SA Rare Bird News Report - 10 September 2020

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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
This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 18h00 on Thursday, 10 September 2020.   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									SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands:
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Starting in the Western Cape, there was some surprize this morning when a BLUE-MANTLED CRESTED FLYCATCHER was found in Newlands Forest, a very unusual bird to be on the Peninsula. Up on the west coast, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still present at Kliphoek Salt Pans on Kuifkopvisvanger farm in Velddrif yesterday while a DOUBLE-BANDED COURSER was found north-east of Moorreesburg at -33.048,18.746 on Sunday, also a good record for the area. A LESSER STRIPED SWALLOW was found in Tokai off Orpen Road on Friday and was still there on Sunday while there were also some good Heron records with a GREEN-BACKED HERON seen around Texel Close in Marina da Gama on Monday afternoon again and another GREEN-BACKED HERON found around Island Lake at Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve near Robertson last week that was still present there until at least Monday as well. The GOLIATH HERON was still at Distell Dam in Stellenbosch on Monday while another GOLIATH HERON was found at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve on Thursday afternoon and was seen again on Friday as well. And, over on the Garden Route, the YELLOW-THROATED PETRONIA was still coming to the feeders at Reflections Eco-Reserve near Wilderness until at least Saturday.
Red-necked Phalarope in Velddrif © Mike Bridgeford					Red-necked Phalarope in Velddrif © Kobus Venter
Double-banded Courser near Moorreesburg © Aadam Abdullah					Double-banded Courser near Moorreesburg © John Graham
Goliath Heron at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Nick Leggatt					Goliath Heron at Distell Dam © Riel Tredoux
Green-backed Heron at Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve © Neil Sloane					Green-backed Heron at Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve © Adrius Rabie
Kwazulu Natal has also had a busy week with respect to good birds. The EURASIAN CURLEW was still on the sandbanks in the centre of Durban Bay on Sunday while an AFRICAN OPENBILL was also still at Mount Edgecombe Estate on Sunday. Also still attracting attention, the 2 BURCHELL’S COURSERS were still at Galway farm near Normandien yesterday too. Mtunzini stayed in the news with the 3 AFRICAN CRAKES still in grasslands outside town yesterday and a GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER found at the junction of Twinstreams Road and Fairbreeze Road near the Mondi Fairbreeze offices on Friday that was still there yesterday (up to 2 birds have been seen at this site now). Another AFRICAN CRAKE was seen at Mzingazi weir in Richard’s Bay on Sunday while, up at the St Lucia estuary, the SOOTY TERN was still present yesterday and a CHESNUT-BANDED PLOVER was still there on Saturday. There were also 2 RUFOUS-BELLIED HERONS present at Nsombiza Pan on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park on Saturday and one still there on Tuesday while Manyoni Private Game Reserve held on to some of its local attractions as well with a male RED-HEADED WEAVER still there on Sunday and a female BENNETT’S WOODPECKER still there on Friday.
Burchell’s Courser in Normandien © Georg Jacobs					African Openbill at Mount Edgecombe © Mike White
Eurasian Curlew in Durban Bay © Hugo Voigts					Grey-headed Kingfisher in Mtunzini © Lorna Rautenbach
Grey-headed Kingfisher in Mtunzini © David Hoddinott					Grey-headed Kingfisher in Mtunzini © Nick Evans
Grey-headed Kingfisher in Mtunzini © Liam O’Connor					Grey-headed Kingfisher in Mtunzini © Bailey Musgrave
African Crake in Mtunzini © Terry Stallard					Chestnut-banded Plover at St Lucia estuary © Darren van Eyssen
Sooty Tern at St Lucia estuary © Tyron Dall					Sooty Tern at St Lucia estuary © Decklan Jordaan
Rufous-bellied Heron at Nsombiza Pan © Darren van Eyssen					Rufous-bellied Heron at Nsombiza Pan © Elton-John Bartlett
Over in the Free State, the YELLOW-BELLIED GREENBUL was still coming to the feeders in the garden in Virginia earlier today.   In Gauteng, a EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD was seen near the entrance to Leeuwkop Prison on Friday.   Over in the North-west Province, the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was still at Rockwall Dam near Rustenburg on Sunday while a LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was found near Rooikloof Spruit at -25.798, 27.237 on Sunday and was still there on Monday.   Up in Limpopo, the 3 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still at Sable Dam in the Kruger National Park on Saturday.
European Honey Buzzard near Leeuwkop Prison © Andy Smith					Long-crested Eagle near Rooikloof Spruit © Shaun McGillewie
In Namibia, the YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES were still in the gardens of Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge in Katima Mulilo on Tuesday while at least 2 GLOSSY IBISES were present this morning at the Bird Sanctuary just outside Walvis Bay along the C14.   And finally, in Zimbabwe, lingerers included the RED-NECKED FALCON still at Katiyo Tea Estate yesterday and the juvenile GREATER FLAMINGO still present at Salt Pan near Robin’s Camp in Hwange National Park yesterday as well.
Glossy Ibis at Walvis Bay Bird Sanctuary © Jana Malherbe
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