* 7th RECORDED VISIT FOR SOUTH AFRICA! *
White-throated Bee-eater
What a way to start 2020 – sighting a rare vagrant, the White-throated Bee-eater at Riet River on 5
th
January. This mega tick brought my local list where I conduct my birdwatching tours to 367. This was
only the 7
th
record for South Africa, the first being in December 1988. Unfortunately it was in a light
drizzle and very poor light so I was unable to get decent photos but Vonny Strachan kindly allowed
me to use hers which she got the previous day.
It has a striking black and white head. White chin and throat have a black band below and the rest of
the bird is a combination of cinnamon, ochre, olive green, blue and grey making it quite exquisite
especially in flight. They have a characteristic chattering call. The female has shorter tail streamers
than the male.
Mostly in small flocks that hunt insects from a perch or among foraging animals that help flush prey.
They breed just south of the Sahara from Senegal in the west to Somalia in the east. In winter they
migrate south to the Equatorial rain forest edges.
Migrant News - our latest summer migrant arrivals
November 21st - Sanderling - Kleinemonde beach
November 22nd - Common sandpiper, grey plover - Fish River estuary
November 24th - Common buzzard - South Seas area
December 18th - White Storks - Bellevue farm, Fish River lighthouse road & Ruff - Kleinemonde
river
December 28th - Ruddy Turnstone - Kleinemonde beach
December 22nd - Greater striped swallow - Riet River
January 8th 2020 - Red - backed shrike - Tharfield farm
Riet River
Pomeroy Game Reserve
South Seas area
Kleinemonde estuaries
Shaw Park area
Kleinemonde point
Great Fish River mouth
Ruddy Turnstone
Red-backed shrike (f)
Tharfield farm
Breeding News - Black-winged stilt, below - has the longest legs of
any bird per body ratio
Youngster concealed under mothers wing - emerging & off to explore
Chick hiding
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© AnnesBirding 2016
* 7th RECORDED VISIT FOR
SOUTH AFRICA! *
White-throated Bee-eater
What a way to start 2020 – sighting a rare vagrant,
the White-throated Bee-eater at Riet River on 5
th
January. This mega tick brought my local list where
I conduct my birdwatching tours to 367. This was
only the 7
th
record for South Africa, the first being
in December 1988. Unfortunately it was in a light
drizzle and very poor light so I was unable to get
decent photos but Vonny Strachan kindly allowed
me to use hers which she got the previous day.
It has a striking black and white head. White chin
and throat have a black band below and the rest of
the bird is a combination of cinnamon, ochre, olive
green, blue and grey making it quite exquisite
especially in flight. They have a characteristic
chattering call. The female has shorter tail
streamers than the male.
Mostly in small flocks that hunt insects from a
perch or among foraging animals that help flush
prey. They breed just south of the Sahara from
Senegal in the west to Somalia in the east. In winter
they migrate south to the Equatorial rain forest
edges.
Migrant News - our latest summer
migrant arrivals
November 21st - Sanderling - Kleinemonde beach
November 22nd - Common sandpiper, grey plover -
Fish river estuary
November 24th - Common buzzard - South Seas area
December 18th - White Storks - Bellevue farm, Fish
River lighthouse road & Ruff - Kleinemonde River
December 28th - Ruddy Turnstone - Kleinemonde
beach
December 22nd - Greater striped swallow - Riet
River
January 8th 2020 - Red - backed shrike - Tharfield
farm
Riet River
Pomeroy Game Reserve
South Seas area
Kleinemonde estuaries
Shaw Park area
Kleinemonde point
Great Fish River mouth
Ruddy Turnstone
Red-backed
shrike (f)
Tharfield farm
Breeding News - Black-winged stilt,
below - has the longest legs of any
bird per body ratio
Youngster concealed under mothers wing - emerging
& off to explore
