SA Rare Bird News Report - 14 April 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 Monday, 14 April 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, Strandfontein Sewage Works held on to the WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL around Pan P3 until Friday, but then it did a disappearing act and was not seen at all on the weekend despite numerous birders looking for it. Some small consolation came in the form of a single SAND MARTIN still there on the weekend and seen around Pan P3 on Saturday and at Pan P1 yesterday. Elsewhere, the immature WHITE-HEADED VULTURE made an appearance again along the R27 just north of Silverstroomstrand at -33.551, 18.373 on Saturday morning and then showed erratically in the general area several times through the day as well, but was not seen again yesterday. Amazingly, it has been 132 days since the last sighting of this bird in the area, so where has it been hiding for all that time?! Other sightings of interest included a COMMON CUCKOO seen along the Boskloof Road, south-west of Bredasdorp, at -34.579, 19.945 yesterday, 2 WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATERS on a private farm about 20km outside Ceres along the R46, just before Theronsberg Pass, yesterday. a WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER reported at Silverstrand in Robertson at -33.813, 19.854 on Saturday, an immature GREATE WHITE PELICAN seen at Bellair Dam at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve on Friday and then at a dam on the left of the road between the R62 and Sanbona’s Main Gate this morning, the DUSKY LARK back again at Springfontein Dam in Beaufort West yesterday after a week of no show and at least one TAWNY EAGLE still present this afternoon north-west of Murraysburg at -31.698, 23.403. |
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Western Yellow Wagtail at Strandfontein Sewage Works © John Graham |
Western Yellow Wagtail at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Ian Rijsdijk |
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White-headed Vulture near Silverstroomstrand © Ethan Vleggaar |
White-headed Vulture near Silverstroomstrand © Zoe Lunau |
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Common Cuckoo near Bredasdorp © Heather D’Alton |
Great White Pelican at Bellair Dam © Marco Fitchet |
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White-fronted Bee-eater near Ceres © Coenie Blignaut |
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In the Eastern Cape, the juvenile PALM-NUT VULTURE was seen again along the Kariega River at -33.612, 26.654 on Friday.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, there was big local excitement this morning when a GREY WAGTAIL was discovered at the 12th Hole Tee-Boxes at Princes Grant Golf Estate near Stanger. Elsewhere, a LESSER MOORHEN and 2 AFRICAN CRAKES were reported at Cato Ridge Grass Farm on Saturday and 2 juvenile LESSER MOORHENS were also seen north of Ixopo at -30.032, 29.999 on Saturday as well. |
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Grey Wagtail at Princes Grant Golf Estate © Connor van der Walt |
Lesser Moorhen near Ixopo © Graeme Horne |
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Over in Mpumalanga, 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were around the low level bridge at Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park again yesterday and at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie this morning, while a female BLACK-THROATED WATTLE-EYE was found at Ebony Lodge at Singita Sabi Sand at -24.787, 31.423 on Friday and a CASPIAN TERN was found this morning on private property south of Komatipoort. |
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Caspian Tern south of Komatipoort © Ivan Putter |
Black-throated Wattle-eye at Ebony Lodge © Marc Eschenlohr |
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And finally, in Gauteng, there was some local surprize when an immature CAPE VULTURE was found roosting on a cellphone tower at Highlands North Boys High School in Johannesburg on Friday. |
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Cape Vulture at Highlands North Boys High School © Levi Bass |
Cape Vulture at Highlands North Boys High School © Brad Merwitz |
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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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