SA Rare Bird News Report - 28 August 2025
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, 28 August 2025.
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, a NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS was seen on a pelagic trip out of Simon’s Town yesterday while other lingerers included a GOLIATH HERON seen again at Kenilworth Race Course Conservation Area yesterday and at least one AUSTRALASIAN GANNET still at Bird Island in Lamberts Bay yesterday afternoon as well. | |||||||||
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Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Vince Ward | |||||||||
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Goliath Heron at Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area © Lifa Nkosi | Australasian Gannet (second from front) at Bird Island © Willem Boshoff | ||||||||
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Kwazulu Natal remained front and centre in birders’ minds with the popular COLLARED FLYCATCHER still showing well at Bushmans Nek today while other lingerers included the young CHESTNUT-BANDED PLOVER still at Umhlanga Lagoon today and at least one RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still near Amazibu hide on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park today as well.
Mpumalanga held on to the pair of AFRICAN SKIMMERS with their chick which were still at Malelane bridge in the Kruger National Park earlier today. | |||||||||
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Collared Flycatcher at Bushmans Nek © Digby Cyrus | Collared Flycatcher at Bushmans Nek © EJ Bartlett | ||||||||
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Collared Flycatcher at Bushmans Nek © Ben Wadley | |||||||||
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Collared Flycatcher at Bushmans Nek © Nikesh Hargoon | Collared Flycatcher at Bushmans Nek © Paul Bartho | ||||||||
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Collared Flycatcher at Bushmans Nek © Etienne Marais | Collared Flycatcher at Bushmans Nek © Stuart McLean | ||||||||
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Collared Flycatcher twitchers at Bushmans Nek © EJ Bartlett | |||||||||
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Chestnut-banded Plover in Umhlanga © Dave Rimmer | Chestnut-banded Plover in Umhlanga © Simon Joubert | ||||||||
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Chestnut-banded Plover in Umhlanga © EJ Bartlett | Chestnut-banded Plover in Umhlanga © Ronnie Herr | ||||||||
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Chestnut-banded Plover in Umhlanga © Wendy Rode | Chestnut-banded Plover in Umhlanga © Hugo Voigts | ||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron on the Eastern Shores © Ian Ferreira | African Skimers at Malelane bridge © Nick Pawley | ||||||||
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And finally, in Namibia, after a period of no reports, the TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER was seen again at Walvis Bay Salt Pans at -23.000, 14.453 yesterday while 2 CASPIAN PLOVERS were also found at Andoni Plains along the road between the picnic area and turn-off to Andoni water hole in Etosha National Park at -18.540, 16.790 on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Andoni Plains © Timothy Smith | Caspian Plover at Andoni Plains © Sally Bergquist | ||||||||
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Tibetan (Lesser) Sand Plover at Walvis Bay Salt Pans © Roger Hogg | |||||||||
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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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