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This Bush Blackcap was seen in a fellow birders garden in Heidelberg. A bit out of range, this is the first recording of this species in Gauteng. The bird is almost adult, as can be seen form the slight black tip of the bill.



Wollie has kindly opened his garden to fellow birders, who would like to see this bird. Please call Wollie (083 518 0825) if you'd like to visit him and see this bird (it visits his bird feeder every morning!).

Went to Wollie's on Saturday and got the Blackcap. Then we did the Devon route and found the Sickle-winged Chat as well.

Clicking on the thumbnails will open the original images.



Not the greatest shot of the Chat but at least one can see the light coloured rump and edge of the tail which distinguishes it from the Familiar Chat. He was a bit skittish and not nearly as accommodating as the Blackcap. Had to crop quite a bit.

I went to Heidelberg on Saturday morning and meet Wollie at his home! A big thanks to him for allowing me to come there! Got the Bush Black cap and the ORWE! Could clearly hear the different calls between the ORWE and the CWE! What a treat and not even 2 meters away....

Bush Blackcap:


ORWE:

There were a couple of interesting records from the South African Rare Bird Network Newsletter distributed by Trevor Hardaker, from the Pafuri region of Kruger National Park this past weekend - 22 August:
"Limpopo Province also produced an interesting record with a GREEN TWINSPOT being recorded at Wilderness Safaris’ Pafuri Camp on the banks of the Levhuvhu River in the Kruger National Park. This is a little way further north than where they are normally recorded.

Another rather interesting record coming from very close to here was the discovery of a pair of THREE-BANDED COURSERS that were breeding. A photo was submitted by the PAfuri Guide Alweet.

Although this species is resident in this area in low numbers (and therefore not a rarity as such), this appears to be the first record of breeding that I can find any reference to in South Africa. Logically, they must have previously bred in South Africa, but there seems to be no documented proof of it mentioned in any of the local literature that I have checked."

Trevor

However now a couple of days later Trevor has posted a follow up as he has been sent the following records of breeding Three-banded Coursers in South Africa - all of which are from National Parks:

"November 1983 – birds observed with a chick near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park
April 2007 – bird observed incubating eggs near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park
June 2007 – bird observed with chicks near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park
August 2007 – birds observed incubating eggs in Mapungubwe National Park
October 2008 – birds observed incubating eggs in Mapungubwe National Park
I am sure there are others as well, but the above is what I have received so far."


Three-banded Courser incubating eggs
in August 2007 in Mapungubwe NP
© Johann du Preez



Three-banded Courser nest with typically half-buried eggs in October 2008 in Mapungubwe NP
© Richard and Francoise Hurt

This in earlier today on the SA Rare Bird Network:

In Limpopo, a PALM-NUT VULTURE seen on Tuesday morning created some excitement when it was picked up along the Mphongolo Loop (S56) in the Kruger National Park exactly 5km north of the junction of the southern end of the loop with the main Shingwedzi-Punda Maria tar road (H1-7). This species is particularly prone to wandering and gets picked up in a number of odd places all over the country.


Palmnut Vulture in the Kruger NP © Neil Gray

They are a regular feature on the short drive down to the river at that small reserve near Swaziland

"Limpopo Province also produced an interesting record with a GREEN TWINSPOT being recorded at Wilderness Safaris’ Pafuri Camp on the banks of the Levhuvhu River in the Kruger National Park"

The Green Twinspot was not seen at the camp itself, nor on the banks of the Luvuvhu River, but in a Androstachys johnsonii (Lebombo Ironwood) thicket almost 400 m NNE of the Lanner Gorge lookout car park, i.e. on the sandveld plateau. Quite a different environment from the riverine forest along the Luvuvhu.

I saw two chicks from the Courser nest the weekend before last, alive and kicking.

Off topic, but recorded an Orange-winged Pytilia female at Mashisiti Spring (north of Hutwini Mountain, which in turn is north of the Luvuvhu, opposite Tulamela) last weekend.

Johan

Hi Guys,

Just thought that I would let you know that we had a very rare visitor to the Mpenjati River mouth this morning Oct 25, 2009. A Pink-backed Pelican. Pelicans do not normally occur this far down the coast, so the record is indeed a rare one.

What an amazing bird UNHRO. Thanks for posting the photo's.

Where are these birds normally found?

For those of you keeping a Kruger list here is a snippet from the latest SA Rare Bird News Report

From the direction given this will be on the H10 and around the area where it crosses the river that runs between Orpen- and Silowenidam?

Thanx Francoisd

Wlll keep an eye out for them in Dec!!!

More on the White-browed Sparrow-Weavers in Kruger: