve © Karmen de Klerk | |||||||||
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Up in Limpopo, a RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was found at Banyini Pan in the Makuleke Concession near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park on Thursday while a PINK-BACKED PELICAN was present north-east of Mookgopong at -24.443, 28.912 on Friday, 24 January. | |||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron at Banyini Pan © Christa Harmsen | Pink-backed Pelican north-east of Mookgopong © Johan Viljoen | ||||||||
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And finally, in Namibia, the subregion’s 12th RED-THROATED PIPIT was still showing well at Cape Cross at -21.753, 13.972 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Red-throated Pipit at Cape Cross © Christien Boshoff | Red-throated Pipit at Cape Cross © Roger 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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