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The following largely unconfirmed records have all been published for interest only in Bulletins of the African Bird Club.
The following records are mostly from the period December 2006 - early June 2007, with a few from earlier. Totals of 3,206 Great White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus and 49 Pink-backed Pelicans P. rufescens were at Nata Delta on 30 January, with another seven of the latter at Sua Spit on 11 February. On 2 January a Black Stork Ciconia nigra was seen at Dopotta, Tuli Block, and four in nearby Majale; two were at Coombe Farm on the Limpopo on 2–3 June. At Sua Spit, in the Makgadikgadi system, there were an estimated 100,000+ Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor on 11 February, together with 500+ Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus (ruber) roseus. In early March an aerial survey was made of the flamingo colony on Sua Pan. With the lack of rain and intense heat during late January and February only 1,000–2,000 chicks remained, huddled around an already abandoned nesting colony; no adults were on nests.
Away from the northern wetlands, a Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor was at Bokaa Dam on 21 January and three at Sua Spit on 11 February; a count of 500 was made on the Chobe floodplain in January. There were 831 White-backed Ducks Thalassornis leuconotus on the Boteti River and 204 on the Thamalakane River near Maun during January. The total count of Maccoa Ducks Oxyura maccoa in south-east Botswana in January was 91 birds at four sites. Knob-billed Ducks Sarkidiornis melanotos rarely breed in the south-east, exceptions being in the wet summer of 1999/2000, so two ducklings in the Kopong Hills on 4 March 2006 are of note. On the Chobe floodplain 3,559 were seen in late July 2006. A male Northern Pintail Anas acuta was observed in Chobe National Park on 2 February.
Two nests of African White-backed Vultures Gyps africanus were seen with well-grown juveniles on 23 September 2006, between Phitsane Molopo and Metlojane in the south-east, whilst in northern Botswana 172 nests were located in an aerial survey. At least 20 nests were seen near the Limpopo River at Coombe Farm on 2–3 June. A male Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus was at Lake Ngami in early January and two were reported from Nata Sanctuary on 30 January, where four Montagu’s Harriers C. pygargus were noted in the month. A single Pallid Harrier C. macrourus was seen further south at Sua Spit in early February. Black Sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus were seen in March/April at three sites in south-east Botswana: near Kanye, at Ngotane near Gaborone and near Mogobane. Jackal Buzzards Buteo rufofuscus were observed near Kanye on 21 January (one) and near Lobatse (a pair). Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus were reported from near Francistown in early January, on the Chobe River near Kasane on 27 January and in Chobe National Park, where two were seen in early February.
The only significant group of Wattled Cranes Bugeranus carunculatus was on the Jao Flats, Okavango Delta, where 56 were present on 27 January. There were 12 Grey Crowned Cranes Balearica regulorum at Nata Sanctuary on 30 January and two at Sua Spit on 11 February; this species was also seen at Kazuma Pan on 31 January and at Savuti waterhole, on the western side of Savuti Marsh, on 6 February.
There was a count of 210 Black-winged Pratincoles Glareola nordmanni at Bokaa Dam on 21 January and of over 1,000 at Lake Ngami in the second week of January. In the same month, two White-fronted Plovers Charadrius marginatus were at Bokaa Dam, one at Lake Ngami and eight at Maun sewage ponds. Also at Bokaa Dam in January were five Caspian Plovers C. asiaticus. The only sightings of Chestnut-banded Plovers C. pallidus were in the Makgadikgadi system where 14 were at Nata Sanctuary on 30 January and eight at Sua Spit on 11 February. There was a count of 59 Common Ringed Plovers C. hiaticula at Bokaa Dam on 21 January. African Wattled Lapwings Vanellus senegallus are scarce in south-east Botswana but three were seen at Lobatse on 28 October 2006 and 8–12 on 23 January. Single Green Sandpipers Tringa ochropus were reported from Dopotta, Tuli Block, on 5 January 2006, Gamoleele Dam on 21 January 2007 and along the Chobe River on 8 April. In the southern Okavango Delta, 14 Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa were seen on 26–27 December and 10 at Lake Ngami in the second week of January.
A single Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus was at a small pan near Sojwe Pan on 21 May 2006, five at Nata Delta and 30 at Sua Spit on 10/11 June 2006, with three there on 8 October. Small numbers bred at Lake Ngami in late October. In 2007, 98 were counted at Nata Delta on 30 January and 65 at Sua Spit on 11 February. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus was photographed in the Linyanti in December and two immatures were at Lake Ngami in early January. A flock of 38 African Skimmers Rynchops flavirostris was on the Boteti River on 28 January.
