SA Rare Bird News Report - 24 April 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, 24 April 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, several birds remained in place with the CAPE (GLOSSY) STARLING seen at Cape of Good Hope on Saturday, the DUSKY SUNBIRD still in Strand on Saturday and the PECTORAL SANDPIPER still at Paardevlei on Saturday while, over on the Garden Route, a few RED-BILLED QUELEAS were seen along the Uplands Road near Plettenberg Bay on Wednesday. | |||||||||
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Cape (Glossy) Starling at Cape of Good Hope © John Graham | Red-billed Quelea along the Uplands road © Patrick Raymond | ||||||||
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Kwazulu Natal delivered 2 BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS seen flying over KwaWula Estate in Howick on Saturday while a DWARF BITTERN was still at Kumasinga hide in Mkuze Game Reserve until at least Tuesday and the reserve also produced 2 juvenile LESSER MOORHENS in a flooded pan next to the road at -27.624, 32.295 this afternoon.
The Free State produced 2 KNOB-BILLED DUCKS in the Clocolan area at -28.768, 27.699 on Saturday while the TEMMINCK’S COURSERS were still south of Soetdoring Nature Reserve at -28.933, 26.019 on Friday. | |||||||||
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Dwarf Bittern at Kumasinga hide © Hazel Nevin | Temminck’s Courser south of Soetdoring Nature Reserve © Ryno Janse van Veuren | ||||||||
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There seems to be an irruption of GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS and LARK-LIKE BUNTINGS moving eastwards into areas where they do not normally occur at the moment…
In Gauteng, GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS were reported in Rietvlei Nature Reserve at -25.909, 28.29 and at -25.899, 28.297 yesterday, a GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARK and a LARK-LIKE BUNTING were seen in Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve at -26.437, 28.263 on Saturday and were still there yesterday, no fewer than 30 GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS were reported south of the N12 at -26.549, 27.339 on Saturday and a LARK-LIKE BUNTING was also seen along the Frederikstad Road at -26.547, 27.209 on Saturday. Another group of more than 20 GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS was reported today north of Abe Bailey Nature Reserve at -26.260, 27.322. | |||||||||
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Grey-backed Sparrowlark at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve © Wian van Zyl | Lark-like Bunting at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve © Wian van Zyl | ||||||||
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Grey-backed Sparrowlark north of Abe Bailey Nature Reserve © Klaus Schmid | |||||||||
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Mpumalanga also benefited from this irruption with a LARK-LIKE BUNTING reported on the Springbok Flats at -25.142, 28.442 on Saturday while there were still 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS on the Crocodile River at the Malelane gate into the Kruger National Park on Friday. | |||||||||
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African Skimmer at Malelane gate © Trent Alexander | African Skimmer at Malelane gate © Ronel Viljoen | ||||||||
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In the North-west Province, GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS and LARK-LIKE BUNTINGS were reported at several sites along the Boons road on Saturday and there were still several GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS there yesterday.
Up in Limpopo, a SLATY EGRET was seen on the southern end of the floodplain at Nylsvlei Nature Reserve at -24.655, 28.668 yesterday and the 4 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still at Matambeni Hide near Letaba in the Kruger National Park today while numerous LARK-LIKE BUNTINGS were reported with birds seen on the Springbok Flats at -25.117, 28.381 and -25.119, 28.362 on Saturday, along the road to Zaagkuildrift Lodge on Saturday and then in the Kruger National Park on the Mingerhout Loop at -23.769, 31.509 on Saturday and 2 birds at the Masorini Picnic Site yesterday.
And finally, in Namibia, the long-staying mega ROSS’S TURACO was still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Lark-like Buntings on the Springbok Flats © Emile Blanche | Lark-like Buntings on the Springbok Flats © Stephan Terblanche | ||||||||
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Lark-like Bunting near Zaagkuildrift Lodge © Ronnie Herr | |||||||||
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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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