Southern African Rare Bird News Monday 10 January 2022

[Garret Skead]

Dear SARBN subscribers 

 

This will be my last report for now. From tomorrow, please send all sightings to Trevor Hardaker. Many thanks to everyone for the regular reports and updates, which keep the service up and running, and make it so valuable to the birding community of Southern Africa. And just a reminder: you can send all of your photos to Trevor for inclusion in the reports. In the format I use, the size restriction unfortunately limits how many I can include. 

Starting with the scarcity reports, these are the recent sightings of EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARDS in the subregion: 

• Mkuze Game Reserve staff offices on Thursday, Kwazulu-Natal 
• St Lucia, on Thursday, Kwazulu-Natal 
• Bethal, on Friday, Mpumalanga 
• Lower Tokai Park, on Friday, Western Cape 
• Endurotrack in Centurion on Friday (2 individuals), Gauteng 
• Ntombiza Pan, Eastern Shores on Saturday, Kwazulu-Natal 
• Grootvadersbosch forest on Saturday, (2 individuals) Western Cape 
• Leisure Bay, Natal South Coast on Saturday, Kwazulu-Natal 
• Irene, Centurion on Saturday, Gauteng 
• Mannyelanong Game Reserve, on Sunday, Botswana 
• Dunkirk Estate, Salt Rock on Sunday, Kwazulu-Natal 
• Makatana Bay Lodge, Western Shores on Sunday, Kwazulu-Natal 
• Riebeek Wes, on Sunday, Western Cape 
• Imhoff Farm near Kommetjie on Sunday, Western Cape 
• Spier Wine Farm on Sunday, Western Cape 
• Lower Mpushini near Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, Kwazulu-Natal 
• Ventersburg area on Monday, Free State 
• 
  

WESTERN CAPE: 

The SADDLE-BILLED STORK remained at the farm dam at -34.056, 20.846 on Sunday, and a GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING was seen near George on Friday (-33.963, 22.518). The EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER remained on display at Keurboom estuary on Saturday, and the BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was still at Macassar on Monday. On Saturday, the bird spent most of the afternoon on the mudflats alongside the river (-34.079, 18.768), moving between the near shore below the road and the opposite side mudflats alongside the reeds. Three GREATER SAND PLOVERS were seen on the sand bank 200m upriver from Uilenkraal River bridge on Thursday afternoon. All three PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were still at Strandfontein P1 on Sunday afternoon at the same spot (south-east corner). There were a few SAND MARTINS seen at Kuifkopvisvanger and Kliphoek salt pans on Saturday, the latter at -32.825, 18.193, and another SAND MARTIN as seen near P7/P8 at Strandfontein on Sunday afternoon. There were two RED-NECKED PHALAROPES at the salt pans downriver of Kuifkopvisvanger on Saturday, close to the previous pin (-32.796, 18.181). Also on the west coast, a LESSER SAND PLOVER was found at Geelbek hide on Saturday afternoon (-33.190, 18.123). A EUROPEAN ROLLER was found on a private farm near Houw Hoek Hotel on Friday (-34.204, 19.156), and the bird near the Cape Point nursery was still around on Saturday. Another EUROPEAN ROLLER was seen on Monday near Pearly Beach at -34.656, 19.523. The FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were still at Paardevlei on Sunday. Two RED-BILLED OXPECKERS were seen at Nelsdrif near Leeu Gamka on Monday. There was a GOLIATH HERON on the beach at Pearly Bay, near Yzerfontein on Saturday morning. Whilst not a provincial rarity, there was an odd record of a NORTHERN GIANT PETREL seen in P6 in Strandfontein sewage works on Saturday.