Two Grey-headed Kingfishers Halcyon leucocephala were at Dopotta, in the Tuli Block, on 30 December, one near Kazungula in early January and two on the Jao Flats on 27 January. Also at Dopotta, hundreds of Dusky Larks Pinarocorys nigricans were present on 28 December–9 January, with up to ten seen together. The summer drought may have resulted in the appearance of three groups of Grey-backed Sparrow Larks Eremopterix verticalis near Mogobane Dam on 15 April, well away from their usual range. In the south-east five Orange-throated Longclaws Macronyx capensis were on grassland north of Kgoro Pan on 15 October 2006.
Highlights of a trip in south-west Botswana in late April - early May included a pair of Burchell’s Coursers Cursorius rufus at Tshane Tshane Pan, c.100 Stark’s Larks Eremalauda starki at Swart Pan, c.12 in two locations in the Nossob Valley within Botswana, and c.40 at Tshane Tshane Pan, pairs and small groups of Pink-billed Larks Spizocorys conirostris noted on six occasions in dune slacks, a Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys near Sita Pan, a pale Tractrac Chat Cercomela tractrac at Swart Pan and a pair of slightly darker chats at Tshane Tshane Pan, with a total of 39 Dusky Sunbirds Cinnyris fuscus at the northern boundary of Mabuasehube Game Reserve (part of Kgalakgadi Transfrontier Park), probably representing an influx into Botswana.
Records from June - December 2006 include the following. In July, in the Gaborone area, were 31 Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus, including a pair with a 10–14 day-old juvenile, at Bokka Dam and nine at Moshupa Dam. On the Boteti River, in the southern Okavango Delta, c.1,000 Great White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus were seen on 28 July and at Lake Ngami some 342 in late July. The highest winter count of Slaty Egrets Egretta vinaceigula was of 27 on the Jao/Ketswane Flats, in the Okavango, in July. A large winter flock of 213 White Storks Ciconia ciconia was at Sojwe Pan on 11 June and 94 were at Lake Ngami on 20 August. Along the Chobe River, between the old Chobe National Park entrance and Ngoma Bridge, more than 16,000 birds were counted in July. A total of 92 Yellow-billed Storks Mycteria ibis, over 10,000 White-faced Whistling Ducks Dendrocygna viduata and 3,500 Knob-billed Ducks Sarkidiornis melanotus were of note. One Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor was seen at Ramotswa sewage ponds. Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa numbered 17 at Bokaa Dam, ten at Gamoleele Dam, one at Bathoen Dam and eight at Jwaneng sewage ponds.
An adult Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus was seen in the Tuli Block on 18 June. Surveys by air in northern Botswana revealed 172 nests of White-backed Vultures Gyps africanus, nine nests of Lappet-faced Vultures Torgos tracheliotus, 12 nests of White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis and many nests of other raptors and storks. In the south Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus sightings have been more frequent, with birds noted near Otse and Lobatse. A flock of Wattled Cranes Bugeranus carunculatus was observed along the Boteti River and another flock of 17 at Mea Pan in May.
Few unusual waders were seen in this period, but there was a Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus at Chanoga on the Botetii River on 11 August, three Sanderling Calidris alba at Sua Spit in the Makgadikgadi system on 8 October and a Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus at Lobatse sewage ponds on 3 November. There were seven White-fronted Plovers Charadrius marginatus at Sua Spit on 11 June and 8 October and one at Shashe Dam on 1 July, whilst seven Chestnut-banded Plovers C. pallidus were seen at Sua Pan and 46 at Mea Pan, including 19 juveniles. Four immature Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus were at Lake Ngami on 29 August.
A dead Pennant-winged Nightjar Macrodipteryx vexillarius was found at Phakalane, just north of Gaborone on 15 September; this is far south of its usual range. In November a Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus was seen just north of Lobatse, the first record of this migrant in south-east Botswana. Also outside their known range were Bradfield's Hornbill Tockus bradfieldi, Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata and Dusky Sunbird Cinnyris fuscus in the Groot Laagte area, north of Ghanzi, on 28 August.
Since the discovery of South African Cliff Swallows Hirundo spilodera nesting at Ramatlabama in 2000, a further four colonies have been located in south-east Botswana, the most recent being c.50 pairs on a derelict house at Papatlo, north-west of Ramatlabama.
Last page update 5th November 2007
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