SA Rare Bird News Report - 04 July 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 17h05 on Thursday, 04 July 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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This report is going out a little earlier today because I still have to drive through to Somerset West as I am giving a talk to the Bird Club there a little later this evening…
Starting in the Western Cape, the biggest news for the entire subregion in the last few days was the discovery of Southern Africa’s 2nd LESSER WHITETHROAT at Mosaic Lagoon Lodge near Stanford on Tuesday which was still present there today. Clearly a case of reverse migration, this bird should currently be on the breeding grounds somewhere in Europe or Asia but, instead of heading north from its wintering grounds just south of the Sahara, it headed completely in the opposite direction and landed up down near the bottom of the continent! Our only other record was also a case of reverse migration with a bird that spent from 18 June to 1 July in Marloth Park (Mpumalanga) in 2021. Naturally, it’s also a new record for the Western Cape taking the province’s species total up to 627 species recorded now.
Elsewhere in the province, the SQUACCO HERON was still on the northern end of Pan P1 at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Tuesday and 2 GOLIATH HERONS were seen again flying over Strandfontein Sewage Works this afternoon while at least 2 ROSEATE TERNS were present at The Point in Mossel Bay at -34.186, 22.16 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat at Mosaic Lagoon Lodge © Sean Hartnett | Lesser Whitethroat at Mosaic Lagoon Lodge © Sarel Snyman | ||||||||
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Lesser Whitethroat at Mosaic Lagoon Lodge © John Graham | |||||||||
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Squacco Heron at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Graham Luden | Squacco Heron at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Robert Cooper | ||||||||
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Squacco Heron at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Charles Ellis | Roseate Tern in Mossel Bay © Estelle Smalberger | ||||||||
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Into Kwazulu Natal where a YELLOW-BILLED STORK was found in Mount Edgecombe on the golf course at -29.713, 31.044 on Tuesday and was still in place there yesterday, a SENTINEL ROCK THRUSH was found on the Western Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.321, 32.387 earlier today and the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still on view this afternoon at the St Lucia estuary. | |||||||||
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Yellow-billed Stork in Mount Edgecombe © Andrew Asherson | Sentinel Rock Thrush in iSimangaliso Wetland Park © Ross Hawkins | ||||||||
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Over in the Free State, the AFRICAN OPENBILL was still at Schoemansdrift bridge on the Vaal River at -26.971, 27.212 on Tuesday.
Mpumalanga chimed in with yet another southerly record of a WHITE-BREASTED CUCKOOSHRIKE seen on a walking safari close to the H1-3 in the Kruger National Park at -24.705, 31.812 on Tuesday while the park also held on to at least one AFRICAN SKIMMER at the low level bridge near Lower Sabie this morning. | |||||||||
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African Openbill at Schoemansdrift bridge © Lukas Niemand | White-breasted Cuckooshrike near the H1-3 © Connor van der Walt | ||||||||
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Up in Limpopo, the popular COLLARED PALM THRUSH was still at Crooks Corner near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park yesterday.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, the mega (and also only a 2nd for Southern Africa) EUROPEAN PIED FLYCATCHER was still at Ruzawi School in Marondera until at least Tuesday while a PALM-NUT VULTURE was reported earlier today from Gonarezhou National Park at -21.435, 32.076. | |||||||||
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European Pied Flycatcher in Marondera © Barry Launder | |||||||||
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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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