SARBN Thursday 24 July 2025

[Garret Skead]

Dear SARBN subscribers

Thank you for all of the rarity updates during the time I have been covering for Trevor. But from tomorrow, Trevor will be taking over again, so please send all rarity alerts and updates directly to him.

It seems as if a number of subscribers didn't receive my email on Monday, which I suspect might be an issue relating to attaching photographs, hence for this evening's report I won't be sending any photographs. Normal service will resume in Monday's report.

And onwards to the birds.

Starting in the Western Cape, an AFRICAN JACANA was seen at Boschenmeer golf estate near Paarl on Tuesday, and a SQUACCO HERON was reported from Worcester, on Tuesday morning, at -33.631, 19.442. On the west coast, a CAPE VULTURE was seen near Papendorp on Tuesday, at -31.637, 18.270, and reported again yesterday afternoon. On the Garden Route, there was a EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER at Thesen Island, Knysna, on Tuesday, and the SQUACCO HERON remained at Piesang River today. A COMMON MYNA was seen at Gouritzmond on Saturday.

In the Eastern Cape, the juvenile PALM-NUT VULTURE was still at Kragga Kamma Game Park yesterday afternoon, and an AFRICAN WATTLED LAPWING was seen at Amakhala Game Reserve (report came through today, but I don't have further details).

In the Free State, a WATTLED CRANE was seen on Tuesday at a farm near Krugersdrif Dam. The coordinates sent to me are as follows: -28.878, 25.649. It seems as if the bird might have already been around for some time.

In Kwazulu-Natal, at least two YELLOW-BILLED OXPECKERS were seen on the access road towards Cape Vidal on Tursday, described as "exactly halfway between the entrance and exit of the dune loop". The CHESTNUT-BANDED PLOVER was still at St Lucia this afternoon, and another remarkable local find was a KNYSNA WARBLER heard and seen yesterday afternoon at St Lucia, near Charters Creek, at -28.250, 32.409. I've received sound recordings of the bird. A very interesting record for Zululand!

In Mpumalanga, the two AFRICAN SKIMMERS remained on view at Malelane Gate bridge this afternoon.

And finally, in Mozambique, The Sanctuary remained on excellent form, with the GREAT KNOT present this afternoon at Bird Island, along with two RED KNOTS. At Rattray Point, 3 SAUNDERS'S TERNS were seen today, along with 39 DAMARA TERNS, numerous ROSEATE TERNS and 3 AFRICAN OYSTERCATCHERS. In addition, a SOOTY TERN was seen on Tuesday, and the NODDY was still present at Rattray Point this afternoon at 14h00. My final comment on the identification of this bird is that the prevailing opinion from experts I've consulted is that it is a LESSER NODDY, primarily based on size and structural features, especially bill shape, but noting the unusually dark lores, which is a feature more commonly seen in Brown Noddy. It seems as if this feature may not be as definitive for Brown Noddy as previously thought. I received the following remarks (summarised) from an international sea bird expert: apparently not all Lesser Noddies show pale lores. The bird is heavily worn. Features in favour of Lesser Noddy include the long slender bill with straight culmen (shorter and thicker and more strongly decurved in Brown Noddy), shorter tail (longer in Brown Noddy), and the length of the white eye arc.  

Kind regards

Garret