Southern African Rare Bird News Monday 27 December 2021
Garret Skead
Dear SARBN subscribers
Starting with the scarcity reports, the sightings of EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARDS continue to pour in throughout the subregion, with birds reported from the following locations in the last few days:
- Kruger National Park near Pretoriuskop on Friday, Mpumalanga
- Kasouga on Thursday, Eastern Cape
- Rooisand parking area on Friday, Western Cape
- Phinda Game Reserve, at -27.792, 32.307 on Thursday, Kwazulu-Natal
- Tafelberg Rd, Cape Town city bowl on Friday evening, Western Cape
- Flying north over the N2 Empangeni turnoff on Saturday morning, Kwazulu-Natal
- Grootvlei in Betty’s Bay on Saturday morning, Western Cape
- Hoedspruit, Limpopo
- Sungulwane, east of the N2, on Saturday, Kwazulu-Natal
- Wildevoelvlei near Kommetjie on Saturday morning, Western Cape
- At the entrance road to Pringle Bay near the R44 on Sunday morning, Western Cape
- Bonamanzi Game Reserve, on Sunday morning, Kwazulu-Natal
- Chisipte on Sunday morning, Zimbabwe
- Four birds over Skukuza, Kruger National Park, on Sunday Mpumalanga
- Stellenbosch, Blaauwklippen valley on Sunday, Western Cape
- Gardens, Cape Town city bowl on Sunday evening, Western Cape
- Teza on Sunday morning, Kwazulu-Natal
- Amangwe forest on Sunday afternoon, Kwazulu-Natal
- Rooisand Nature Reserve this afternoon, Western Cape
- Riebeek Wes this afternoon, flying towards Morreesberg, Western Cape
- Tokai plantation, Cape Town this morning, Western Cape
- Strandfontein Sewage Works, at the Tern roost, on Monday morning, Western Cape
- False Bay National Park, at midday today, Kwazulu-Natal
- Umfolozi Flats near Monzi, this morning, Kwazulu-Natal
- Marloth Park this afternoon over Troupant Rd, Mpumalanga
WESTERN CAPE:
The province has seen some really unusual records of late, and the last few days were no exception! A dead CORN CRAKE was found on Friday morning at Oak Valley Farm in Grabouw, which is a very bizarre record for the province! Secondly, a COMMON WHITETHROAT was seen and photographed at Roam Private Game Reserve on Friday evening, and there were two birds reported at the same location on the following morning (although since then I’ve only heard reports of one individual). One bird was confirmed present this morning. Photo attached (c) Donovan de Swardt. For access contact the reserve directly (Abigail – 0728573365). Elsewhere, at least one BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was present at Macassar Sewage Works until Monday afternoon, and the EUROPEAN ROLLER seen near Scarborough on Thursday evening was still in the area on Monday afternoon. The EUROPEAN ROLLER near Bot Rivier was still present on Friday afternoon, on the R43, whilst another was seen near Witsand on Saturday, at -34.215, 20.889, and another bird was found on Sunday on the Van der Stel Pass at -34.189, 19.224. Another EUROPEAN ROLLER was seen today just outside Sedgefield at -34.008, 22.772, and two were found today 6km from Struisbaai, at -34749, 20.028. The popular EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Keurbooms River estuary on Monday afternoon (seen from -34.027, 23.390). There was a delayed report of a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE seen on a private farm between Velddrif and Hopefield last Saturday. In George, a male EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE was reported on Saturday afternoon, visiting the garden of 4 Meadows Rd (where it was apparently also seen a few years ago). The season continues to be good for PECTORAL SANDPIPER, with three birds seen at Strandfontein sewage works on S7, viewed from -34.088, 18.518, and one bird still present at Rooisand Nature Reserve hide on Sunday. Rooisand also hosted the WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL on Sunday morning (seen around the hide and not located today). Staying in the reserve, a KNOB-BILLED DUCK was seen today at the hide, which flew off shortly thereafter and wasn’t successfully twitched by local birders. A MARSH WARBLER was found and sound recorded in the fern thickets close to George on the Garden Route, at -33.944, 22.509 on Sunday morning. This is a rarely recorded species in the province, although possibly overlooked due to shy and skulking habits. Staying on the Garden Route, the LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS were seen on Sunday from Goukamma bridge near Sedgefield, and the famous DARK-CAPPED BULBUL of Mossel Bay was still around on Monday, at -34.154, 22.104. At Paardevlei Reserve in Strand, there were at least 22 FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS this afternoon, and another 8 were reported at a temporary pan near Vleesbaai today, at -34.253, 21.875.
EASTERN CAPE:
Three BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS were seen on Friday morning at the Kabeljous Reserve in Jeffrey's Bay (-33.995, 24.934), and were still present on Saturday morning, and another three birds were seen flying over Eden Glen Retirement Village in Jeffrey’s Bay on Saturday morning. The WHITE-BACKED VULTURE was still at Shamwari Private Nature Reserve on Friday morning, and a BRONZE-WINGED COURSER was found at the same reserve on Sunday evening. At least one PECTORAL SANDPIPER was present at the Kromme River mouth on Friday, at -34.138, 24.810. A MELODIOUS LARK was seen and photographed in Camdeboo National Park on Friday, which is somewhat more westerly than they are usually recorded, based on recent SABAP2 data. Photo attached (c) Leonie Fouche. On Sunday morning, a MARABOU STORK was seen over the Kowie River, heading west towards Kenton, and another was seen today at noon at the Sundays River mouth, at -33.714, 25.852. A male EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE was seen again this morning at Urquhart Caravan Park, at -32.245, 24.526.
KWAZULU-NATAL:
The GOLDEN PIPIT was still in place near Albert Falls on Friday morning, at -29.495, 30.386, but I have not received any positive news about this bird since then. At least one birder was unable to find it yesterday. Another interesting record was that of a FRIGATEBIRD species which was seen briefly offshore at St Lucia on Friday morning in the rain, but unfortunately not located for better views to confirm the species. A single HARTLAUB’S GULL was found in a group of Lesser Crested Terns at the Richard’s Bay sandbars on Sunday afternoon. There were two PECTORAL SANDPIPERS at Mpempe Pan on Monday morning, and there was also a somewhat bizarre record of a TEMMINCK’S COURSER on the beach at St Lucia, south of the beach parking area towards the estuary, this morning, at -28.386, 32.424. Photo attached (c) Patrick O’Brien. On Sunday afternoon, a DUSKY LARK was reported from Manyoni Private Game Reserve.
FREE STATE:
The province held onto its returning and long-staying mega, the MADAGASCAN CUCKOO, which was seen again on Sunday morning (although I’ve received no updates today).
NORTHERN CAPE:
A MONOTONOUS LARK seen on a private farm between De Aar and Hopetown on Friday, and the province delivered another excellent bird on Sunday, when a DWARF BITTERN was found close to Hartswater golf course, at -27.747, 24.833.
MPUMALANGA:
The RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still present this afternoon at Wagendrift farm near Piet Retief.
GAUTENG:
Three AFRICAN PYGMY GEESE were seen near Rust de Winter, at -25.362, 28.347 over the weekend.
ZIMBABWE:
There were several excellent sightings on Sunday afternoon at Nyanga National Park, with a group of 5 WHITE-THROATED BEE-EATERS seen flying overhead, and photographed, and this sighting was followed by a SOOTY FALCON a few minutes later. There was also a COMMON WHITETHROAT, which is apparently uncommon in eastern Zimbabwe, and a report of a LESSER CUCKOO from the same area (approximate co-ordinates for these sightings: -18.379, 32.796).
