SA Rare Bird News Report - 08 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 Monday, 08 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: | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
| ||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
As usual, here are a few recent scarcity reports to start with…
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:
· One near Eastgate Airport in Hoedspruit (Limpopo) today. · One at Kube Yini Private Game Reserve (KZN) yesterday. · One in a garden in Morningside, Johannesburg (Gauteng) yesterday. · One at the entrance to Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve (Gauteng) on Saturday. · One in a garden in Meyerton (Gauteng) on Friday. · One in a garden in Tzaneen (Limpopo) on Thursday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
European Honey Buzzard in Tzaneen © Piet Dry | European Honey Buzzard in Meyerton © Kerneels Laubscher | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
European Honey Buzzard in Morningside © Scarlett Krzychylkiewicz | European Honey Buzzard in Kube Yini Private Game Reserve © Digby Cyrus | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Alright, on to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Saturday was rewarding for the passengers and produced an unseasonal NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS, 3 SPECTACLED PETRELS and at least 20 RED PHALAROPES although the actual number may have been more than that! Strandfontein Sewage Works produced a LESSER CRESTED TERN on Pan P2 on Saturday while a single SAND MARTIN was also seen around Pan S2 yesterday. There was also great excitement when, after 9 days of no reports, the CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD was seen again at the usual Spanish Farm site in Somerset West on Saturday. A EUROPEAN ROLLER flew into a window of a house on a farm just south of Franschoek on Friday, but soon recovered and flew off again and the SQUACCO HERON was still also attracting attention at Paardevlei near Strand on Saturday. Up on the west coast, the AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER and 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif yesterday and the GOLIATH HERON was also still there until at least Saturday.
Other lingerers included the LESSER CRESTED TERN still at Rooisand Nature Reserve on Saturday and the 2 TEMMINCK’S COURSERS still on the farm Mierkraal, in the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special management area near Bredasdorp, on Friday while there were also a number of reports of BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS with 4 birds seen flying over Ceres yesterday, no fewer than 10 birds seen just outside Struisbaai on the road to Elim at -34.756, 19.991 yesterday and another 4 birds reported west of Gouritzmond at -34.364, 21.853 on Friday. Over in the east of the province, the DARK-CAPPED BULBULS were still in Mossel Bay at -34.185, 22.146 today, AFRICAN PIED WAGTAILS remained in place at Victoria Bay yesterday and in the Knysna Waterfront yacht club car park on Friday and a pair of LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS were reported along the Seven Passes Road at -33.926, 22.778 yesterday as well. Moving inland, 2 WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATERS were reported at Swartrivier, just outside Prince Albert, yesterday while, earlier in the week, apparently as many as 13 birds had been present. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Red Phalaropes on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Lesser Crested Tern at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Otto Schmidt | European Roller near Franschoek © Suzette Kannermeyer | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Squacco Heron at Paardevlei © Johan van der Westhuizen | Squacco Heron at Paardevlei © Hernus Langeveldt | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Crested Honey Buzzard in Somerset West © Stephan Wolfart | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
American Golden Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Graham Luden | American Golden Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Tristan Silver | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Red-necked Phalaropes (one on left behind Little Stints and one on right in flight) at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Tristan Silver | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Lesser Crested Tern at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Alice Moller | Lesser Crested Tern at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Johan van der Westhuizen | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Dark-capped Bulbul in Mossel Bay © Garret Skead | Dark-capped Bulbul in Mossel Bay © Elmarie Brits | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater near Gouritzmond © Don Reid | African Pied Wagtail in the Knysna Waterfront © Neil Ebedes | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Into the Northern Cape where the out-of-range BRONZE-WINGED COURSER was still at New Holme Guest Farm near Hanover until at least Thursday evening while a COMMON CUCKOO was found earlier today north-east of Murraysburg (which is in the Western Cape) just inside the border of the province at -31.769, 24.051. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Bronze-winged Courser at New Holme Guest Farm © Michael Wright | Common Cuckoo north-east of Murraysburg © Hugh Retief | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
