SA Rare Bird News Report - 07 October 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, 07 October 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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Starting in the Western Cape, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was found at Rooisand Nature Reserve, near Kleinmond, east of the parking area at -34.349, 19.095 on Tuesday and was still showing well there earlier today. The DOUBLE-BANDED COURSERS will also still at the usual spot along the R307 near Morreessburg this afternoon while there were also a couple of AFRICAN JACANAS reported with one seen at the last hide at Rondevlei Nature Reserve this morning and another discovered at Hartenbos Sewage Works at -34.110, 22.105 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Dean Boshoff | Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Lester van Groeningen | ||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Johan van der Westhuizen | Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Matt Gerish | ||||||||
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African Jacana at Hartenbos Sewage Works © Christiaan Viljoen | African Jacana at Hartenbos Sewage Works © Estelle Smalberger | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, a WHITE-BACKED VULTURE was reported again this morning in Addo National Park on a carcass between Peasland Waterhole and Harvey’s Loop while a GURNEY’S SUGARBIRD seen in Coffee Bay this morning was also an interesting local report. Elsewhere, the pair of PURPLE-BANDED SUNBIRDS were still present in the same area along the western bank of the Umtamvuma River yesterday and a BLACK-BELLIED BUSTARD was found in Mkambati Nature Reserve at -31.291, 29.985 on Monday. | |||||||||
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Purple-banded Sunbird along the Umtamvuma River © Foden Saunders | Black-bellied Bustard at Mkambati Nature Reserve © Foden Saunders | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a DARK CHANTING GOSHAWK was noted again in Manyoni Private Game Reserve on Tuesday.
Mpumalanga continued to hold on to its AFRICAN SKIMMERS with the 2 birds still at the Malelane bridge over the Crocodile River this morning and another 4 birds also still at the Olifants River bridge in the Kruger National Park this afternoon. The SANDERLING was also still at Shitlhave Dam in the Kruger National Park until at least Monday while a single COMMON RINGED PLOVER was reported at Mjejane Game Reserve this afternoon. | |||||||||
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Sanderling at Shitlhave Dam © Liaan Lategan | African Skimmers at the Olifants River bridge © Etienne Hinrichsen | ||||||||
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Into Gauteng where the SLATY EGRET was reported again at Walkhaven Dog Park in Muldersdrift earlier today.
Over in the North-west Province, birding at Spitskop Dam on Monday (the portion that falls within the province and not the portion that falls into the Northern Cape) turned up some interesting reports with a GREAT WHITE PELICAN, a EURASIAN WHIMBREL and a RUDDY TURNSTONE all being reported there.
Limpopo held on to the GREEN SANDPIPER at Polokwane Game Reserve which was still there this afternoon.
Namibia delivered perhaps the most interesting record anywhere in the subregion over the last few days when a ROCK PRATINCOLE was found along the Kunene River, about 5km upstream of Epupa Falls, at -16.995, 13.261 yesterday, well out of range for this species and possibly the most westerly record of this species ever anywhere in Southern Africa. | |||||||||
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Green Sandpiper at Polokwane Game Reserve © Andrew de Blocq | Rock Pratincole near Epupa Falls © Iain Guthrie | ||||||||
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Across in Zimbabwe, a PALM-NUT VULTURE was reported at Machaniwa Pan in Gonarezhou National Park yesterday.
And finally, Mozambique held on to the lion’s share of the rarities over the last few days with plenty of exciting news coming from The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculous. There were still reasonable numbers of SAUNDERS’S TERNS there yesterday, along with several DAMARA TERNS and ROSEATE TERNS as well, while the numbers of CRAB PLOVERS had soared to 93 birds! Other exciting distractions over the last few days included a EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER, an AFRICAN SKIMMER and 3 EURASIAN CURLEWS as well. Elsewhere, 3 FRIGATEBIRDS, thought to probably be GREAT FRIGATEBIRDS (although the ID could not be definitively confirmed from the photos), were seen at Paindane on Sunday, a GULL-BILLED TERN was reported in the bay off Hotel Capitao in Inhambane on Saturday, a juvenile CHESTNUT-BANDED PLOVER was found in front of the sports centre in Inhambane on Saturday and a juvenile OVAMBO SPARROWHAWK was also seen in the woodlands in Panda on Sunday, fairly out of range for this species as well. | |||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Albert McLean | Eurasian Oystercatcher on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Diane McLean | ||||||||
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African Skimmer on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Albert McLean | Saunders’s Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Diane McLean | ||||||||
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Saunders’s Terns on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Albert McLean | |||||||||
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Crab Plovers on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Albert McLean | Eurasian Curlews on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Christine Read | ||||||||
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Probable Great Frigatebirds at Paindane © Rhys | Gull-billed Tern at Inhambane © Niall Perrins | ||||||||
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Chestnut-banded Plover at Inhambane © Niall Perrins | Chestnut-banded Plover at Inhambane © Gary Rowan | ||||||||
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Ovambo Sparrowhawk at Panda © Niall Perrins | Ovambo Sparrowhawk at Panda © Gary Rowan | ||||||||
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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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