SA Rare Bird News Report - 28 October 2024
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, 28 October 2024.
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, a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Saturday turned up an immature SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS and 2 SPECTACLED PETRELS while, after been missing for a while, the FRANKLIN’S GULL was found again on Pan S6 at Strandfontein Sewage Works yesterday afternoon and was still there this morning. Elsewhere, the GOLIATH HERON was still at Rondevlei Nature Reserve on Saturday, the AFRICAN JACANA was still at Paarl Bird Sanctuary at -33.683, 18.980 on Saturday and a TIBETAN SAND PLOVER was found at Geelbek in the West Coast National Park on Friday. Further east, a BLACK HERON was reported this afternoon along the road between Bredasdorp and Struisbaai at -34.640, 20.053 and a rather disappointing record was that of a HOUSE CROW found in Mossel Bay at -34.184, 22.115 on Friday. Perhaps the most exciting record in the province was a single GREEN-WINGED PYTILIA found on a private farm west of Murraysburg on Thursday. Although this species has been recorded with some frequency outside the province, but not too far away, at Graaff-Reinet, this is a new record for the Western Cape and becomes the 629th species to be recorded in the province. | |||||||||
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Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Franklin’s Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © David Winter | African Jacana at Paarl Bird Sanctuary © Gilbert Reinhardt | ||||||||
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Goliath Heron at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Daryl de Beer | Goliath Heron at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Pieter Roux | ||||||||
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Tibetan Sand Plover at Geelbek © Grant Olwage | Green-winged Pytilia near Murraysburg © Jaco Pienaar | ||||||||
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House Crow in Mossel Bay © Rudi Minnie | House Crow in Mossel Bay © Estelle Smalberger | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, there was some local surprize when a rather wayward AFRICAN WOOLLY-NECKED STORK was found at Kariega Game Reserve at -33,632, 26,518 yesterday while other good provincial records included a STRIPED PIPIT found at Nature View farm at -33.484, 27.085 on Saturday and a EURASIAN CURLEW found at the Fish River estuary on Saturday which was still there yesterday. | |||||||||
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Striped Pipit at Nature View farm © Henry de Lange | African Woolly-necked Stork at Kariega Game Reserve © Kathleen Stewart | ||||||||
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Eurasian Curlew at the Fish River estuary © Shaun McGillewie | |||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a HARTLAUB’S GULL was found at the St Lucia estuary this morning, always a good bird to see in the province. Other new notable records included a LESSER JACANA at Ghost Mountain Inn dam in Mkuze on Friday, a PALE CHANTING GOSHAWK along the Lower Lotheni road at -29.525, 29.657 yesterday and a CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTING in a garden in Shelley Beach yesterday while lingerers included the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still at Umbogavano Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti yesterday, the BLACK HERON still along the Izotsha River at the Palm Kloof entrance yesterday and the WHITE-BROWED SPARROW-WEAVER still at The Dam Shop parking at the entrance to Midmar Dam on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Lesser Jacana at Ghost Mountain Inn dam © Wade Lee | White-browed Sparrow-weaver at Midmar Dam © Hugo Voigts | ||||||||
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Cinnamon-breasted Bunting in Shelley Beach © Lia Steen | Pale Chanting Goshawk along the Lower Lotheni road © Lorinda Hart | ||||||||
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Black Heron along the Izotsha River © Ian Taylor | Black Heron along the Izotsha River © Leon Bruggemann | ||||||||
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Into the Free State where a GREY GO-AWAY-BIRD was seen north-west of Bloemfontein at -28.987, 25.851 on Saturday while there was also some local excitement when 4 WATTLED CRANES were found in the Clocolan region at -28.834, 27.645 on Friday. At least 2 of them were still there yesterday. | |||||||||
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Wattled Crane in the Clocolan region © Alta Henning | Grey Go-away-bird north-west of Bloemfontein © Deon Greyling | ||||||||
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Over in Mpumalanga, it would seem that the BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER has finally moved off from Mkhombo Dam as, despite a number of birders searching for it daily, it has not been reported since Wednesday. However, the site still held a few attractions with the SLATY EGRET still present at -25.145, 28.791 on Saturday, a GREY PLOVER reported there at -25.147, 28.795 on Saturday and a SANDERLING found there at -25.15, 28.822 on Friday. Elsewhere, the 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still at the Malelane bridge this afternoon and 3 BURCHELL’S COURSERS were still on private property, just north of Wakkerstroom, on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Slaty Egret at Mkhombo Dam © Ian Johnson | Sanderling at Mkhombo Dam © Etienne Marais | ||||||||
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African Skimmer at Malelane bridge © Phillip van der Walt | Burchell’s Courser north of Wakkerstroom © Niall Perrins | ||||||||
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Limpopo held on to the mega SPUR-WINGED LAPWING which was still at Klopperfontein Dam, north of Punda Maria, earlier today while the COLLARED PALM THRUSH was also still around Crooks Corner near Pafuri today. Other notable records included a GREEN SANDPIPER found at Polokwane Game Reserve at -23.942, 29.462 on Saturday and a slightly delayed record of a SOUTH AFRICAN CLIFF SWALLOW seen at Nylsvlei Nature Reserve last Sunday, 20 October 2024. | |||||||||
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Spur-winged Lapwing at Klopperfontein Dam © Dirk Human | Spur-winged Lapwing at Klopperfontein Dam © Doug Newman | ||||||||
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Spur-winged Lapwing at Klopperfontein Dam © Mauritz Senekal | Collared Palm Thrush at Crooks Corner © Mauritz Senekal | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper at Polokwane Game Reserve © Tarry Butcher | South African Cliff Swallow at Nylsvlei Nature Reserve © Steve Benbow | ||||||||
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Up in Namibia, it was all about lingerers with the long-staying ROSS’S TURACO still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, this morning, the AFRICAN BROADBILL still at Caprivi River Lodge in Katima Mulilo yesterday, a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE still at Walvis Bay Salt Pans on Saturday and the immature LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL still along the Kavango River at Nunda River Lodge until at least Friday.
And finally, in Botswana, a single RUDDY TURNSTONE was found just upstream of Drotsky’s Cabins in the panhandle near Shakawe on Friday. | |||||||||
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Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Digby Cyrus | Red-necked Phalarope at Walvis Bay Salt Pans © Andrew Brown | ||||||||
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Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © David Taylor | |||||||||
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African Broadbill at Caprivi River Lodge © Travis Langley | Ruddy Turnstone near Drotsky’s Cabins © Drotsky’s Cabins | ||||||||
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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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