KWAZULU-NATAL RECORDER'S REPORT - DECEMBER 2005 Well, by the time you read this I hope that you have enjoyed a pleasant festive season break, and have seen many birds. The start of the new year also brings a fresh look to the Recorder’s Report: new bird names and the new classification order! This will take some getting used to, but plunging in at the deep end is the best way. For a while, I will include old common names where they are very different to the new ones until we get used to them. So, here goes…. RARITIES: HARLEQUIN QUAIL Coturnix delegorguei KZN Rarity One male, Eastern Shores, St Lucia, 22 November 2005, Caroline Fox. MARBLED TEAL Marmaronetta angustirostis National Rarity One, Darvill Bird Sanctuary, 9 November 2005, David Hoddinott. This is probably an escaped aviary bird. BLACK-RUMPED BUTTONQUAIL Turnix nanus KZN Rarity One, Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, 16 October 2005, Greg Davies, Hamish Campbell and others. One, near Creighton, 17 November 2005, Peter and Gina Wilgenbus and Malcolm Gemmell. GIANT EAGLE OWL Bubo lacteus KZN Rarity A pair breeding in Mkuze Game Reserve, 18 September 2005, Mike Fagan and J Marchant. A pair breeding on a farm in Karkloof, October 2005, Charlie MacGillivray. STRIPED FLUFFTAIL Sarothrura affinis KZN Rarity One heard calling, Hella Hella road near Ixopo, end of September 2005, Faansie Peacock and others. GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus KZN Rarity One, Morton’s Drift, near Pietermaritzburg, 13 November 2005, David Hoddinott. (Rarity form submitted) One, Eston Sugar Mill wetland, 13 November 2005, Richard Hurt and Francoise Meyer. PECTORAL SANDPIPER Tringa melanotos National Rarity One, Umfolozi River estuary, 29 November 2005, Jon Anderson. DUNLIN Tringa alpina National Rarity One, Umfolozi River estuary, late November 2005, seen by a British birder and reported by Jon Anderson. EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus National Rarity One, Umfolozi estuary, 16 September 2005, Adrian Haagner. One, Umfolozi estuary, 15 October 2005, Doggy Kewley. COMMON BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus National Rarity One, Durban bay, 19 October 2005, Alistair McInnes and David Allan. EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus National Rarity One adult, near Coffee Bay, Transkei, 1 November 2005, Philip Coetzee. MONTAGU’S HARRIER Circus pygargus KZN Rarity One female, Lake Bangazi North, 27 November 2005, Jacques Malherbe. RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD Phaeton rubricauda National Rarity One, at sea off eastern coast, 26 November 2005, David Hoddinott, Peter Ryan, Trevor Hardaker, Andrew Sutherland and many others. (Rarity form submitted) WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD Phaeton lepturus National Rarity One, at sea off eastern coast, 26 November 2005, David Hoddinott, Peter Ryan, Trevor Hardaker, Andrew Sutherland and many others. (Rarity form submitted) RED-FOOTED BOOBY Sula sula National Rarity One, at sea off eastern coast, 22 November 2005, David Hoddinott, Peter Ryan, Trevor Hardaker, Andrew Sutherland and many others. (Rarity form submitted) SLATY EGRET Egretta vinaceigula KZN Rarity One, Ndumo Game Reserve, 21 October 2005, seen by Zululand bird guide Temba, and reported by Duncan Pritchard. This appears to be a single individual that is resident here and which has been reported many times before. RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON Aredola rufiventris KZN Rarity One, near Mission Rocks, Lake St Lucia, 3 October 2005, Duncan Pritchard, Caroline Fox and others. EURASIAN BITTERN Botaurus stellaris National Rarity One, Ntsikeni Vlei, near Franklin, 11 October 2005, Greg Davies. Two, Ntsikeni Vlei, near Franklin, 20 November 2005, Peter Ryan, Greta and John Graham. ABDIM’S STORK Ciconia abdimii KZN Rarity One, near Ladysmith, 16 November 2005, Garth Aiston and David Hoddinott. (Rarity form submitted) BARAU’S PETREL Pterodroma baraui National Rarity One, at sea off eastern coast, 26 November 2005, David Hoddinott, Peter Ryan, Trevor Hardaker, Andrew Sutherland and many others. (Rarity form submitted) CORY’S SHEARWATER Calonectris diomedea KwaZulu-Natal Rarity One, near inshore near Umtentweni, 19 August 2005, Mike Fagan. RED-RUMPED SWALLOW Hirundo daurica National Rarity One, Darvill Bird Sanctuary, 28 August 2005, Mike Spain. If confirmed, this would be the first confirmed sighting for South Africa. (Rarity form submitted) COMMON WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis KZN Rarity Single male, Highover