Dates when Lesser Kestrels (blue dots and text) were seen by birders in South Africa with number seen in brackets. Roost arrivals are highlighted in yellow.
Last updated 7 November 2005.
This project records all migrating kestrel sightings in South Africa at the beginning of the 2005/6 season.
Surprisingly, the first Lesser Kestrels have been observed in the Western Cape, with no sightings from anywhere north. One can speculate why we are seeing kestrels in the Western Cape before anyone else. Hennie Venter saw a single Lesser Kestrel male near Mossel Bay in mid-August 2005. This is surprisingly early and that it was only a single bird. It is possible that this bird over wintered in South Africa or is an abnormal migrant, leaving very early and on its own. A second sighting of 3 Lesser Kestrels was made by Brian van der Walt on 2 September 2005. This is possibly that these birds left very early rather than with the main migration. One wonders if these birds are from Lesser Kestrel populations that don't normally visit South Africa, or if they used a route that did not take them through the northern part of this country.
Please keep you eyes open for migrating kestrels and if you see any, please report the date, location and number to me to add to the map.
Sightings of Migrating Kestrels arriving in 2005
While there have been several sightings of Lesser Kestrels in the months of August and September, the first Lesser Kestrels have arrived at the roosts monitored by the Migrating Kestrel Project. The roosts are highlighted these in yellow on the map.
It is also interesting to note that at least 20 Lesser Kestrels were seen in the Kalahari in early September.
Dates when Lesser Kestrels (blue dots and text) were seen by birders in South Africa with number seen in brackets. Roost arrivals are highlighted in yellow.
Last updated 7 November 2005.
Details of observations - 2005/6 season
Lesser Kestrels in Pilansberg National Park - 2005-11-06
From SABirdnet:
Had my first sighting of a Lesser Kestrel this year on a game drive yesterday. It was flying with a flock of about 40-50 Eurasian Bee-eaters that were hectically hawking flying ants.
Stu and Aly Groom
Lesser Kestrels in Kimberley - 2005-10-29
The first 7 Lesser Kestrels have been seen at the Galeshewe roost in Kimberley, reported by Mark Anderson and his team.
Lesser Kestrels in Wellington - 2005-10-29
Albertus Christian, property owner of the Wellington roost, says that the first kestrels arrived on 29 October 2005.
Lesser Kestrels in Colesberg - 2005-10-13
Marius Behrens reports 30 Lesser Kestrels at one of the Colesberg roosts, with a further 300 counted on 19 October.
Lesser Kestrels in near Bloemfontein - 2005-10-28
Dawie Kleynhans reports a sighting of a single Lesser Kestrel 25km north of Bloemfontein on the N1 to Winburg.
Lesser Kestrels in Middelburg, Eastern Cape - 2005-10-28
Bradley Gibbon reports the first three Lesser Kestrels at the Middelburg roost in the Eastern Cape.
Lesser Kestrel arrive in Bethlehem - 2005-10-25
Pieter Koornhof counted the first eleven Lesser Kestrels at the Bethlehem roost on 25 October 2005. They may have arrived a few days earlier, as this was the first opportunity that he has had to visit the roost.
Lesser Kestrel arrive in Middelburg, Mpumalanga - 2005-10-23
Zephne Bernitz and her team have spotted the first three Lesser Kestrels at the Middelburg roost in Mpumalanga.
Lesser Kestrel arrive in Villiers - 2005-10-22
Jos Ferreira, Migrating Kestrel Project volunteer, reports the first Lesser Kestrels at the Viliers roost. There are now five birds at the roost.
Lesser Kestrel arrive in Colesberg - 2005-10-21
Dorathea Badenhorst and Hanli Rodrigues, Migrating Kestrel Project volunteers, report the first Lesser Kestrels at the Colesberg roost. Dorathea says that there was a small flock and she is expecting the rest to arrive soon now. Rain has not been good in Colesberg although areas in the district have received some good rain.
Lesser Kestrel near Nossob camp - 2005-09-07
Sue Snyman reports seeing around 20 female Lesser Kestrels on the Nossob River between Polentswa and Nossob Camp on the 7th September 2005. She spent ten days on the Botswanan side of the Kgalagadi, but saw most of them along the river. She said they they were distributed over an area of about 1km as single birds or in small groups.
Lesser Kestrel over Klerksdorp airfield - 2005-09-06
Tony Archer observed a Lesser Kestrel over the airfield at Klerksdorp.
Small flock of Lesser Kestrel sighted in the Western Cape - 2005-09-02
Brian Vanderwalt and a group of birders saw a flock of three Lesser Kestrels at Papendorp near Vredendal on 2 September 2005.
First Lesser Kestrel sighting for 2005/6 season - 2005-08-12
Hennie Venter saw a single male Lesser Kestrel sitting on a fence pole on the Gouritsmond and Vleesbaai road on the Cape Town side of Mossgas. It was in open grassland on an Ostrich farm. It is interesting that this was a single bird, and so early. It does make one wonder if this bird did overwinter in South Africa. Has anyone recorded that before?