SARBN report Monday 22 December 2025

[Garret Skead]

Dear SARBN subscribers

Just a quick admin note. From Wednesday I will be in the KZN midlands with my family, and won't be sending out any formal reports on either Thursday 25 or Monday 29 December. But rest assured, any rarity reports will be sent out on the relevant local group, or by email for any alert-worthy discovery. Please continue to send me updates and rarity finds during this time.

And herewith a summary of the recent rare birds seen around the subregion:

Western Cape:

GREY WAGTAIL: one bird remained at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, and was reported yesterday afternoon.

GREATER SAND PLOVER: still present at Plettenberg Bay today, at -34.036, 23.288), and at least two birds seen at De Mond NR on Thursday.

GULL-BILLED TERN: still present at Bot river / Fisherhaven until at least yesterday morning (with a SAND MARTIN at the same location on Saturday).

EUROPEAN ROLLER: two birds were seen on the Uplands Rd near Plett yesterday, and another found at a private farm near Ceres on Saturday.

CASPIAN PLOVER: still present at Kliphoek salt works yesterday morning, Velddrif, and at least one RED-NECKED PHALAROPE also present.

WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL: still present in the same area at Platboom, Cape Point NR yesterday.

EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER: remained on view at Seeberg hide, WCNP, over the weekend.

EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE: one bird heard calling in Somerset West yesterday morning, near Spanish Farm.

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER: still present at Macassar WTP yesterday morning.

AFRICAN GREEN PIGEON: still present at Kwendalo, Plett, and last reported on Friday.

LESSER STRIPED SWALLOW: at least two birds still present on the Darling Hills Rd on Friday.

GREAT EGRET: still present at Swartvlei near Sedgefield on Friday, at -34.009, 22.766.

Eastern Cape:

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER: found this morning close to St Francis Bay, at -34.185, 24.832. 

LESSER MOORHEN: still present at the St Francis Bay sewage works on Saturday morning.

Kwazulu-Natal:

MONTAGU'S HARRIER: a male bird seen and photographed near Utrecht on Sunday, at -27.766, 30.349.

PALE CHANTING GOSHAWK: seen yesterday at Umvoti Vlei.

BRONZE-WINGED COURSER: on bird seen yesterday at Fountainhill Estate.

BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER: one bird found today on a private farm near Karkloof conservancy.

TIBETAN SAND PLOVER: still present at Umdloti on Saturday.

GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER: still present at Saxony estate (restricted access) on Saturday.

PINK-BACKED PELICAN: a bird was seen at Wilson's dam near Underberg on Friday.

BLACK HERON: seen at Penwarn near Underberg on Saturday.

Gauteng:

SLATY EGRET: still present at Gnu Valley on Thursday.

Mpumalanga:

GOLDEN PIPIT: yet another bird found today near Satara, Kruger NP, at -24.444, 31.883, in this extraordinary irruption of this species this season.

BLUE SWALLOW: the birds were reported as being present on Thursday morning, at -24.854, 30.887 (I don't know how many were seen).

Limpopo:

SPOTTED CRAKE: seen and photographed on Thursday evening in Kruger, location described as "at a pool of water approximately 800m off main road near Pafuri Border Camp on the road towatds Crooks Corner". This was broadcast on Facebook initially and then on the Kruger group. I've not heard of anyone successfully twitching it though.

BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE: still present near Mopani yesterday in the same general area as previously reported.

Unfortunately the Northern Wheatear was never seen again, despite a few birders searching for it. The site did deliver a CAPPED WHEATEAR on Friday.

Northern Cape: 

DUSKY LARK: reported again at Mokala NP on Friday, close to the previous sighting, at -29.092, 24.411 on Friday.

SQUACCO HERON: seen at Kamfersboom waterhole in Kgalagadi on Saturday.

Zimbabwe:

PALM-NUT VULTURE: one bird seen yesterday at Mteri Fam in the Triangle Chiredzi area.

SOUTHERN BANDED SNAK EAGLE: I received a delayed report of a bird seen in the Honde Valley on December 13.

Kind regards, happy holidays and happy birding,

Garret