EASTERN CAPE: 

The SOOTY FALCON was still in the same area near Kenton-on-Sea on Sunday morning. Two MONOTONOUS LARKS were found near Graaff-Reinet (-32.416, 24.477) and another was reported between Graaff-Reinet and Murraysburg, on Friday. I don’t have further details on the latter. At Kei Mouth, SEDGE WARBLERS were recorded on Friday (-32.673, 28.388), and reprted again on Sunday, and two HOUSE CROWS were seen at the Kariega River, Kenton-on-Sea on Friday. Glen Avon farm near Somerset East delivered a CORN CRAKE on Saturday, and was still in the same area on Sunday. A PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER was found at Hamburg on Saturday, between the grass island in front of the restaurant and mouth to the sea. I presume this is a returning individual, seen in previous years at the same location. A single SOUTHERN GROUND HORNBILL was found today just south of Elliot (-31.57, 27.921). 

 

KWAZULU-NATAL: 

The EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER remained in the same area near Peace Cottage, Umhloti today, and whilst this bird was being observed, a FRIGATEBIRD flew overhead on Saturday, heading south, and was initially identified as a Great Frigatebird. But following this, there was a second sighting of a Frigatebird on Sunday on the KZN coast, which is a confirmed juvenile LESSER FRIGATEBIRD, seen flying south over the Toti River mouth (Photo attached (c) Shaun Sunkel). On review of the original photos, it appears that the bird reported as a Great was mostly also a juvenile Lesser, and possibly the same individual (apologies for the confusion here!). DUSKY LARKS seem to be showing an influx into the province, with a bird seen at Sungulwane Lodge access road on Friday (-27.802, 32.212), near Underberg on Saturday and at Pongolapoort Nature Reserve on Saturday. Both PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen at Mpempe Pan today, but I have received no further reports of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON remained at Umbogavango Reserve in Amanzimtoti on Saturday. There was a single MAGPIE MANNIKIN seen in a mixed group of Mannikin species outside Ndumu Game Reserve today (-26.914, 32.233). 

 

FREE STATE: 

The Soetdoring celebrity MADAGASCAN CUCKOO remained at the reserve until at least Sunday, and there were DUSKY LARKS reported from the same general area too. An AFRICAN CRAKE was seen on Saturday at Loch Athlone Reserve near Bethlehem (-28.262, 28.315). The province also produced a juvenile SADDLE-BILLED STORK, seen this morning near Viljoenskroon (-26.991, 27.028). There was a EUROPEAN ROLLER seen today south of Bloemfontein (-29.387, 26.235).

GAUTENG: 

The biggest news from the province was that of a EURASIAN BITTERN found on Sunday morning at Mongena Private Game Lodge, in the Dinokeng area, and still present this morning. Photo attached (c) Wian van Zyl. Please see my previous email today pertaining to access. Nearby, a pair of AFRICAN PYGMY GEESE was seen at Mongena Game Reserve today, most likely the same individuals previously seen at Larry’s Dam. Elsewhere in the province, a female WESTERN MARSH HARRIER was seen at Marievale on Thursday afternoon, flying over the Hadeda Hide at 14:00. A CORN CRAKE was seen north of Pretoria on Saturday morning at -25.551, 28.230. See photo attached (c) Ludwig Roell. HARLEQUIN QUAILS were reported from -25.551, 28.229 on Saturday, and seemed to be in the same area on Sunday morning. At the Rhino and Lion Park, a TAWNY EAGLE was seen on Sunday. 

 

MPUMALANGA: 

The DWARF BITTERN at the Mataffin sports field was still in the same location on Friday. There were four WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAILS at Leeupan dam near Leandra on Friday (-26.552, 28.998), with at least one bird seen on Sunday. 

 

NORTHERN CAPE: 

A WHITE-BACKED VULTURE was seen about 5km east of Pofadder over the N14 on Sunday. A GREEN SANDPIPER was reported yesterday from the Kgalagadi district, picked up on Facebook, and I don’t have any further details on the precise location of the bird.

 

NAMIBIA: 

The YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES were still visiting the gardens of Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge on Saturday. 

 

ZIMBABWE: 

There was a CHESTNUT-BANDED PLOVER seen on the Ngamo Plains Wilderness concession on Saturday. 

 

Kind regards

Garret