SA Rare Bird News Report - 09 October 2023
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, 09 October 2023.
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 couple of lingerers remained in place with the CAPE (GLOSSY) STARLING still near Cape of Good Hope on Saturday, the PECTORAL SANDPIPER still at Strandfontein Sewage Works yesterday, but now on Pan S6 at -34.091, 18.523 and a single PINK-BACKED PELICAN still at De Plaat in Velddrif at -32.793, 18.207 yesterday as well. New records included a SQUACCO HERON at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve at -33.841, 18.492 on Saturday (but not seen since then) and 3 KNOB-BILLED DUCKS found at a roadside dam along the R304 at -33.702, 18.676 yesterday which were still present there this afternoon. | |||||||||
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Cape (Glossy) Starling near Cape of Good Hope © Robert Cooper | Pectoral Sandpiper at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Ryan van Huyssteen | ||||||||
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Squacco Heron at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Trevor Hardaker | Squacco Heron at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Robert Cooper | ||||||||
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Knob-billed Ducks on dam along R304 © Mike Buckham | Knob-billed Ducks on dam along R304 © Rhys Gwilliam | ||||||||
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Knob-billed Ducks on dam along R304 © Mike Buckham | |||||||||
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Knob-billed Ducks on dam along R304 © Gilbert Reinhardt | Knob-billed Ducks on dam along R304 © Zoe Lunau | ||||||||
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Pink-backed Pelican at De Plaat © Trevor Hardaker | |||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, there was some surprize when an immature REED CORMORANT was found in the road near Leeudril in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on Thursday.
In the Eastern Cape, a single TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER was reported on the Kromme River in St Francis Bay at -34.143, 24.833 yesterday.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the 3 NAMAQUA SANDGROUSE were still on the private farm near Spioenkop Dam this morning while a LESSER JACANA and no less than 6 LESSER MOORHENS were reported on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.349, 32.429 earlier today as well.
Across in the Free State, a BAR-TAILED GODWIT was found at Sterkfontein Dam at -28.413, 28.996 on Saturday and a RUDDY TURNSTONE was reported in a private section of the Vaal Dam on Saturday as well. | |||||||||
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Reed Cormorant near Leeudril © Corlette Wessels | Bar-tailed Godwit at Sterkfontein Dam © David Weaver | ||||||||
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Gauteng held on to a RUDDY TURNSTONE which was still at Rietvlei Dam on the fishing / sailing club side at -25.875, 28.265 this morning.
Into Mpumalanga where as many as 5 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were reported from the restaurant deck at Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park earlier today. | |||||||||
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Ruddy Turnstone at Rietvlei Dam © Amy Maddams | Ruddy Turnstone at Rietvlei Dam © Elmarie Hirschhorn | ||||||||
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Over in the North-west Province, a group of 5 SWEE WAXBILLS were seen in Kgaswane Mountain Reserve on Friday while there was some surprize yesterday when a STARK’S LARK was found in Madikwe Game Reserve along Pierlight road, east of Matodi, at -24.706, 26.17.
Limpopo chimed in with no fewer than 5 CASPIAN PLOVERS and numbers of GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS seen along the Tropic of Capricorn Loop in the Kruger National Park on Friday. | |||||||||
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Swee Waxbill at Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Jonathan Breytenbach | Caspian Plover on the Tropic of Capricorn Loop © Carl Taljaard | ||||||||
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Stark’s Lark in Madikwe Game Reserve © Matt Jones | |||||||||
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Up in Namibia, there was still plenty to keep twitchers entertained with the NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER still in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony near Nunda River Lodge on Saturday, the ROSS TURACO still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, this morning and the YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES still at Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge in Katima Mulilo on Friday. | |||||||||
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Northern Carmine Bee-eater at Nunda River Lodge © Philip Yiannakou | |||||||||
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Northern Carmine Bee-eater at Nunda River Lodge © Alan Bedford-Shaw | Northern Carmine Bee-eater at Nunda River Lodge © Michael Mandy | ||||||||
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Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Philip Yiannakou | Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Philip Bredenhann | ||||||||
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Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Michael Mandy | Yellow-throated Leaflove at Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge © Alan Bedford-Shaw | ||||||||
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And finally, in Botswana, a EURASIAN WHIMBREL was found at Gaborone Dam yesterday, the TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER and at least 3 RUDDY TURNSTONES were still present at a wetland about 100km south-west of Gaborone, and just north of Gasita, at -25.036, 24.870 on Saturday, and several STARK’S LARKS were present in the general vicinity of Campsite 2 in the Passarge Valley in the Central Kalahari Reserve from last Sunday until at least Thursday. | |||||||||
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Stark’s Lark in the Central Kalahari Reserve © Howard Walker | Tibetan (Lesser) Sand Plover near Gasita © Ian White | ||||||||
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Eurasian Whimbrel at Gaborone Dam © 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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