SA Rare Bird News Report - 25 March 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 Thursday, 25 March 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: | |||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
| |||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
PLEASE CONSIDER FOLLOWING ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE LINKED ICONS BELOW: | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
| ||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Not much in the way of scarcity reports in the last few days…
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:
· One at Dunes de Dovela (Mozambique) yesterday.
On to the rest of the news and, starting in a very quiet Western Cape, the long-staying RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Tuesday and, over on the Garden Route, a EUROPEAN ROLLER was seen south of George Airport at -34.023, 22.382 yesterday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
European Honey Buzzard at Dunes de Dovela © Thomas Bruneau | Red-necked Phalarope in Velddrif © Leonie Kellermann | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
In the Eastern Cape, the mega SOOTY GULL continued to keep twitchers entertained at the Sundays River mouth today while, close by, there were still several BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS in Colchester yesterday as well. Elsewhere, a WHITE-BACKED VULTURE was seen at Shamwari Private Game Reserve on Tuesday and a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE was found just outside East London on Sunday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Jenny Wentzel | Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Linda Fourie | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Edwin Polden | Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Rod Green | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Don Reid | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Colchester © Susan Schlebusch | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
White-backed Vulture at Shamwari Private Game Reserve © Jean Taute | Brown Snake Eagle outside East London © Ian Jamieson | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the popular STRIPED CRAKE and chicks continued to parade around at Kumahlala Hide in Mkuze Game Reserve until around midday on Tuesday before they disappeared and were not seen again. It is unlikely that they have disappeared totally, given the small chicks present, but rather that they have moved to another location in the wetland area that is not visible from the hide. A LESSER MOORHEN with chicks was also found there on Tuesday and was still there yesterday while the reserve also produced a DARK CHANTING GOSHAWK at -27.627, 32.248 earlier today. News continued to be positive of the mega BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at Mpempe Pan today while at least one SOOTY FALCON was still at Mbazwana this morning and another SOOTY FALCON was back again in the usual spot near Mtubatuba this afternoon as well. An AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE was also reported over Wembley in Pietermaritzburg this afternoon. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Roger Hogg | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Striped Crake at Mkuze Game Reserve © Ian Gordon | Striped Crake at Mkuze Game Reserve © Caroline Fox | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Striped Crake at Mkuze Game Reserve © Roger Hogg | Striped Crake at Mkuze Game Reserve © Craig Widdows | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Lesser Moorhen at Mkuze Game Reserve © Roger Hogg | Lesser Moorhen at Mkuze Game Reserve © Warren Sutherland | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Dark Chanting Goshawk at Mkuze Game Reserve © Julia Clarence | Dark Chanting Goshawk at Mkuze Game Reserve © Rowan Bartlett | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
In the Free State, a slightly out of range WAHLBER’S EAGLE was seen on a farm just outside Harrismith yesterday.
Mpumalanga delivered a STRIPED CRAKE with 1 chick seen at a roadside pan along the Timbavati Loop in the Kruger National Park on Monday.
In the North-west Province, the BRONZE-WINGED COURSER was still at Kgaswane Mountain Reserve near Rustenburg until at least Tuesday evening.
And finally, in Limpopo, a STREAKY-BREASTED FLUFFTAIL was heard at Mangqueba on the Limpopo floodplain in the Makuleke Concession near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park yesterday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Wahlberg’s Eagle outside Harrismith © David Weaver | Bronze-winged Courser at Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Bernard Tabane | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
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 |
|
|
|
| |||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
