SA Rare Bird News Report - 26 May 2025
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 May 2025.
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 https://groups.google.com/g/sa-rarebirdnews |
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Starting in the Western Cape, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park on Friday and at least one WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER was still along the van der Stel Pass at -34.115, 19.234 on Friday as well while another WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER was found south of Herbertsdale along the Gourits River at -34.085, 21.768 on Saturday. The Garden Route also seems to be having an influx of ROSEATE TERNS with as many as 30 counted at the Klein Brak River estuary over the weekend and at least 10 still there yesterday while another 8 were found at The Point in Mossel Bay on Saturday with several still there yesterday and a single bird was located at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay yesterday too. Also causing some local excitement, an AFRICAN CRAKE was found this afternoon in Nature’s Valley at -33.977, 23.563. | |||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Robert Cooper | White-fronted Bee-eater on the van der Stel Pass © Lester van Groeningen | ||||||||
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Roseate Tern at Klein Brak River © Estelle Smalberger | Roseate Tern at Klein Brak River © Amanda Walden | ||||||||
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Roseate Tern at Klein Brak River © Edwin Polden | |||||||||
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Roseate Terns at The Point © Tersia Marais | Roseate Tern at Klein Brak River © Clyde Porter | ||||||||
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White-fronted Bee-eater south of Herbertsdale © Elmarie Brits | Roseate Tern at the Keurbooms River estuary © Pieter Schoeman | ||||||||
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African Crake in Nature’s Valley © Lauren Moriarty | African Crake in Nature’s Valley © Mike Bridgeford | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, 2 PALM-NUT VULTURES were seen on a private farm in Kwalega on Friday.
Up in Limpopo, the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still at Vogelfontein at -24.617, 28.696 this morning while a group of 7 GREAT WHITE PELICANS were seen earlier today at Grootvlei Dam in the Kruger National Park.
And finally, in Namibia, an exhausted AFRICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER was found in Swakopmund River Plots on Thursday afternoon and taken into care. | |||||||||
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Palm-nut Vulture in Kwalega © Keith Lennox | Great White Pelicans at Grootvlei Dam © Alida Potgieter | ||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron at Vogelfontein © Rinish Singh | Rufous-bellied Heron at Vogelfontein © Pranesh Luckan | ||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron at Vogelfontein © Elandré Scherman | African Pygmy Kingfisher at Swakopmund River Plots © Grant van der Merwe | ||||||||
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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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