ISSN 1012 - 2974 BABBLER Journal of BirdLife Botswana Number 65 November 2019 BIRDLIFE BOTSWANA Southern Red Bishop Photo: Pete Hancock Partner designate of: NUMBER 65 NOVEMBER 2019 CONTENTS Editorial 1 Articles Low numbers of common bird species in dry conditions east of Artesia 2 Chris Brewster Bird Population Monitoring: Sita Pan 7 H.Dieter Oschadleus Birds at termite emergences in the Matobo area of Zimbabwe 19 David A. Ewbank Southern Fiscal Lanius collaris in south-eastern Botswana 23 Chris A Brewster Record of Short-clawed Larks Certhilauda chuana south-west of Serowe 26 Ian White Highlights of the January and July 2018 and 2019 Waterbird Counts 27 Stephanie J Tyler Summary of Category B Records 41 Chris A Brewster and Stephanie Tyler Interesting and Unusual Sightings 55 Compiled by Chris A Brewster and Stephanie J Tyler Report from the Records Subcommittee: Category A Records 62 Some breeding records in 2018/2019 63 Compiled by Chris A Brewster and Stephanie J Tyler International Vulture Awareness Day 65 Keddy Moleofi RECENT PUBLICATIONS ON BIRDS OF RELEVANCE TO BOTSWANA 72 Review of Observations and experiences with birds breeding Editorial in Botswana 84 By Ken & Mel Oake I was sad to hear news from Pete Hancock that the heronry at Xakanaxa Lediba was abandoned when he visited the lagoon in early September 2015. Not a single Yellow-billed Stork, Marabou or Purple Heron was nesting there; moreover there was very little Water-Fig left due to Elephants having destroyed these trees. There were some Black-crowned Night Herons roosting there and although no nests were seen, Rufous-bellied Heron were almost certainly nesting in reeds. Thankfully there was better news from the Kanana heronry in the Okavango Delta where Pink-backed Pelicans were nesting at the start of August as described by Mark Muller and Ali Flatt. A hot fire in the area may however, have an impact that will become apparent during September. The drought has taken its toll on wetlands with Gavin and Marjorie Blair Front Cover: Common Kestrel, Photographer: Ian White and Richard Randall reporting that Savute Marsh and Channel in Chobe National Park were dry from July except for a few tiny pools. The note by Journal of BirdLife Botswana Grant Reed on Lake Ngami also shows how quickly large water bodies such as this can revert to dry lake beds. Botswana is after all, subject naturally to cyclicali periods of wet and dry. Depressing news from the Chobe River where Gavin and Marjorie Blair reported that netting was widespread and when the water was gone there were heaps of fishing nets left discarded and tangled up all over the floodplains and dry river courses. Birds are then caught up in the nets and drown when the water returns. The Blairs collected and took to the dump as much discarded fishing net as they could but fishermen need to be more responsible. Marjorie in a letter also comments on the lack of pumping in pans in Chobe National Park. Chris Brewster provides much of interest in his report of his trip along the Botswana/Namibia border fence east of Mohembo. Also of interest were aerial surveys over the Kafue Flats in Zambia by the International Crane Foundation for Wattled Cranes. In April 2015 the ICF estimated a population of 2,300 birds, the largest population in the world. Around 3,000 were noted there in the 1970s but numbers then declined. With an estimated 2,000 Wattled Cranes on the Lliuwa Plains and 1,200 in Bangweulu Swamp, Zambia holds 25% of this species of crane in Africa. The summer of 2015/2016 was an excellent season for Spotted Crakes with birds turning up in South Africa but also at Phakalane sewage ponds and in the wetland at Gaborone Game Reserve. The most bizarre new bird species recorded in Botswana was a Great Frigate-bird at Gaghoo Diamond Mine on the north-east boundary of the CKGR in early December. November 2019 Babbler No. 65 BirdLife Botswana Donors and Sponsors 2014- Listed Alphabetically (P5000 or more and significant in-kind support) African Bird Club, And Beyond, Bergstan Africa, BirdLife International, BotAsh (Pty) Ltd, Boteti Council’s Physical Planning Unit, Boteti District Administration, Boteti Sub-Land Board, Canon Botswana, Chobe Holdings (Chobe Game Lodge), Chobezi, CKGR Research, Debswana Diamond Co. (Jwaneng and Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines), Department of Environmental Affairs, Department of National Museums and Monuments, Department of Tourism, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Desert and Delta Safaris, Drotsky’s Cabins, Embassy of the United States of America in Botswana, European Union, FedEx Express, Forest Conservation Botswana, Global Environment Facility, Global Environment Facility/Small Grant Programme (GEF/SGP), Goldsworthy, Mike and Daphne Hester, Geraldine and Harold Hoisting Solutions who founded The Crane Fund Island