SA Rare Bird News Report - 10 October 2019
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 20h00 on Thursday, 10 October 2019.
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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Before I get started, just a quick word of thanks to Garret Skead for stepping in to run SARBN while I was away - it was much appreciated! Fortunately, it was fairly quiet and he didn't have too much work to do in terms of spreading the news…;)
Ok, time to catch up, so let's get going and start in the Western Cape where it has remained fairly mundane during the recent period with just the FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK still on Pan P2 at Strandfontein Sewage Works until at least Tuesday and the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif also on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Fulvous Whistling Duck at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Garret Skead | Fulvous Whistling Duck at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Joel Radue | ||||||||
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In the Northern Cape, there was some surprize yesterday when a small group of RED-BILLED BUFFALO-WEAVERS were found at Mokala National Park, well south of where this species normally occurs, while this morning, a single WHITE-THROATED SWALLOW was present at Leeudril waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, also a rather unusual record for the area. | |||||||||
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Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver in Mokala National Park © Beryl Wilson | White-throated Swallow at Leeudril waterhole © Chris Stockton | ||||||||
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Over in Gauteng, the SLATY EGRET was still at Walkhaven Dog Park in Muldersdrift on Monday.
Moving into Botswana, a BAILLON'S CRAKE was found at Tantabane Game Ranch, about 47 km north of Francistown, on Monday, an unusual record for the area. | |||||||||
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Slaty Egret at Walkhaven © Anthony Paton | Baillon’s Crake at Tantabane Game Ranch © Steve James | ||||||||
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And finally, Mozambique, and in particular the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculous, has continued to be the centre of attention for lots of subregion birders recently with many twitchers trying to hatch plans of how they are going to get there before too long. The area held on to all the specials throughout the weekend and into Monday with several SAUNDERS'S TERNS, DAMARA TERNS, EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHERS and CRAB PLOVERS all still present and augmented with a group of 6 GULL-BILLED TERNS as well, probably one of the largest groups of this species ever recorded in the subregion. A single GREATER FRIGATEBIRD seen over the Peninsula yesterday morning was an added bonus as well. | |||||||||
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Saunders’s Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © David Hoddinott | Saunders’s Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Rob de Rover | ||||||||
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Saunders’s Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Michael Mason | Saunders’s Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Dave Gilroy | ||||||||
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Saunders’s Terns on the San Sebastian Peninsula © John Graham | |||||||||
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Damara Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Michael Mason | Damara Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Dave Gilroy | ||||||||
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Gull-billed Terns on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Michael Mason | |||||||||
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Gull-billed Tern on the San Sebastian Peninsula © John Graham | Greater Frigatebird on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Rob de Rover | ||||||||
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Crab Plovers on the San Sebastian Peninsula © John Graham | Crab Plover on the San Sebastian Peninsula © Michael Mason | ||||||||
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Crab Plovers on the San Sebastian Peninsula © David Hoddinott | |||||||||
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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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