SA Rare Bird News Report - 05 March 2012

[Trevor Hardaker]

This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 21h00 on Monday, 05 March 2012. 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. 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
Starting in the Western Cape, the major excitement of the last few days has been the news that broke earlier today of a SOOTY FALCON in the Plettenberg Bay area. The bird was apparently seen on the Saturday morning for the first time, but remained unconfirmed at that point. It was again present yesterday and local birders were alerted of it and were out there at first light this morning when they were able to confirm the identification. This is the first confirmed record for the Western Cape as far as I am aware with historical records from just east of Port Elizabeth being the previous most westerly records.   Please be aware that the bird is on private property at the Emily Moon River Lodge and Restaurant. It apparently roosts in a large dead Pine tree in the parking area and then leaves from here on its feeding forays every morning at around 6am. Those of you that are wanting to go and see it and asked to please make contact with the Hotel Manager, Adri Hurter, at 044 533 2982 beforehand to arrange permission to access the property. Please also remember that this is a hotel so you are requested to be quiet and not disturb the guests that are staying there. Good behaviour from the birders visiting the site would be appreciated so as not to give birders in general a bad name. Please also don’t push to get too near to the bird and disturb it as there are bound to be quite a few people who would like to try for it on the weekend if it remains.   In other news, and in keeping with the raptor theme, a BROWN-CHESTED SNAKE EAGLE was reported this morning about 2km north of Kalbaskraal on the Old Malmesbury Road. Elsewhere in the province, Strandfontein Sewage Works continued to attract local attention on the weekend with at least 2 SAND MARTINS still showing well in large mixed flocks of hirundines whilst the PECTORAL SANDPIPER was also reported from there on Saturday afternoon. The male RED-BACKED SHRIKE, first reported from Rooisand Nature Reserve just over a week ago, was still on view yesterday whilst added attractions at the site included a GREAT EGRET and a YELLOW WAGTAIL. A pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on the weekend also turned up 2 SPECTACLED PETRELS.
Sooty Falcon in Plettenberg Bay © Simon Valentine	Sooty Falcon in Plettenberg Bay © Mike Bridgeford
Sooty Falcon in Plettenberg Bay © Geoff McIlleron	Black-chested Snake Eagle near Kalbaskraal © Gerald Wingate
Sand Martin at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Trevor Hardaker	Sand Martin at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Freddie Strauss
Pectoral Sandpiper at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Trygve Hvidsten	Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Dalton Gibbs
Red-backed Shrike at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Trevor Hardaker	Great Egret at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Trevor Hardaker
Moving into the Northern Cape, there has been a report of at least 2 male CHESTNUT WEAVERS south of the Union’s End picnic site in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park last week whilst a EURASIAN HOBBY was reported near the Dikbaardskolk picnic site as well. The weavers are particularly interesting, following the recent records from Nossob in the KTP and at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve and represent, to the best of my knowledge, only the 3rd ever record for South Africa.   In the Eastern Cape, the probable AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was still on view at Cape Recife near Port Elizabeth on Saturday whilst both COMMON CUCKOOS were also still showing well at the farm outside East London on the weekend.   Then into Kwazulu Natal where the first displaced bird from the recent cyclone over the weekend was reported from Richard’s Bay this morning when a GREATER FRIGATEBIRD was located soaring high over Alkanstrand Pier. I wonder what else this cyclone is still going to push in for twitchers…? Also of interest is that there now appear to be at least 2 HARTLAUB’S GULLS present at the Casuarina mudflats in Richard’s Bay whilst, at the Thula Thula Private Game Reserve near Empangeni, the EURASIAN HONEY BUZZARD, AFRICAN CRAKE and LESSER MOORHEN are all still around.   Lastly, in Namibia, both GULL-BILLED TERNS were still present at Walvis Bay on the weekend as well.
Greater Frigatebird over Alkanstrand Pier © Dominic Rollinson	Hartlaub’s Gull at Casuarina mudflats © Dominic Rollinson
Gull-billed Terns at Walvis Bay © Mark Boorman
Please remember to send through your details to be included on the various listing clubs that are hosted at www.zestforbirds.co.za. This website also has an extensive rarities gallery that has many additional photos of a number of rarities that are mentioned in these reports.
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------   TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa     Follow our local exploits in the field at: http://hardakerwildlife.wordpress.com/   See our photos and trip reports at: www.hardaker.co.za     ZEST for BIRDS Pelagics, rarity photos, listing clubs and more: www.zestforbirds.co.za     SA RARE BIRD NEWS Get the latest rarity news by joining at: http://groups.google.co.za/group/sa-rarebirdnews     SOUTHERN AFRICAN RARITIES Online database of all SA rarities www.rarities.co.za -----------------------------------------------------------------------