SA Rare Bird News Report - 11 September 2025
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 Thursday, 11 September 2025.
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 juvenile SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS was seen on a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Tuesday while at least 3 WANDERING ALBATROSSES were still around the fishing boat about 114 nautical miles south of Cape Agulhas yesterday. Elsewhere, the GOLIATH HERON was seen at Zeekoevlei on Tuesday and yesterday and next door at Rondevlei Nature Reserve earlier today, at least one AUSTRALASIAN GANNET was still at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay on Tuesday and a BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE EAGLE was seen along the N7, south of Nuwerus, at -31.263, 18.550 yesterday. Further east, a LESSER STRIPED SWALLOW was reported over Stoney Point parking lot yesterday while, over on the Garden Route, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still near Thesen Island in Knysna at -34.054, 23.062 on Sunday, 2 AFRICAN PIED WAGTAILS were still around the Cape Nature picnic area on the Keurbooms River in Plettenberg Bay on Tuesday and a GREATER SAND PLOVER was seen again on the eastern side of the Keurbooms River estuary yesterday as well. | |||||||||
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Greater Sand Plover (back) at the Keurbooms River estuary © Pieter Schoeman | Eurasian Oystercatcher (right) in Knysna © Dylan Merryweather | ||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, there was some surprize when a BLACK HERON was seen at Twee Rivieren in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park yesterday afternoon while 2 CASPIAN PLOVERS were also found at Bullfrog Pan at New Holme Conservancy near Hanover at -30.891, 24.633 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Bullfrog Pan © Michael Wright | Black Heron at Twee Rivieren © Chris Kelly | ||||||||
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Into Kwazulu Natal where the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still around North Dam at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti yesterday and another RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was also still near Amazibu hide on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park on Tuesday while other records of local interest included an ALLEN’S GALLINULE at uMphathe bridge on the Western Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.298, 32.383 on Tuesday and a BAT HAWK reported around Ocean View Lodge in St Lucia on Tuesday evening.
Over in Mpumalanga, the AFRICAN SKIMMERS and their youngster were still at Malelane bridge in the Kruger National Park yesterday.
Gauteng held on to the SLATY EGRET which was still at Gnu Valley farm on Tuesday.
Into Limpopo where the COLLARED PALM THRUSH was reported again at Crooks Corner near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park yesterday. | |||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron on the Eastern Shores © Ian Ferreira | Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Etienne Hinrichsen | ||||||||
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Up in Namibia, a young BAT HAWK was reported in the trees at the entrance to Zelda Game Lodge near Buitepos this morning.
Across in Botswana, 2 EURASIAN WHIMBRELS were reported earlier today close to Jao Camp in the Okavango Delta.
And finally, in Mozambique, it was all still happening at The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula with the LITTLE (DIMORPHIC) EGRET seen again yesterday afternoon while at least 51 CRAB PLOVERS, 2 RED KNOTS, 3 SAUNDERS’S TERNS, over 40 DAMARA TERNS and 5 ROSEATE TERNS were also present there earlier today. | |||||||||
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Little (Dimorphic) Egret at The Sanctuary © Diane McLean | Little (Dimorphic) Egret at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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Crab Plovers at The Sanctuary © Diane McLean | Crab Plovers at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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Saunders’s Tern at The Sanctuary © Diane McLean | Saunders’s Tern at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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Roseate Terns at The Sanctuary © Diane McLean | Roseate Tern at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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Red Knots at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | |||||||||
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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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