My latest excursion was to Mkhombo Dam in Mpumalanga. After Trevor Hardacker sent out the Rare Bird Report which indicated that there were no less than four potential rarities or regional rarities at the dam, I decided that it was time for a bit of a chase.
We managed to get 3 of the four rarities which included Pectoral Sanpiper (lifer), Ruddy Turnstone (lifer) and African Pygmy Goose. Sadly we did not get the Spotted Crake.
The birding at the dam was exceptional and here is the list of species seen:
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Bishop Southern Red |
Bishop Yellow-crowned |
Canary Black-throated |
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Cisticola Rattling |
Cisticola Zitting |
Coot Red-knobbed |
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Cormorant Reed |
Cormorant White-breasted |
Crake Black |
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Crow Pied |
Cuckoo Diderick |
Darter African |
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Dove Laughing |
Dove Namaqua |
Drongo Fork-tailed |
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Duck Fulvous |
Duck Maccoa |
Duck White-faced |
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Eagle African Fish- |
Egret Cattle |
Egret Great |
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Egret Little |
Flycatcher Marico |
Goose African Pygmy- |
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Goose Egyptian |
Grebe Little |
Greenshank Common |
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Guineafowl Helmeted |
Hamerkop |
Heron Black |
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Heron Goliath |
Heron Grey |
Heron Squacco |
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Ibis Hadeda |
Kingfisher Malachite |
Kingfisher Pied |
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Lapwing Blacksmith |
Moorhen Common |
Mousebird Red-faced |
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Pigeon Speckled |
Plover Common Ringed |
Plover Three-banded |
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Pytilia Green-winged |
Robin Kalahari Scrub- |
Roller Lilac-breasted |
|
Ruff |
Sandpiper Common |
Sandpiper Marsh |
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Sandpiper Pectoral |
Sandpiper Wood |
Shrike Crimson-breasted |
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Shrike Red-backed |
Snipe African |
Sparrow-Weaver White-browed |
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Starling Cape Glossy |
Stilt Black-winged |
Stork Yellow-billed |
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Swallow Barn |
Swallow Greater Striped |
Swamphen African Purple |
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Swift White-rumped |
Tern Whiskered |
Tern White-winged |
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Tit-Babbler Chestnut-vented |
Turnstone Ruddy |
Warbler Barred Wren- |
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Warbler Lesser Swamp- |
Waxbill Blue |
Waxbill Common |
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Weaver Lesser Masked- |
Weaver Southern Masked- |
Whydah Pin-tailed |
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Widowbird Long-tailed |
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