SA Rare Bird News Report - 11 July 2019
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 20h00 on Thursday, 11 July 2019.
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: | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
| ||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Starting in the Western Cape, the male DUSKY SUNBIRD was still visiting the feeders in a garden in Newlands today while news has also filtered through of another one reported from a garden in Welgemoed on Sunday. Elsewhere, the lingering rarities included the RED-BILLED OXPECKER still at Koeberg Nature Reserve yesterday, the WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATERS still at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens in Betty's Bay yesterday, at least 2 COMMON SCIMITARBILLS still present at Pereboomdrift in Meiringspoort yesterday and 2 AFRICAN PIED WAGTAILS still present at the jetty on the Keurbooms River in Plettenberg Bay yesterday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Dusky Sunbird in Newlands © Otto Schmidt | Dusky Sunbird in Newlands © Joel Radue | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Dusky Sunbird twitchers in Newlands © Otto Schmidt | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
White-fronted Bee-eater at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Hennie Cilliers | White-fronted Bee-eater at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Tony Macky | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
In the Eastern Cape, the immature PALM-NUT VULTURE remained in place at Schoenmakerskop near Port Elizabeth today while there was also a report of three SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS seen on Vanzylsrus farm near Middelburg at -31.469, 24.679 late yesterday, a rather unusual bird for the province. The birds were still present there earlier today as well. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater near Middelburg © Neil Erasmus | Swallow-tailed Bee-eater near Middelburg © Tino Herselman | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Palm-nut Vulture at Schoenmakerskop © Wilma Meiring | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the ROSEATE TERN reappeared at the Mfolozi River mouth at St Lucia at -29.830, 32.424 earlier today again while there were also still a few CHESTNUT-BANDED PLOVERS holding on at the St Lucia estuary today as well. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Roseate Tern at St Lucia © Marco Franchini | Chestnut-banded Plover at St Lucia © Marco Franchini | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Over in Gauteng, there were around 15 SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS present at the entrance to Bronkhorstspruit Dam Nature Reserve in the Bluegums yesterday.
Across in Mpumalanga, the province has certainly become synonymous with AFRICAN SKIMMERS recently with the popular bird still at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park today while the park also turned up another one near the restaurant at Skukuza Golf Club yesterday as well. Continuing with the same theme, there were also still 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS present at Argyle Dam in Timbavati Private Game Reserve today as well. Elsewhere, the 3 LESSER JACANAS were also still holding on at Middelpunt farm in Dullstroom this morning. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater at Bronkhorstspruit Dam Nature Reserve © Johan van der Walt | African Skimmer at Argyle Dam © Luke Mouyis | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Lesser Jacana on Middelpunt farm © Johan van Rensburg | Lesser Jacana on Middelpunt farm © Lourens Grobler | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Into the North-west Province where the lone PINK-BACKED PELICAN was back at Rockwall Dam in Rustenburg on Friday again.
And finally, in Limpopo, a group of 7 SCALY-FEATHERED FINCHES were found a short distance south of Boyela waterhole in the Kruger National Park on Monday. What was perhaps even more interesting with Monday's find was the discovery of two active nest sites, only the second nesting record known from the Kruger National Park following birds nesting in the Makuleke Concession in 2011. Also of interest, there were 2 RED-HEADED FINCHES seen on the H-14 between Phalaborwa gate and Mopani camp in the Kruger National Park approximately 1km west of the junction with the S133 on Tuesday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Pink-backed Pelican at Rockwall Dam © Geoff Finney | Scaly-feathered Finch south of Boyela waterhole © Duncan McKenzie | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
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 |
|
|
|
| |||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
