SA Rare Bird News Report - 03 December 2020
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, 03 December 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 |
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Let’s start by getting the handful of scarcity reports out of the way…
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD: · One in Lakefield, Benoni (Gauteng) yesterday. · One in Nelspruit (Mpumalanga) on Tuesday.
GREEN SANDPIPER: · One at the bridge over the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park at -24.061, 31.689 (Limpopo) on Saturday. | |||||||||
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European Honey Buzzard in Benoni © Pierrie du Preez | Green Sandpiper on the Olifants River © Anton Ackermann | ||||||||
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On to the rest of the news and we have no choice but to start in Kwazulu Natal, the province that has certainly dominated the headlines this week! Certainly the most exciting news, and equally the most frustrating or depressing news, that came to the fore this week was of Southern Africa’s 1st ever SOOTY GULL Ichthyaetus hemprichii that was found at the St Lucia estuary on Saturday. Unfortunately, the news only emerged yesterday and subsequent searches at the site and at a number of other suitable estuaries up and down the coast from there have so far been fruitless. It just stresses the importance of getting news like this out straight away to give others the best possible chance of also getting to see these mega birds. Even if one is unsure of the ID, it is better to ask straight away, rather than to wait days until you resolve the ID yourself and then only share the news. We can only hope that this bird does get relocated somewhere soon and that others will then also have the chance to try and see it.
Sooty Gulls occur at the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf and also as far east as Pakistan. Of more local interest, it also occurs on the east coast of Africa as far south as Tanzania and the very northern reaches of Mozambique. It is generally a coastal species with very few records far off shore and it also very seldom moves inland or occurs at freshwater localities. It is a species that has certainly been touted in the past as having the potential to turn up in the subregion but, until now, one has never been found here. Keep your eyes peeled if you are visiting any coastal areas in the province in the days or weeks to come. | |||||||||
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Sooty Gull at St Lucia estuary © Ian Macdonald | Sooty Gull at St Lucia estuary © Roy Woodley | ||||||||
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Current known worldwide distribution for Sooty Gull © BirdLife Datazone | |||||||||
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As if that wasn’t enough, the province also turned up Southern Africa’s 26th GOLDEN PIPIT found at Rhino River Lodge in Manyoni Private Game Reserve on Tuesday that was still showing well there today (the lodge is offering special overnight and day trip options for twitchers wanting to see this bird) while a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT found on the Nibela Peninsula at -27.886721, 32.482769 on Tuesday also caused quite a bit of local excitement and twitchers present there this morning were able to confirm that there are actually now 2 birds present there. Elsewhere, a MONOTONOUS LARK was found at Mavela Lodge on Manyoni Private Game Reserve yesterday and a HARTLAUB’S GULL was found at Umhlanga Lagoon this morning. | |||||||||
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Golden Pipit at Rhino River Lodge © Kyle Naude | Golden Pipit at Rhino River Lodge © Steven King | ||||||||
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Black-tailed Godwit on the Nibela Peninsula © Brendon White | Monotonous Lark at Mavela Lodge © Calvin Davie | ||||||||
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Heading down into the Western Cape, the popular BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was still on Pan S5 at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Tuesday while a LESSER SAND PLOVER was reported at Rooisand Nature Reserve on Tuesday as well. Over on the Garden Route, at least 2 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were present this morning inland of Little Brak River at the bridge over the Moordkuil River at -34.054, 22.132 near the turn-off to Bottelierskop Nature Reserve. | |||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Dana Goldberg | |||||||||
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Lesser Sand Plover at Rooisand Nature Reserve © Lester van Groeningen | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater near Bottelierskop Nature Reserve © Amanda Walden | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, the influx of BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER reports continued with a group of around 20 birds seen at Chintsa West between Chintsa Slopes (just above Chintsa West) and Rendezvous Caravan park yesterday, a group of about 10 birds seen briefly on a farm in the Kasouga area on Tuesday and another singleton reported at Manteku at -31.523, 29.683 on Monday. At least one RED KNOT was still at the Gamtoos River mouth on Tuesday while a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE was seen near Rossie’s Jetty in Colchester on Sunday. | |||||||||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater at Chintsa West © Tracy Norris | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Manteku © Jill Ferraz | ||||||||
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Red Knot (on left) at the Gamtoos River mouth © Gerbus Vermaak | Brown Snake Eagle in Colchester © Marie Delport | ||||||||
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Into the Free State where a BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE EAGLE was seen on the Lethabo Power Station / Seriti mine road at -26.737, 27.926 yesterday.
Across in Gauteng, the popular NARINA TROGON was still showing well in the Wilge River Valley this morning while the SLATY EGRET was also still at Gnu Valley farm in Muldersdrift this morning. | |||||||||
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Black-chested Snake Eagle near Lethabo Power Station © Barend Esterhuizen | Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Jon Pullen | ||||||||
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In Mpumalanga, an AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE was seen over a garden in Nelspruit on Tuesday afternoon.
Moving into Limpopo, a single SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER was seen last Thursday on the Mphongolo Loop at the junction with the S57 in the Kruger National Park.
Up in Namibia, a CASPIAN PLOVER was reported between Ombika and Gemsbokvlakte road in Etosha National Park yesterday.
Across in Mozambique, the out-of-range LONG-TOED LAPWINGS were still at the lagoa near Casa de Cocos in Coconut Bay until at least Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Ayres’s Hawk Eagle over Nelspruit © Robert Wienand | Swallow-tailed Bee-eater along the Mphongolo Loop © Guy Hausler | ||||||||
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And finally, just for a bit of interest although not really a Southern African rarity, I’ve received news of a single RUDDY TURNSTONE that was found on Marion Island on 31 October 2020. That bird was clearly very, very lost…! | |||||||||
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Ruddy Turnstone on Marion Island © Leandri de Kock | |||||||||
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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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