Sightings IN THE SUBREGION

Midsummer produced a wealth of good and entertaining birding and some mouth-watering specials that had twitchers dropping everything to rush off and see them.

- TREVOR HARDAKER

Mid-November 2022 to mid-January 2023

HEADLINE NEWS

Leading the pack as the best new record was southern Africa's second White Wagtail. It was found at the Sappi wetlands in Stanger in KwaZulu-Natal, where it spent four days before disappearing. The only previous record of this species in southern Africa was one seen, also for only four days, at Rooisand Nature Reserve near Kleinmond in the Western Cape in January 2018.

Another excellent find was the subregion's 13th Red-necked Buzzard, seen in Mahango Game Reserve in Namibia. This species has an interesting history in southern Africa and was only confirmed when a juvenile bird was photographed in July 2014 in the Buffalo Reserve in Namibia. Once people became aware of it, a few other records surfaced from the archives, with the first record for the subregion dating back to August 2001 in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Another two records then came to the fore pre-dating the Buffalo Reserve bird singletons seen in March 2009 at Ngepi Camp in Namibia and in August 2012 in Mahango Game Reserve. We've subsequently discovered a few more records: individuals were seen in July 2014 in Chobe National Park; in January 2015 at Kasane Forest Reserve; the massively popular bird in December 2016 at Stilbaai in the Western Cape that remained until February 2017; in February 2018 at Rundu Sewage Works; in March 2018 from Mbwabwata National Park; near the Krantzkop Toll Plaza in March 2020; and most recently near Santawani, south of Moremi South Gate, in January 2021.