SA Rare Bird News Report - 21 November 2019
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 20h00 on Thursday, 21 November 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 |
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Let’s start with some scarcity reports…
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD:
· One at Mazvikadei (Zimbabwe) yesterday. · One at Tokai Plantation (Western Cape) on Tuesday.
On to the rest of the news and, starting in the Western Cape, the 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and the WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL were all still on Pan P1 at Strandfontein Sewage Works earlier today while the AFRICAN JACANA was also still at Dolphin Beach pans yesterday. | |||||||||
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Red-necked Phalaropes at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Michael Mason | Red-necked Phalarope at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Rob Bowie | ||||||||
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Red-necked Phalaropes at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Andrew de Blocq | |||||||||
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Red-necked Phalaropes at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Margaret Maciver | Western Yellow Wagtail at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Leslie Crookes | ||||||||
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Western Yellow Wagtail at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Michael Mason | Western Yellow Wagtail at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Rob Bowie | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, the BLACK HERON was still on view at wetland in Perseverance near Port Elizabeth at -33.838, 25.555 earlier today. | |||||||||
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Black Heron in Perseverance © Denise Hoffman | Black Heron in Perseverance © Barry Kurten | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the SOOTY TERN held on at the St Lucia estuary until at least Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Sooty Tern at St Lucia © Anton Schultz | |||||||||
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In Gauteng, there was some local surprize when 3 LARK-LIKE BUNTINGS were found on top of Northcliff Hill near the water tower at the Eco Park yesterday while a BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER was also found earlier today at Marievale Bird Sanctuary. Other lingerers included the SLATY EGRET still at Gnu Valley farm in Muldersdrift yesterday and the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still at the wetland next to Candlewoods Estate in Centurion late this afternoon. | |||||||||
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Lark-like Bunting on Northcliff Hill © Lance Robinson | Lark-like Bunting on Northcliff Hill © Andy Featherstone | ||||||||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater at Marievale Bird Sanctuary © Adriaan Stander | Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Ryan Tyrer | ||||||||
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Over in Limpopo, the Kruger National Park delivered a few interesting records with LARK-LIKE BUNTINS reported at Malopenyana Windmill and Grootvlei Dam on Tuesday and WHITE-BROWED SPARROW-WEAVERS seen building a nest at Nandzana Windmill on Monday. Perhaps the most interesting record in the province, however, concerns a pair of ORANGE-WINGED PYTILIAS seen at Hermanusdoorns in the Waterberg on Sunday, well out of range for this species. | |||||||||
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Orange-winged Pytilias at Hermanusdoorns © Gavin Ford | White-browed Sparrow-weaver at Nandzana Windmill © Guy Hausler | ||||||||
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Lark-like Bunting at Grootvlei Dam © Guy Hausler | |||||||||
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Up in Namibia, the mega ROSS’S TURACO was still hanging around at Taranga Lodge, west of Rundu, until at least late on Tuesday afternoon while 3 EUROPEAN BEE-EATERS were seen at the Goanikontes Oasis about 35km east of Swakopmund in the Swakop River bed, on Tuesday.
From Botswana comes a slightly delayed record from 7 November 2019 of an immature AFRICAN HOBBY seen at Gidichaa Lodge in extremely dry country about 60km WNW of Nokaneng on the western side of the Okavango Delta.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, the massively popular SPUR-WINGED LAPWINGS (2 adults and 4 chicks) were still at Lake Chivero near Harare late this afternoon which hopefully bodes well for all the potential weekend twitchers. | |||||||||
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European Bee-eater at Goanikontes Oasis © Chantelle Bosch | |||||||||
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African Hobby at Gidichaa Lodge © Lee Ouzman | Spur-winged Lapwing at Lake Chivero © Roger MacDonald | ||||||||
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Spur-winged Lapwing at Lake Chivero © Jacques Fourie | Spur-winged Lapwing at Lake Chivero © Trygve Hvidsten | ||||||||
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Spur-winged Lapwing and chicks at Lake Chivero © Jacques Fourie | |||||||||
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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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