Estate, Hella Hella, 9 November 2005, Barry Swaddle, Katie Swaddle and Jill Pinblott. EASTERN CLAPPER LARK Mirafra fasciolata KZN Rarity One carrying food, Chelmsford Dam Nature Reserve, 15 November 2005, Garth Aiston. PLAIN-BACKED (BLUE-THROATED) SUNBIRD Anthreptes reichenowi National Rarity One, Tembe Elephant Park, 17 October 2005, Jenny Norman and Lynne and Ted de Beer. RED-BILLED BUFFALO-WEAVER Bubalornis niger KZN Rarity A flock of around 20, Mkhuze Game Reserve, October 2005, seen by a group of American birders and reported by Sue Anderson and Duncan Pritchard. SHAFT-TAILED WHYDAH Vidua regia KZN Rarity One male, in a garden in Highflats, October 2005, Peter Ivins. SHORT-TAILED PIPIT Anthus brachyurus KZN Rarity Several males displaying, Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, 16 October 2005, Greg Davies, Hamish Campbell and others. OUT-OF-RANGE SIGHTINGS: BEARDED WOODPECKER One, Mount Edgecombe Country Club, November 2005, Alan and Ena Davis. PURPLE ROLLER One, Mkuze Game Reserve, 4 September 2005, Etienne Marais and Ray Arenstein. BROAD-BILLED ROLLER One, on the road to Cathedral Peak, Drakensberg, end of October 2005, Janet and Charles Levy. One, Umlalazi lagoon, Mtunzini, 26 November 2005, Rob Hattingh. LESSER JACANA One, on a farm dam near Creighton, mid November 2005, Michael Mason and Malcolm Gemmell. AFRICAN BLACK OYSTERCATCHER Six, Umfolozi estuary, 15 October 2005, Doggy Kewley. Up to ten, Umkomaas beach, 10-17 October 2005, Lorraine Goss-Ross and Gina Baldo. Five, Boboyi River estuary, 21 October 2005, reported by Barry Porter. SHIKRA (LITTLE BANDED GOSHAWK) One, Morningside, Durban, 26 October 2005, Gill Leisegang. GREATER FLAMINGO Two, Darvill Bird Sanctuary, 12 November 2005, David Hoddinott. WOOLLY-NECKED STORK A pair, Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve, 20 September 2005, Crispin Hemson. MALACHITE SUNBIRD One male in transitional plumage, Mount Edgecombe Estate 2, 22 October 2005, Werner Haupt and Tim Young. OTHER SIGHTINGS: Swamp (Natal) Nightjar One, False Bay Park, 17 October 2005, Jacques Malherbe and others. Black-bellied Bustard (Korhaan) One female, near Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, 25 October 2005, Barry Porter and others of BirdLife Trogons. African Cuckoo Hawk One, New Germany Common, 18 October 2005, Trish and Peter Dinkelmann. A pair, Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, 16 October 2005, Greg Davies. Booted Eagle Two, Hluhluwe Game Reserve, 14 August 2005, Graham Acheson. One dark phase, Shongweni Dam, 22 October 2005, Jenny Norman, Andrew Kruger and others. One, Shongweni Dam, 30 October 2005, Terry Walls. One, Glenwood, 4 November 2005, Roy Cowgill. One, La Mercy airport site, 28 November 2005, Roy Cowgill and Lynne de Beer. Sooty Falcon A pair of juveniles, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, 18 November 2005, Peter and Gina Wilgenbus. Peregrine Falcon One, Pani Dam, Mount Edgecombe, 5 November 2005, Mike O’Donoghue and Tim Young. Barratt’s Warbler One, Springside Nature Reserve, 18 September 2005, Dave Bishop. Spotted Ground-Thrush One, Empisini Nature Reserve, end of August 2005, Mike Fagan. One, Gwalagwala trail, St Lucia, 2 October 2005, Rynhard Kok. Common (European) Starling These have been seen more frequently on the south coast (Umkomaas – Gina Baldo, Ramsgate – Jerry Gosnell) and it seems that their numbers might be increasing. This is not good news! Golden Weaver Several nesting, Springside Nature Reserve, 25 September 2005, Gill Leisegang. Red-headed Quelea A small flock, Darvill Bird Sanctuary, 12-15 November 2005, David Hoddinott and Garth Aiston. Four males and three females in garden in Amanzimtoti, 27 November 2005, Barry Swaddle and Rob Dickason. Red-billed Firefinch Barry Porter reports that these are now regularly seen at his bird feeder at Umzumbe on the South Coast, confirming their increase in numbers in the south of their range. Caveat: the sightings recorded here have been submitted directly to me or have been posted on the SABirdNet, and have not been vetted by any rarities committee for validation. As such, the information presented here should be used with due consideration. However, the KZN Rare Birds Committee is now functional (see article elsewhere in KZN Birds), and where rarity forms have been submitted, these have been noted. Those records that have been accepted by the Committee will be noted in this report. Steve Davis: Honorary Recorder 1 December 2005 Tel: 031 2054459 59 Edmonds Road e-mail: [email protected] Glenwood Fax: 031 2731302 4001 .