SA Rare Bird News Report - 05 July 2012
Trevor Hardaker
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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 20h15 on Thursday, 05 July 2012. 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. 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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Well, I am finally back on line, so hopefully, the reports will start pouring through now…J
Starting in the Western Cape, the biggest excitement in the last few days has certainly been the discovery of a GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO near Klipheuwel. First seen on Tuesday morning, it was not until about lunchtime yesterday that the news filtered through and the alert could go out. The keenest of local twitchers dropped everything immediately and raced out there connecting with the bird almost straight away and, by nightfall, a number of the local birders had made their way out there. The bird performed well again throughout today attracting a regular following of locals who were all excited to finally catch up with this very tough provincial bird. The last record that I am aware of in the province was on a farm not too far away from where this bird is back in August 2008 and it only stayed for a few hours before moving off again, so hardly anyone managed to catch up with that one. This bird was also a milestone bird for John Graham as it became the 500th bird species he has seen in the province making him the first person to ever achieve this. Well done John!
Elsewhere in the province, there have also still been a few things happening. Perhaps most exciting of these was last Tuesday when an ATLANTIC PETREL was seen on a seawatch from Cape Point just inside False Bay. The lousy weather at the time surely had a lot to do with this extremely rare vagrant turning up there. AFRICAN JACANAS were still being reported last week from both Zandvlei and the De Zalze Estate in Stellenbosch whilst reports of FULVOUS DUCKS were also still being received from Die Oog Nature Reserve in Bergvliet and at Paarl Bird Sanctuary. The Garden Route also continued to provide entertainment until at least the early part of this week with the WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER at Plettenberg Bay being the most popular and the MARABOU STORK at the George dumpsite and the TUFTED DUCK at Rondevlei also still showing well. | ||
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Great Spotted Cuckoo near Klipheuwel © Basil Boer | Great Spotted Cuckoo near Klipheuwel © Sion Stanton | |
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Great Spotted Cuckoo near Klipheuwel © Freddie Strauss | Great Spotted Cuckoo near Klipheuwel © David Hall | |
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Great Spotted Cuckoo near Klipheuwel © Barrie Rose | Great Spotted Cuckoo near Klipheuwel © Trevor Hardaker | |
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White-fronted Bee-eater in Plettenberg Bay © Frans-Hendrik Joubert | ||
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In the Eastern Cape, a BEARDED WOODPECKER was reported on Sunday along the Kei River near Bolo Reserve which seems to be a little out of range for this species.
Moving into Kwazulu Natal, a small party of GREEN-CAPPED EREMOMELAS were reported from a garden in Ladysmith last week whilst, on Saturday, an AFRICAN PENGUIN was seen just offshore of Shelley Beach. A single GREATER FLAMINGO was present at the mouth of the Umzumbe River this morning as well.
Mpumalanga’s best offering came in the form of a CHESTNUT-VENTED TIT-BABBLER at Kirkman’s Camp in the Sabi Sands Reserve last week, seemingly quite far east for this species.
The North-west Province continues to produce reports of YELLOW-BELLIED GREENBULS with several reports coming through from Madikwe Game Reserve.
In Gauteng, there was some excitement yesterday when 5 CAPE VULTURES were spotted flying around Northcliff Hill in Johannesburg yesterday whilst a single individual was reported close by this morning as well.
And finally, in Namibia, the leucistic COMMON REDSHANK is still present at Mile 4 Salt Works near Swakopmund whilst, last week, a trip out of Walvis Bay on a hake longliner produced a WANDERING ALBATROSS and a SPECTACLED PETREL. | ||
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Bearded Woodpecker near Bolo Reserve © Stuart MacLachlan | Spectacled Petrel offshore of Walvis Bay © John Paterson | |
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Wandering Albatross offshore of Walvis Bay © John Paterson | ||
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Please remember to send through your details to be included on the various listing clubs that are hosted at www.zestforbirds.co.za. This website also has an extensive rarities gallery that has many additional photos of a number of rarities that are mentioned in these reports. | ||
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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. | ||
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Kind regards Trevor | ||
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TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa
Follow our local exploits in the field at: http://hardakerwildlife.wordpress.com/
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SOUTHERN AFRICAN RARITIES Online database of all SA rarities ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||
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