SA Rare Bird News Report - 17 June 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, 17 June 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, the male DUSKY SUNBIRD was still entertaining locals east of Strandfontein Pavilion yesterday while 3 AFRICAN PALM SWIFTS were seen again at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve yesterday as well. Further east, there were also still a couple of ROSEATE TERNS hanging around just offshore of Pearly Beach yesterday and a few more ROSEATE TERNS were reported at Danger Point near Gansbaai this morning while, over on the Garden Route, 2 WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATERS were found close to the Gouritz River, south of Herbertsdale, at -34.086, 21.77 yesterday and a single CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTING was reported near Brandwag at -33.988, 22.046 yesterday as well. | |||||||||
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African Palm Swift at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Trevor Hardaker | Cinnamon-breasted Bunting near Brandwag © Elmarie Brits | ||||||||
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White-fronted Bee-eater south of Herbertsdale © Estelle Smalberger | White-fronted Bee-eater south of Herbertsdale © Amanda Walden | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, Cape Recife continued to attract local attention with both the LESSER NODDY and LITTLE BEE-EATER still on view there yesterday while there were also 2 HOUSE CROWS seen there on Tuesday. Also still attracting local attention was the GREEN-BACKED (STRIATED) HERON which remained on at Kings Court Dam in Port Elizabeth at 33.99, 25.557 until at least Tuesday. Another exciting new record in the last few days was the discovery of an AFRICAN CRAKE at Riet River at -33.560, 27.009, a local resort near Port Alfred, on Tuesday that was still there yesterday. Unfortunately, news filtered through this afternoon that the bird was sadly caught and killed by one of the local domestic cats at the resort yesterday afternoon. | |||||||||
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Lesser Noddy at Cape Recife © Patrick Killian | African Crake at Riet River © Byron Sullivan | ||||||||
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African Crake at Riet River © Charl Durand | African Crake at Riet River © Sabrina Elliott | ||||||||
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African Crake at Riet River © Tim Cockcroft | African Crake at Riet River © Lynette Rudman | ||||||||
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African Crake at Riet River © Mike Simms | Green-backed (Striated) Heron at Kings Court Dam © Wilma Meiring | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a CAPPED WHEATEAR was reported this afternoon south of Midmar Dam at -29.551, 30.152.
Over in Mpumalanga, it was mostly about lingerers with the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL still at Leeupan, near Leandra, at -26.559, 29.000 yesterday, the GREAT WHITE PELICAN still near Devon at -26.531, 28.854 yesterday and the 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS still at Mjejane Dam on Mjejane Game Reserve yesterday as well. The only new record received was of an adult PALM-NUT VULTURE found along the Nwanetsi River in the Singita concession in the Kruger National Park at -24.443, 31.976 yesterday and still in the same area there this morning.
And finally, in Namibia, a slightly out of range KALAHARI SCRUB ROBIN was founf in Kramersdorf in Swakopmund on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Lesser Black-backed Gull at Leeupan © Pieter Verster | |||||||||
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Great White Pelican near Devon © Janelle Verster | Palm-nut Vulture in the Singita concession © Garry Bruce | ||||||||
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African Skimmers at Mjejane Dam © Dave Snow | |||||||||
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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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