Southern African Rare Bird News Thursday 4 May 2023

[Garret Skead]

Dear SARBN subscribers

As we amble anxiously through autumn, knowing that winter looms, it is understandable that reports of rare birds would start to slow down. That being said, this time period remains interesting, and still seems to have a sense of promise, not the least of which is the tantalizing prospect of a reverse migrant, and we've had at least one of those this week. This is also a good time to enjoy home patch birding and look out for unusual seasonal movements and influxes, such as the arid west species in the eastern parts of the country. Now is not the time for complacency!

Onwards to the news, and starting in the Western Cape, a number of interesting records trickled through in the last few days, with the headline act surely being a GREY WAGTAIL in Knysna, seen in Hunter’s Home near the Knysna Golf Club, at -34.059, 23.081, on Tuesday. This record can be presumed to represent a reverse migrant, and this species remains a national rarity of high standing. The bird was still present on Tuesday, but hasn’t been reported since. Staying on the Garden Route, at least four ROSEATE TERNS were present at Kleinbrak yesterday (photograph attached (c) Nico Bestbier). A few other excellent records for the province came in the form of a SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER seen near Prince Albert on Monday (-33.225, 21.780), and two TEMMINCK'S COURSERS seen at Nuwejaars wetland SMA near Bredasdorp on Tuesday. In the Overberg, an AFRICAN JACANA was seen along the Klein river near Springfontein Wines on Tuesday and Wednesday (note that access requires a boat!). In Cape Town, a STRIATED (GREEN-BACKED) HERON was found at Park Island opposite Marina da Gama on Monday evening, and was present until at least yesterday morning. Lingerers included the CAPE (GLOSSY) STARLING at Cape Point Nature Reserve today, which also played host to a RED-BILLED QUELEA (foraging on the deck of the restaurant) (photograph attached (c) Zoë Lunau). The DUSKY SUNBIRD continued to defend his hibiscus tree in the Strand today.

In Limpopo, no less than eight AFRICAN SKIMMERS were seen at Matambeni hide near Letaba in the Kruger National Park on Tuesday, and a SLATY EGRET was seen at Nylsvley today, at -24.654, 28.668 (photograph attached (c) Derek Engelbrecht).

In Mpumalanga, three LARK-LIKE BUNTINGS were seen west of Ermelo on Tuesday on private land (at -26.442, 29.790).

And lastly, in Namibia, a juvenile DWARF BITTERN was seen on a farm 140km from Aranos at the South African border.

Kind regards

Garret