SA Rare Bird News Report - 17 June 2024
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, 17 June 2024.
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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Starting in the Western Cape, a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Saturday delivered 2 NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSSES, at least 3 and possibly more SOUTHERN FULMARS and 2 SPECTACLED PETRELS while a SOUTHERN FULMAR was also seen on seawatch from Cape of Good Hope yesterday and again today. In fact, yesterday, there were 4 separate sightings and today there were two, so these may have referred to multiple individuals or just a single bird flying past several times. Elsewhere, lingerers included the CAPE (GLOSSY) STARLING still at Neptune’s Dairy near Cape of Good Hope yesterday, the GOLIATH HERON seen again at Scotto hide at Rondevlei Nature Reserve yesterday, the COMMON MYNA still in Green Point yesterday and the FAIRY FLYCATCHER also still at Atlantic Beach Golf Estate on Saturday. Further east, a YELLOW-BILLED STORK was found this morning at the start of the boardwalk at De Mond Nature Reserve near Arniston.
Over on the Garden Route, the COMMON MYNA was reported again at the tidal pool in Gouritsmond on Saturday, an ALLEN’S GALLINULE was found at Hartenbos Water Works at -34.109, 22.106 this morning, the AFRICAN JACANA was also still at Hartenbos Water Works at -34.11, 22.105 earlier today, both the STRIATED (GREEN-BACKED) HERON and SQUACCO HERON were still at Twee Kuilen Residential Complex in Mossel Bay today, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER remained on at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay on Saturday and the AFRICAN JACANA was also still at White Horse Dam in Plettenberg Bay yesterday.
A delayed report from 5 June 2024 has also come through of a WOODLAND KINGFISHER in Matjieskloof near Malgas at -34.338, 20.600, but there has been no further news on whether the bird has been seen again in the area or not. This seems to be only the 3rd ever record for the Western Cape following a historical record from the Garden Route and the well-twitched bird on a farm near Villiersdorp from 21 January to 9 February 2021. | |||||||||
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Southern Fulmar on pelagic trip © Peter Rosewarne | Southern Fulmar on pelagic trip © Wilna Steenkamp | ||||||||
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Southern Fulmar on pelagic trip © Albert McLean | Southern Fulmar on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Albert McLean | Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Albert McLean | Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Goliath Heron at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Ian Rijsdijk | Yellow-billed Stork at De Mond Nature Reserve © Gilbert Reinhardt | ||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Hartenbos Water Works © Estelle Smalberger | |||||||||
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African Jacana at White Horse Dam © Mike Bridgeford | Woodland Kingfisher near Malgas © Jason Oxley | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, a BLACK HERON was present at Junction Drift Farm Dam at -33.093, 26.001 in the Kommadagga area on Saturday.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, there was some local excitement when a single ORANGE RIVER WHITE-EYE was found in Howick at -29.483, 30.222 on Saturday morning, seemingly the first ever record of this species for the province. However, it could not be relocated again after that, despite people searching for it. Elsewhere, popular lingerers included the mega MASCARENE MARTIN still along the Umdloti River near Mount Moreland at -29.647, 31.078 this afternoon (although its stay sadly came to a rather abrupt and unfortunate end this afternoon when it was grabbed by a Lanner Falcon!!!), the ALLEN’S GALLINULE still at the private farm dam in Port Edward yesterday and the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER still at the St Lucia estuary this morning. | |||||||||
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Black Heron at Junction Drift farm dam © Barry Kurten | Orange River White-eye in Hilton © Clayton Burne | ||||||||
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Mascarene Martin along the Umdloti River © Paul Bartho | Mascarene Martin along the Umdloti River © Athol Marchant | ||||||||
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Mascarene Martin along the Umdloti River © Gavin Walter | Mascarene Martin along the Umdloti River © Leon Bruggemann | ||||||||
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Mascarene Martin along the Umdloti River © David Ehlers Smith | Allen’s Gallinule in Port Edward © Hazel Nevin | ||||||||
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Mascarene Martin twitchers along the Umdloti River © Leon Bruggemann | |||||||||
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Mascarene Martin twitchers watching the bird minutes before it was taken by a Lanner Falcon this afternoon! © Paul Josop | |||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, a FAIRY FLYCATCHER was reported in the staff village at Singita Sabi Sand on Friday and Saturday.
Gauteng held on to the NARINA TROGON which was still at Deale’s Rock on Saturday.
Over in the North-west Province, a LAPPET-FACED VULTURE was seen earlier today north of Klerksdorp at -26.590, 26.741.
Into Limpopo where an OLIVE SUNBIRD was reported next to the bridge over the Blyde River on the Jonkmanspruit road at -24.504, 30.836 yesterday. Elsewhere, a number of good records came out of the Kruger National Park with a GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARK reported on the Tropic of Capricorn Loop yesterday, 2 LARK-LIKE BUNTINGS seen at Mooiplaas waterhole yesterday, 2 BLACK SAW-WINGS seen in front of the restaurant at Letaba yesterday and a GREATER KESTREL found along the Tropic of Capricorn Loop on Friday. | |||||||||
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Lappet-faced Vulture north of Klerksdorp © Ryno Rademann | Greater Kestrel along the Tropic of Capricorn Loop © Jacques de Speville | ||||||||
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Up in Namibia, the immature BLACK-HEADED ORIOLE was still hanging around at the cemetery in Swakopmund yesterday while a GULL-BILLED TERN (and possibly two individuals) was seen at the Cape Cross seal colony at -21.771, 13.951 this morning.
Across in Botswana, there was some local excitement when the country’s second ever record of ORANGE RIVER WHITE-EYE, a group of at least 5 birds, was found at Lobatse at -25.219, 25.669 on Saturday and were still there yesterday. | |||||||||
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Gull-billed Tern at Cape Cross © Timothy Smith | Black-headed Oriole in Swakopmund © Anton Jooste | ||||||||
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Orange River White-eye at Lobatse © Ian White | |||||||||
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And, finally, Zimbabwe chimed in with the best record of the last few days when a EUROPEAN PIED FLYCATCHER was found at Ruzawi School in Marondera at -18.235, 31.557 yesterday. The bird was still present in the same area this afternoon as well. This is the first record for Zimbabwe, and only the second ever for the whole of Southern Africa, following a bird that spent some time at Bushmanskloof Reserve near Clanwilliam in the Western Cape in December 2016. | |||||||||
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European Pied Flycatcher in Marondera © Reece Dodd | European Pied Flycatcher in Marondera © Jonathan Francis | ||||||||
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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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