Safaris, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Kalahari Kavango Safari Co., Kalahari Tours, Magnum Freight (Pty) Ltd, McColaugh Bob and Doreen, Ngamiland Adventure Safaris, Okavango Wilderness Safaris, Planet Baobab, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Safari and Guide Services, Serendipity B & B, Stewart Scott International, Tarboton Warwick, Tuli Safari Lodge, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Conservation Union (IUCN), White Ian. ii Journal of BirdLife Botswana October 2019 Babbler 65 Babbler No. 65 November 2019 Editorial Well, here is another edition of Babbler. I thought I had relinquished the post of editor last year but it seems nobody has come forward to take over from me so I will keep going until they do. It was heartening to read a report in July 2019 from Birdwatch Zambia on a survey of Slaty Egrets in the Barotse floodplain. When we held a workshop to produce a Slaty Egret Action Plan in Maun all those years ago I had naively thought that it would lead to further studies of the species throughout its range. Botswana holds the largest population but birds occur in good numbers in Zambia as well as in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Sadly lack of funding has meant that many of the actions we included in the plan have not come to fruition. So I give full marks to Chaona Phiri and Clara Nanja for their study in Zambia and for raising awareness about the species. They recorded 31 birds, mainly in floodplain grasslands along the Zambezi in the Liuwa National Park but found no evidence of breeding. From afar I keep up with news from Botswana and am greatly saddened at the plight of vultures in the country but congratulate BirdLife Botswana on all it is doing to reverse the downward trend and to try to stop the horrific incidents of poisoning. This issue includes several articles by Chris Brewster, a faithful contributor. One documents the low numbers of birds in the Artesia area in the dry conditions there whilst another describes the highlights of monitoring birds at Sita Pan. He has also produced a note on the status of Southern Fiscal in south-east Botswana. David Ewbank analyses his old records of birds at termite emergences in Zimbabwe. Such emergences attract many birds and provide a wonderful spectacle. Ian White writes on an extension in range of Short-clawed Larks and I have summarised results from waterbird counts over the last two years. These are biased towards south-east Botswana as coverage in the Okavango and Makgadikgadi is sadly, almost non-existent. There are the usual Records Sections and also some summaries of papers of relevance to birds in Botswana. Harold Hester has written a review of Ken and Mel Oake’s wonderful book and another book well worth acquiring is Pete Hancock’ s new publication on the Makgadikgadi Pans. I thank Doreen McColaugh for editing this issue and Harold Hester for sorting photos and seeing it through publication. Stephanie Tyler (Editor) 1 Journal of BirdLife Botswana 1 Babbler 65 October 2019 November 2019 Babbler No. 65 Low numbers of common bird species in dry conditions east of Artesia, south-eastern Botswana Chris A. Brewster On 11 August 2019 the Artesia area was visited to do some birding. The area visited was east of Artesia from Matlakhari Hill, at about 24° 3´ S 26° 24´ E, eastwards to a dry pan in a depression at about 24° 3´ S 26° 31´ E. The vegetation of the area is poorly developed mixed broad-leaved and acacia tree savanna, though around Matlakhari Hill, which rises some 200 metres above the plain, trees are more developed. The area close to the Ngotwane River, where water is available and where trees are also more developed, was not visited. There are several cattle posts, some with boreholes supplying water, in the area, but no cultivation. The area was overgrazed with very little or no ground cover; it appeared there had been little rainfall during the previous summer. Except for scattered Boscia foetida and Boscia albitrunca, which were in leaf and just coming into flower, the trees were bare of leaves and flowers. Reference is also made, where relevant, to two other visits on 8 and 15 September 2019 to similar areas of dry savanna and woodland, further east towards Olifant’s Drift, in quarter degree squares 2426B1 and 2426B3. About seven hours were spent birding in the area on 11 August and a total of another 11 hours were spent on 8 and 15 September, further east towards Olifant’s Drift. Soon after arriving, it was apparent that bird numbers were low and also that there was low species variety. A total of 30 species were recorded in seven hours on 11 August, which was lower than expected, considering the time spent in the field. Some species, which typically occur fairly commonly in similar habitat in south-east Botswana, were either unrecorded or recorded in only small numbers.