SA Rare Bird News Report - 16 December 2019

[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, 16 December 2019.   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:
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As usual, we start with the list of scarcities reported over the last few days…   EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:   * One at Kimiad Golf Course (Gauteng) this morning. * One in Risiville, Vereeniging (Gauteng) yesterday. * One at Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens (Gauteng) on Friday. * One in Greenside, Johannesburg (Gauteng) on Friday. * One in Stilfontein (North-west Province) on Thursday. * One in a garden in Ludwigshof in Windhoek (Namibia) on Thursday.   GREEN SANDPIPER:   * 2 birds present at different waterholes in the Sabi Sands Reserve (Mpumalanga) on Friday.
European Honey Buzzard at Kimiad Golf Course © Jandre Verster					European Honey Buzzard in Vereeniging © Anja van Zyl
European Honey Buzzard in Windhoek © Ulla von Holtz					European Honey Buzzard at Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens © Jacques Jordaan
European Honey Buzzard in Stilfontein © Elna Grobler					European Honey Buzzard in Greenside © Adrian Haas
On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, the only reports received were of an AFRICAN JACANA seen just outside Tulbagh earlier today at -33.229, 19.117 and that the LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS were still at the bridge on the N2 over the Goukamma River near Sedgefield yesterday.   In the Eastern Cape, the very popular SPUR-WINGED LAPWING was still present around the Continental Tyres building in Port Elizabeth earlier today while there was also some excitement when a probable AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was found this morning at Kei mouth at -32.672, 28.379. However, perhaps the most outrageous record was of a juvenile AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE seen flying over Uitenhage this afternoon, well out of range for this species and almost certainly a first record for the province.   Over in Gauteng, lingering rarities included the SLATY EGRET still at Gnu Valley farm in Muldersdrift today and the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still at the wetland next to Candlewoods Estate in Centurion on Saturday.
Ayres’s Hawk Eagle over Uitenhage © Keith Joubert					Probable American Golden Plover at Kei mouth © Foden Saunders
Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © Barry Kurten					Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © Gerald Wingate
Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © Janet White					Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © Anita Botha
Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © Garret Skead					Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © Rolf Wiesler
Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © Robbie Engela
Spur-winged Lapwing in Port Elizabeth © John Graham					Rufous-bellied Heron in Centurion © Simon du Plessis
Into Mpumalanga where locals were quite surprized when a COMMON WHITETHROAT was found in a garden in Nelspruit on Saturday, still a very unusual species in the Lowveld.
Common Whitethroat in Nelspruit © Brad Arthur					Common Whitethroat in Nelspruit © Pieter Grobler
Common Whitethroat in Nelspruit © Stewart Matheson					Common Whitethroat in Nelspruit © Steve le Grange
Up in Namibia, the mega ROSS'S TURACO was still present at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, yesterday whilst a WOODLAND KINGFISHER was seen again at Farm Otjozonjati in the Otjozunjupa region yesterday as well.   Across in Botswana, a GREY PLOVER was seen on a boat trip from Drotsky’s Cabins in the Okavango panhandle yesterday.   In Zimbabwe, there was some local excitement when a male NARINA TROGON was found in a garden in Mandara in Harare on Saturday, a rather unusual record for that part of the country.
Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Lodge © Japie Claassen					Narina Trogon in Harare © James Ball
And finally, in Mozambique, the SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was still present at Macaneta, north of Maputo, at the north-western end of the marsh where the two culverts are, until at least Friday while there was some big surprize this afternoon when a HOODED VULTURE was seen at The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculous, well out of range for this species.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Macaneta © Chris Curtis					Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Macaneta © Pieter Scholtz
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