SA Rare Bird News Report - 09 June 2022

[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, 09 June 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									SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands:
PLEASE CONSIDER FOLLOWING ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE LINKED ICONS BELOW:
		Instagram			Facebook
Starting in the Western Cape, most of the excitement and frustration continued to revolve around the SNOWY SHEATHBILL. It remained in Kalk Bay harbour early on Tuesday morning, but then disappeared and was later found on a boat out at Seal Island in False Bay. Around lunchtime, it returned to Kalk Bay harbour for a brief visit, but then disappeared again, only to be found later in Simon’s Town harbour. Yesterday, it was nowhere to be found but news eventually emerged that it had spent the day on an Octopus boat operating out near Seal Island in False Bay again and, apart from a few short foraging flights, had not left the boat at all during the day. We don’t know where it was this morning but, by lunch time, it was back in Simon’s Town harbour and showed well to birders there.   Elsewhere, Strandfontein Sewage Works held on to the AFRICAN JACANA on Pan T1 and a number of FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS on Pan P4 on Tuesday, the AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL was still at the Postcard Café in Jonkershoek yesterday, the GREAT EGRET was reported again along the Berg River at Velddrif on Tuesday, the LESSER SAND PLOVER was seen again at Kliphoek Salt Pans yesterday and SQUACCO HERONS were noted south of George at -34.031,22.451 on Tuesday and also still at White Horse Dam in Plettenberg Bay yesterday.
Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Helmo van der Schyff					Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Vince Ward
Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Mark Swandale					Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Melanie Cornelius
Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Les Crookes					Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Jenny Wentzel
Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Christine Griffiths					Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Geoff Moller
Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Stephen Mills					Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Wilna Steenkamp
Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Dennis Laidler					Snowy Sheathbill in Kalk Bay harbour © Karin Wilson
Snowy Sheathbill in Simon’s Town harbour © Dave Hurwitz					Snowy Sheathbill in Simon’s Town harbour © Michael Mason
Lesser Sand Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Luke Cuthbert					Squacco Heron near George © Richard du Toit
Squacco Heron in Plettenberg Bay © Neil Ebedes					Squacco Heron in Plettenberg Bay © Mike Bridgeford
Up in the Northern Cape, the RED-BILLED OXPECKER was still at New Holme Guest Farm near Hanover earlier today and an AFRICAN JACANA was reported from there as well this morning.   Into Kwazulu Natal where the long-staying RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti on Tuesday.   In the Free State, a slightly out of range GROUNDSCRAPER THRUSH was found in Phillips Park in Bloemfontein at -29.141, 26.186 yesterday and was still present this this morning.
Groundscraper Thrush in Bloemfontein © Jeanette Buys					Groundscraper Thrush in Bloemfontein © Johan van Niekerk
Across in Mpumalanga, there was some local excitement when an adult PALM-NUT VULTURE was found about 14km south of Skukuza in the Kruger National Park at -24.964, 31.741 on Tuesday afternoon and was still there early yesterday morning.   Up in Namibia, the mega ROSS’S TURACO was still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, yesterday.   And finally, in Mozambique, there were 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS seen at Salinas Zacharia in Maputo earlier today.
Palm-nut Vulture near Skukuza © Andrew Aveley					Palm-nut Vulture near Skukuza © Arnau van Wyngaard
Palm-nut Vulture near Skukuza © Claudia de Jong					Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Alex Weaver
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