In the Eastern Cape, all eyes were focussed on the Sundays River mouth where the mega SOOTY GULL was still entertaining twitchers there today. Interestingly, a dead SOOTY TERN was found on the beach there on Thursday and, close by, a dead RED-FOOTED BOOBY was found on the beach near Woody Cape on Saturday. Other new records included a WAHLBERG’S EAGLE seen over Uitenhage today, a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE seen in Mountain Zebra National Park at -32.162, 25.465 on Saturday and a BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE EAGLE seen 16km north of Steynsburg on Friday while the popular lingerers included about 10 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS still in Colchester today, 2 RED KNOTS still at the Kromme River estuary in St Francis Bay on Saturday, several WHITE-WINGED WIDOWBIRDS still on a private farm near Cradock on Saturday and the 2 AFRICAN PIED WAGTAILS still at Babergat in Camdeboo National Park on the weekend as well. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Connor Barr | Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Christiaan Viljoen | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © George Skinner | Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Estelle Smalberger | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Jorrie Jordaan | Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Wessel Rossouw | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Dave Nel | Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Corne Erasmus | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Wade Sexton | Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Pieter le Roux | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Sooty Gull at the Sundays River mouth © Leonie Fouche | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Colchester © Leonie Fouche | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Colchester © Dave Nel | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Colchester © Corne Erasmus | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
White-winged Widowbird near Cradock © Keith Joubert | Black-chested Snake Eagle near Steynsburg © Greg Brown | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Red Knots at the Kromme River estuary © Estelle Smalberger | Wahlberg’s Eagle over Uitenhage © Keith Joubert | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the spotlight remained on Mpempe Pan where the popular BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER continued to show well there today. A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was also found there on Friday and an AFRICAN CRAKE was reported from there on Saturday. The SOOTY FALCON was still at the usual spot between Mtubatuba and St Lucia earlier today while the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON remained on at Umgavusa Dam in Gingindlovu on Saturday and another RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was seen on a boat trip at St Lucia at -28.343, 32.408 on both days of the weekend. A number of TEMMINCK’S COURSERS were still in place at Duzi Turf, next to Darvill Bird Sanctuary, in Pietermaritzburg today while other records of interest included a LESSER MOORHEN at Paddock on Saturday, a BRONZE-WINGED COURSER found on a farm in Cramond on Friday and a LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER seen at Otto’s Bluff on Saturday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Georg Jacobs | Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Stewart Clarke | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Ian Gordon | Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Dave Rimmer | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Hugo Voigts | Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Rich Lindie | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © David Taylor | Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Margie Taylor | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Julia Clarke | Pectoral Sandpiper at Mpempe Pan © Stewart Clarke | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Buff-breasted Sandpiper twitchers at Mpempe Pan © David Taylor | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Rufous-bellied Heron at St Lucia © Zach Benade | Rufous-bellied Heron at St Lucia © Janet du Plooy | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Temminck’s Courser at Duzi Turf © David Hoddinott | Lesser Moorhen at Paddock © Daniel Bunge | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
In the North-west Province, it was all about the Kgomo Kgomo area over the weekend with several STRIPED CRAKES still around yesterday (and numerous birders having sightings of adults with small chicks on the weekend) while there was also a big surprize when a BLACK COUCAL was sound recorded from the Kgomo Kgomo bridge on Thursday and was heard again out on the floodplain late yesterday afternoon. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Striped Crakes at Kgomo Kgomo © Rod Humphris | Striped Crakes at Kgomo Kgomo © Stefan Schoeman | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Striped Crakes at Kgomo Kgomo © David Stewart | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
Striped Crakes at Kgomo Kgomo © Blane Venter | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Over in Gauteng, a RED-FOOTED FALCON was reported this afternoon in the Brakpan region at -26.332, 28.34.
Across in Mpumalanga, there was major excitement earlier today when a cracking male GOLDEN PIPIT was found in the southern section of the Singita concession in the Kruger National Park, a couple of kilometres north-east of N’wanetsi picnic site, only the 27th ever record of this incredible species in Southern Africa.
Up in Limpopo, a female RED-FOOTED FALCON was seen along the H1-7, north of Babalala picnic site, in the Kruger National Park at -22.856, 31.245 on Saturday.
And finally, in Namibia, a GLOSSY IBIS was reported at Fischer’s Pan in Etosha National Park on Friday and a single RED PHALAROPE was found on a farm dam on Nomtsas near Maltahöhe on Thursday. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Golden Pipit in the Singita concession © Kevin MacLaughlin | Red Phalarope at Nomtsas © Albert Voights | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
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 |
|
|
|
| |||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
