SA Rare Bird News Report - 08 February 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 Thursday, 08 February 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, the popular AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was still at Platboom, near Cape of Good Hope, yesterday while 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were found at Dolphin Beach Pan on Tuesday and were still there today. Heading up the west coast, the LESSER GREY SHRIKE remained in place at Silverstroomstrand until at least Tuesday (but no reports of it since then), there were still 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif yesterday and at least one AUSTRALASIAN GANNET remained on at Bird Island in Lamberts Bay on Tuesday. Also proving rather popular, the adult female ALLEN’S GALLINULE was still showing well at Arabella Country Estate near Kleinmond today and an immature COMMON CUCKOO was found near the accommodation at De Hoop Nature Reserve at -34.452, 20.407 yesterday. Also creating lots of excitement was an adult female LESSER FRIGATEBIRD found at Robberg in Plettenberg Bay on Tuesday which was seen again there yesterday. This is almost certainly the same individual that was seen at the mouth of the Goukamma River on Sunday afternoon, about 40km to the west as the Frigatebird flies. Inland, a RED-BACKED SHRIKE was found on a private farm south-east of Beaufort West at -32.456, 23.185 this morning. | |||||||||
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American Golden Plover at Platboom © Hernus Langeveldt | American Golden Plover at Platboom © Lee Child | ||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpiper at Dolphin Beach Pan © Joel Radue | Pectoral Sandpiper at Dolphin Beach Pan © Hannes Visagie | ||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpipers at Dolphin Beach Pan © Koos Retief | Pectoral Sandpipers at Dolphin Beach Pan © Stephen Mills | ||||||||
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Pectoral Sandpipers at Dolphin Beach Pan © Graham Luden | Pectoral Sandpipers at Dolphin Beach Pan © Regard van Dyk | ||||||||
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Lesser Grey Shrike at Silverstroomstrand © Joel Radue | Lesser Grey Shrike at Silverstroomstrand © Lydia McIntosh | ||||||||
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Lesser Grey Shrike at Silverstroomstrand © Alice Moller | Lesser Grey Shrike at Silverstroomstrand © Susan Gie | ||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Ruven Schoeman | Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Carin Malan | ||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © David Swanepoel | Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Graham Luden | ||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Michael Mason | |||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Zoe Lunau | Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Michael Kokot | ||||||||
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Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Jarrod Cross | Allen’s Gallinule at Arabella Country Estate © Johan van der Westhuizen | ||||||||
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Lesser Frigatebird at Robberg © Mike Bridgeford | |||||||||
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The Eastern Cape upped its game when a mega LESSER NODDY was found at the mouth of the Kabeljous River in Jeffreys Bay on Sunday afternoon. Even although the news was late to be circulated, it didn’t end badly for potential twitchers as the bird remained in place and was still showing well there earlier today. Elsewhere, the wayward AFRICAN OPENBILL was also still present along the N2 near Colchester at -33.688, 25.835 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Lesser Noddy at the Kabeljous River estuary © Hendrik Jerling | Lesser Noddy at the Kabeljous River estuary © Hugh Retief | ||||||||
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Lesser Noddy at the Kabeljous River estuary © Estelle Smalberger | Lesser Noddy at the Kabeljous River estuary © Andre Strydom | ||||||||
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Lesser Noddy at the Kabeljous River estuary © Roy Allen | Lesser Noddy at the Kabeljous River estuary © Retief Williams | ||||||||
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Lesser Noddy at the Kabeljous River estuary © Mark Vernout | |||||||||
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Not to be outdone, Kwazulu Natal got in on the action too by producing a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER on a private farm near Monzi on Tuesday which was still there yesterday. Unfortunately, general access to this private property for birders to see this mega has not been granted. However, this is still a pretty mega bird in a subregional context and, to the best of my knowledge, is only the 23rd record of this species in Southern Africa. The first record was in Richard's Bay in December 1977 followed by one in Swakopmund in February 1984 and one in Walvis Bay in November 1984. The next record was from Barberspan Nature Reserve in January 1986, followed by one at the Berg River estuary in September 1993, one at the Umvoti River estuary in March 1995, a dead bird found at Durban Airport in December 2000, the famous twitchable one at Marievale Bird Sanctuary in January 2001, another bird at Barberspan Nature Reserve in February 2001, a bird at Krugersdrift Dam in the Free State in February 2008, then the well twitched bird at Muzi Pan as well as the bird near St Francis Bay, both in December 2010, one at Kei mouth in April 2011, one at Mile 4 Salt Works in Swakopmund in April 2012, one at Waterfall Estate in Midrand in September 2012, one again at Mile 4 Salt Works in January 2013, one at Rakops River Lodge in Botswana in March 2019, 2 birds together at Voelvlei, near Mossel Bay, in December 2020, a bird at Mpempe Pan in March 2021, possibly the same individual again at Mpempe Pan in December 2021, a bird near Sojwe in Botswana in December 2022 and, most recently, a bird at Voelvlei, near Mossel Bay, again in December 2023.
Elsewhere, the LESSER JACANA was still at Darvill Bird Sanctuary in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday while there was also some surprize this afternoon when a MANGROVE KINGFISHER was found in Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve at the first low level bridge about 2km from Hluhluwe gate. | |||||||||
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Buff-breasted Sandpiper near Monzi © Inone Vorster | Mangrove Kingfisher in Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve © Wesley Hendriks | ||||||||
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Into Mpumalanga where it was all happening in the Kruger National Park with the popular CASPIAN PLOVER still along the S25 near Crocodile Bridge at -25.348, 31.882 this morning while a GREEN SANDPIPER was found along the S28 at the Mativuhlungu River crossing, south of Lower Sabie, this afternoon. | |||||||||
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Caspian Plover near Crocodile Bridge © Suretha Dorse | Green Sandpiper at the Mativuhlungu River crossing © Cliff Dorse | ||||||||
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Across in the North-west Province, there was some local surprize when a SADDLE-BILLED STORK was found at Lengau Dam in Pilanesberg National Park yesterday.
Over in Limpopo, a STREAKY-BREASTED FLUFFTAIL was heard in the Zaagkuildrift area on Tuesday while a single RED-FOOTED FALCON was seen along the Zaagkuildrift road yesterday. Into the Kruger National Park where a STRIPED CRAKE was seen briefly again this morning along the Mahonie Loop and a RED-BACKED MANNIKIN was found in Punda Maria Rest Camp on Monday. | |||||||||
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Saddle-billed Stork at Lengau Dam © Jann-Rick Louw | Red-backed Mannikin at Punda Maria © Tertius Gous | ||||||||
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Up in Zimbabwe, both the normally coloured and hepatic LESSER CUCKOOS were still present at Aberfoyle in the Honde Valley this morning.
And finally, in Mozambique, the HARTLAUB’S GULL was still in the Costa do Sol area of Maputo at -25.906, 32.656 until at least Tuesday while no fewer than 93 CRAB PLOVERS were counted this morning at The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula. | |||||||||
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Lesser Cuckoo at Aberfoyle © Gary Douglas | Lesser Cuckoo at Aberfoyle © Alan Bedford-Shaw | ||||||||
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Crab Plovers on the San Sebastian Peninsula © 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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