SA Rare Bird News Report - 02 December 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, 02 December 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 few lingerers remained in place with the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE still on Pan P4 at Strandfontein Sewage Works this morning, the AFRICAN JACANA still at Dreyersdal wetlands on Friday, another AFRICAN JACANA still at Paardevlei on Saturday, the mega LESSER YELLOWLEGS still at Geelbek in the West Coast National Park yesterday and the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER also still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park on Saturday. After 54 days of no reports, the wandering WHITE-HEADED VULTURE was seen along the Uilenkraal Road, north of Darling, at -33.247, 18.351 on Friday and again close by at -33.230, 18.363 yesterday while, elsewhere on the west coast, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Friday and at least 3 AUSTRALASIAN GANNETS remained on at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay yesterday. Other records of interest included a SAND MARTIN at Rooisand Nature Reserve at -34.353, 19.087 yesterday and a GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING reported in George at -33.943, 22.445 on Friday. | |||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Conrad Strauss | White-headed Vulture north of Darling © Robert Duckitt | ||||||||
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Australasian Gannet at Bird Island © Joshua Horner | Australasian Gannet at Bird Island © Pieter Bester | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, there was some local excitement when a LESSER NODDY was found at Kei Mouth at -32.681, 28.394 on Saturday (but not seen again after the morning sighting) while the GREATER SAND PLOVER was also still there on Saturday. Elsewhere in the province, a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE was reported at Serengeti in Addo National Park yesterday and the popular GROUNDSCRAPER THRUSH was still on the grounds of Kenton Primary School until at least Thursday. | |||||||||
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Lesser Noddy at Kei Mouth © Stewart MacLachlan | Greater Sand Plover at Kei Mouth © Stewart MacLachlan | ||||||||
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Brown Snake Eagle in Addo National Park © Barry Kurten | Groundscraper Thrush at Kenton Primary School © Keith Lennox | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, new records of interest included a GREATER SAND PLOVER at Illovo Lagoon at -30.112, 30.855 yesterday, a GREEN SANDPIPER found on the Nibela Peninsula at -27.861, 32.430 on Friday which was still there this afternoon, a MARABOU STORK seen about 17km east of Mooi River yesterday, a single RED-BILLED OXPECKER found at St Bernard’s Peak Mountain Lodge yesterday and a BRONZE-WINGED COURSER reported in Nambithi Private Game Reserve at -28.487, 29.950 on Friday. Lingerers included at least 3 RUFOUS-BELLIED HERONS still at Amazibu hide on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park on Saturday, the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti yesterday and the 3 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS still at Morgenzon Bay at Midmar Dam at -29.500, 30.173 on Friday, but not seen again after that. | |||||||||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater at Midmar Dam © Hugh Bulcock | Blue-cheeked Bee-eater at Midmar Dam © Simon Joubert | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper on the Nibela Peninsula © John van de Ruit | Greater Sand Plover at Illovo Lagoon © Tyron Dall | ||||||||
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Marabou Stork east of Mooi River © Eckart Buchmann | Red-billed Oxpecker at St Bernard’s Peak Mountain Lodge © John Ferguson | ||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, a MOURNING COLLARED DOVE was seen at Town Lodge in Nelspruit on Saturday and at least 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still at the Olifants River bridge in the Kruger National Park yesterday while other records of interest included a RED-BILLED OXPECKER near Dirkiesdorp at -27.209, 30.323 on Saturday, a BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER north of Wakkerstroom at -27.258, 30.109 on Thursday and both the SLATY EGRET and GREY PLOVER still at Mkhombo Dam on Thursday as well. | |||||||||
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater north of Wakkerstroom © Lielliebet van Rensburg | Mourning Collared Dove in Nelspruit © Juan van den Heever | ||||||||
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Red-billed Oxpecker near Dirkiesdorp © Matthew Orolowitz | |||||||||
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Gauteng held on to the GREEN SANDPIPER which was still at Helderfontein Estate yesterday while 2 LESSER SPOTTED EAGLES were also reported flying over Irene Country Club towards Cornwall Hill yesterday. | |||||||||
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Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Estate © Mark Wadley | Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Estate © Tian Bekker | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Estate © Matt de Klerk | Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Estate © Chris de Klerk | ||||||||
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Up in Limpopo, 2 DUSKY LARKS were found in front of Bontle Campsite in Marakele National Park yesterday.
Into Namibia where the GREATER SAND PLOVER was seen again at Lovers Hill in Walvis Bay yesterday. | |||||||||
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Dusky Lark in Marakele National Park © Gareth Hazell | Greater Sand Plover at Lovers Hill © Christien Boshoff | ||||||||
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And finally, in Mozambique, it was all still happening at The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculous with 3 SAUNDERS’S TERNS, 2 GULL-BILLED TERNS, 20+ ROSEATE TERNS, 70 CRAB PLOVERS, a PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (apparently, only the 6th confirmed record for the country and also the 3rd from this site) and 6 EURASIAN CURLEWS all reported there yesterday. | |||||||||
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Pacific Golden Plover at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | Gull-billed Terns at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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Crab Plovers at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | Eurasian Curlew at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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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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