SA Rare Bird News Report - 21 February 2022

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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
This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 18h00 on Monday, 21 February 2022.   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									SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands:
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Starting in the Western Cape, pelagic trips headed out from both Hout Bay and Simon’s Town yesterday and, between them, managed to accumulate a good list of birds including a NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS, 2 SPECTACLED PETRELS and at least 30 RED PHALAROPES. Strandfontein Sewage Works still had lots of offer with a BAILLON’S CRAKE and SAND MARTIN seen on Pan P1 yesterday, a PINK-BACKED PELICAN on Pan P8 yesterday, a SAND MARTIN at Pan S5 today and a number of FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS still on Pan P4 on Saturday while neighbouring Rondevlei Nature Reserve also had a visit from the PINK-BACKED PELICAN yesterday as well as a GOLIATH HERON yesterday and a PECTORAL SANDPIPER at Scotto hide on Saturday. At least 10 FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were still at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve this afternoon while other lingerers included both BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS still at Macassar Sewage Works yesterday, a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE still on the van der Stel Pass on Saturday and the SADDLE-BILLED STORK still at the farm dam near Heidelberg at -34.057, 20.844 on Saturday.   Over on the Garden Route, there were still at least 5 LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS at George Dam wall on Saturday and several LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS still at the N2 bridge over the Goukamma River near Sedgefield on Saturday as well while 2 AFRICAN PIED WAGTAILS were reported at the Forever Resort in Plettenberg Bay on Friday too. The Plettenberg Bay area also held on to a PECTORAL SANDPIPER still at Bitou vlei on Saturday, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER still at the Keurbooms River estuary on Saturday and up to 4 EUROPEAN ROLLERS along the Uplands road on Saturday. The popular GREY WAGTAIL was still at Rust en Vrede Waterfall near De Rust today, a EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE was found in Merweville on Friday, a RED-BACKED SHRIKE was reported north-west of Beaufort West at -32.201, 22.701 yesterday and 2 GARDEN WARBLERS were found near Murraysburg at -31.953, 23.762 on Saturday.
Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker					Spectacled Petrel on pelagic trip © David Swanepoel
Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker					Red Phalarope on pelagic trip © David Swanepoel
Red Phalaropes on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker
Fulvous Whistling Ducks at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Andy Bulmore					Brown Snake Eagle on the van der Stel Pass © Trevor Hardaker
Eurasian Oystercatcher in Plettenberg Bay © Pieter Schoeman					European Roller along the Uplands Road © Mike Bridgeford
Grey Wagtail at Rust en Vrede Waterfall © Nico Bestbier					Eurasian Golden Oriole in Merweville © Gerrit Hattingh
Up in the Northern Cape, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve was producing some interesting birds with a number of AMUR FALCONS seen there on Saturday, a GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER seen there on Friday and a COMMON CUCKOO found there on Thursday which was still there yesterday.
Common Cuckoo at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve © Bryan Maritze					Common Cuckoo at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve © Matthew Arendse
Grey-headed Kingfisher at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve © Bryan Maritze					Amur Falcon at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve © Bryan Maritze
In the Eastern Cape, a BROWN SNAKE EAGLE was found near Marion Maree waterhole in Addo National Park on Saturday, a PALM-NUT VULTURE was seen over Beacon Bay in East London on Saturday afternoon and yet another LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER was reported, this time on the Southwell road near Endwell farm, on Friday.
Palm-nut Vulture in East London © Gerald White					Brown Snake Eagle in Addo National Park © Petro Human
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the SOOTY FALCON was still along the R618, west of St Lucia, at -28.370, 32.255 yesterday while the Winterton area produced some interesting records with a LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE seen over the town on Saturday, a DWARF BITTERN found on a private farm dam outside town yesterday and a LESSER MOORHEN found at the same farm dam this morning.   Into the Free State where a MARABOU STORK was present south of Frankfort at -27.457, 28.582 yesterday while 2 SADDLE-BILLED STORKS were seen in the wetlands adjacent to the R30 Welkom-Bothaville road at -27.726, 26.687 on Friday.
Saddle-billed Stork near Welkom © Andy Harrison					Marabou Stork south of Frankfort © Josef van Wynguard
The North-west Province also had plenty on offer with 3 SADDLE-BILLED STORKS seen on the Kgomo Kgomo floodplain at -25.166, 28.105 yesterday while a single WOOLLY-NECKED STORK was also reported close by. A BLACK COUCAL was found along the Zaagkuildrift road at -25.158, 28.105 on Friday and was still there today while several STRIPED CRAKES were reported in the same area over the weekend and at least 2 STREAKY-BREASTED FLUFFTAILS were also heard calling in the general area yesterday as well. The 2 TREE PIPITS remained on at Kgaswane Mountain Reserve near Rustenburg yesterday where a GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER was also reported on Saturday afternoon. A DUSKY LARK was found on a farm near Klerksdorp at -26.599, 26.712 yesterday while, close by, both a CAPE VULTURE and a LAPPET-FACED VULTURE were reported at -26.596, 26.742 yesterday as well.
Tree Pipit in Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Bernard Tabane					Tree Pipit in Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Wynand Sauerman
Tree Pipit in Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Patrick O’Brien					Tree Pipit in Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Trudi Malan
Tree Pipit in Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Lamorna Georgiades					Grey-headed Kingfisher in Kgaswane Mountain Reserve © Lamorna Georgiades
Black Coucal on the Zaagkuildrift road © Johnny Wilson					Black Coucal on the Zaagkuildrift road © Mark Tittley
Dusky Lark near Klerksdorp © Ryno Rademan					Cape Vulture near Klerksdorp © Charissa Raftopoulos
Up in Limpopo, there was some local excitement when a RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was found at Thornybush Game Reserve today.   And finally, in Namibia, at least 6 FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS were still at Avis Dam in Windhoek yesterday.
Rufous-bellied Heron at Thornybush Game Reserve © Andre de Kock					Rufous-bellied Heron at Thornybush Game Reserve © Wayne Myburg
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
TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa