SA Rare Bird News Report - 29 April 2021
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, 29 April 2021.
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 |
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Scarcity reports are certainly becoming scarcer these days…;)
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:
· One near Schoenmakerskop (Eastern Cape) yesterday.
On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, the AFRICAN CRAKE was still present at Lake Michelle in Noordhoek until at least Tuesday, but was only heard calling intermittently then while the pair of CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTINGS were also still along Tafelberg Road on Tuesday. Elsewhere, a dead EUROPEAN ROLLER was found on Alexandria farm between Durbanville and Philadelphia on Tuesday, a SQUACCO HERON was found at Sterkwater Dam in Ceres at -33.226, 19.247 yesterday and no fewer than 4 CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTINGS were present around Die Opstal at De Hoop Nature Reserve late yesterday afternoon. Other interesting sightings included several ROSEATE TERNS at a Tern roost at the mouth of the Breede River at Witsand at -34.401, 20.844 on Tuesday and still there yesterday, a GREAT EGRET reported at Goose Marsh in Plettenberg Bay on Tuesday, several CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTINGS seen along the Haelkraal Road, west of Bonnievale, at -33.962, 21.969 earlier today and, perhaps the best provincial find of the last few days, a DWARF BITTERN found on the farm Vierfontein, near Murraysburg, at -32.181, 23.521 on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Cinnamon-breasted Bunting along Tafelberg Road © Louis van Wyk | Cinnamon-breasted Bunting along Tafelberg Road © Stephen Mills | ||||||||
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Squacco Heron in Ceres © Wessel Uys | Dwarf Bittern near Murraysburg © Stefan Theron | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, the mega SOOTY GULL remained on at the Kabeljous River estuary in Jeffrey’s Bay on Tuesday, but then disappeared only to be relocated at the Kromme River estuary in St Francis Bay this morning. Other records of interest in the province included 2 ABDIM’S STORKS found at Witmos farm between Cookhouse and Cradock at -32.547, 25.797 this morning, a WHITE-BACKED VULTURE seen at Lismore waterhole in Addo National Park on Tuesday and, not the best news (although several provincial twitchers were a little happy about it…), a HOUSE CROW was found in 1st Avenue in Bushmans River on Monday and was still in the general area yesterday. | |||||||||
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Sooty Gull at the Kromme River estuary © Martin Potgieter | Sooty Gull at the Kabeljous River estuary © Hanko van Schlichting | ||||||||
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Sooty Gull at the Kabeljous River estuary © Louis Lotter | Sooty Gull at the Kabeljous River estuary © Sarel van der Westhuizen | ||||||||
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White-backed Vulture at Addo National Park © Ronel Gowar | Abdim’s Storks between Cookhouse and Craddock © Clive Lord | ||||||||
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Abdim’s Storks between Cookhouse and Craddock © Foden Saunders | |||||||||
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Abdim’s Storks between Cookhouse and Craddock © Stewart MacLachlan | Abdim’s Storks between Cookhouse and Craddock © Jorrie Jordaan | ||||||||
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House Crow at Bushmans River © Jonathan Arnott | House Crow at Bushmans River © Jorrie Jordaan | ||||||||
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House Crow at Bushmans River © Stewart MacLachlan | House Crow at Bushmans River © Lynette Rudman | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the popular BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was still at Mpempe Pan on Tuesday, a DARK CHANTING GOSHAWK was reported again at Manyoni Private Game Reserve yesterday and a BRONZE-WINGED COURSER was seen in Umfolozi Game Reserve close to the Centenary Centre turn-off on Tuesday.
Into Mpumalanga where a GREAT WHITE PELICAN was found at the Zibulo mine bird hides on Tuesday and was still in the area yesterday while an adult PALM-NUT VULTURE was seen this morning along the S28 near Crocodile Bridge in the Kruger National Park.
In Gauteng, a SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER was reported from Kloofendal Nature Reserve this morning.
Up in Limpopo, a pair of AFRICAN SKIMMERS with 4 chicks were found along the Lonely Bull Backpack Trail near Letaba in the Kruger National Park on Tuesday, there were 2 PINK-BACKED PELICANS at Vogelfontein yesterday and a group of over 80 GREAT WHITE PELICANS were seen about 5km north of Mopani in the Kruger National Park on Monday.
And finally, in Namibia, the YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES were still in the gardens of Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge in Katima Mulilo on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Bronze-winged Courser at Umfolozi Game Reserve © Ian Ferreira | African Skimmer chick near Letaba © John Adamson | ||||||||
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Great White Pelican at Zibulo mine © Tobie Pretorius | Great White Pelican at Zibulo mine © Christo Herbst | ||||||||
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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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