SA Rare Bird News Report - 26 December 2022
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 Monday, 26 December 2022.
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 number of lingerers remained in place with 2 FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS still at Rondevlei Nature Reserve on Friday, at least 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Saturday, the BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER still at Geelbek in the West Coast National Park today, the pair of EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLES still at Helderberg College on Friday, the PECTORAL SANDPIPER still at Rooisand Nature Reserve on Friday and the 2 GREATER SAND PLOVERS still at the Uilenkraal River estuary, east of Gansbaai, earlier today. New records included a single BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER in Fisherhaven at -34.356, 19.133 on Saturday and a group of at least 11 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS near Gourikwa Nature Reserve at -34.340, 21.776 yesterday, a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE along the Karwyderskraal road at -34.347, 19.149 this afternoon, an INDIGOBIRD species (tough to be sure from the photos exactly which species it is) coming to a garden in Wolseley for about 2 weeks and still there until at least Friday afternoon, a EUROPEAN ROLLER on the Uplands Road near Plettenberg Bay on Friday and a RED-BACKED SHRIKE reported just outside Beaufort West at -32.225, 22.682 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Lester van Groeningen | Brown Snake Eagle on the Karwyderskraal road © Lester van Groeningen | ||||||||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Fisherhaven © Johan van der Westhuizen | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Fisherhaven © Johan Olivier | ||||||||
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Greater Sand Plover at the Uilenkraal River estuary © Andrew de Blocq | Greater Sand Plover at the Uilenkraal River estuary © Garret Skead | ||||||||
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Indigobird species in Wolseley © Jacques Tradeaux | European Roller on the Uplands Road © Pieter Schoeman | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, there were 3 LESSER SAND PLOVERS on the salt marsh just downstream of the bridge over the Kromme River in St Francis Bay yesterday.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the CRAB PLOVER was still at the Umlalazi River estuary in Mtunzini until at least Saturday (but, subsequently, seems to have disappeared) while the same location yielded a EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER this afternoon. Elsewhere, a single CASPIAN PLOVER remained on at Mpempe Pan yesterday, a YELLOW-BILLED OXPECKER was reported in Phinda Private Game Reserve on Wednesday and 2 LESSER MOORHENS were present at Nambiti Private Game Reserve today as well.
Mpumalanga’s popular MADAGASCAR CUCKOO was still at Kranspoort Holiday Estate until at least Friday while a GREEN SANDPIPER was seen again at the pond on the S137 close to Duke Waterhole near Crocodile Bridge in the Kruger National Park on Friday. | |||||||||
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Crab Plover at the Umlalazi River estuary © Bart Fokkens | Green Sandpiper along the S137 © Gielie Swart | ||||||||
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Into the Free State where an AFRICAN CRAKE was reported south of Krugersdrift Dam at -28.931, 26.019 yesterday while the PECTORAL SANDPIPER remained in place at Rietpan at -28.043, 26.638 this morning. | |||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Rietpan © Andy Harrington | Pectoral Sandpiper at Rietpan © Jani Welman-Purchase | ||||||||
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Namibia held on to the YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES still at Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge in Katima Mulilo on Saturday and the NORTHERN GREY-HEADED SPARROW still at Okaukuejo in Etosha National Park on Friday.
And finally, in Botswana, a mega BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was found near Sojwe at -23.437, 25.766 on Saturday. To the best of my knowledge, this is only the 21st record of this species in Southern Africa. The first record was in Richard's Bay in December 1977 followed by one in Swakopmund in February 1984 and one in Walvis Bay in November 1984. The next record was from Barberspan Nature Reserve in January 1986, followed by one at the Berg River estuary in September 1993, one at the Umvoti River estuary in March 1995, a dead bird found at Durban Airport in December 2000, the famous twitchable one at Marievale Bird Sanctuary in January 2001, another bird at Barberspan Nature Reserve in February 2001, a bird at Krugersdrift Dam in the Free State in February 2008, then the well twitched bird at Muzi Pan as well as the bird near St Francis Bay, both in December 2010, one at Kei mouth in April 2011, one at Mile 4 Salt Works in Swakopmund in April 2012, one at Waterfall Estate in Midrand in September 2012, one again at Mile 4 Salt Works in January 2013, one at Rakops River Lodge in Botswana in March 2019, 2 birds together at Voelvlei, near Mossel Bay, in December 2020, a bird at Mpempe Pan in March 2021 and then, most recently, possibly the same individual again at Mpempe Pan in December 2021. | |||||||||
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Yellow-throated Leaflove at Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge © Curt Sagell | Buff-breasted Sandpiper near Sojwe © Ian White | ||||||||
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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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