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	Striped Crake record for Gauteng.
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Pretoria bird club members made an interesting find on Saturday 2 June while visiting a farm east of Bronkhorstpruit Dam in Gauteng. Farm owners Pierre and Nelene Prinsloo want to promote the area among birders, and provided photographic evidence of a Crake they had rescued from a barbed wire fence crossing a small vlei near their front gate. The bird was returned, apparently not seriously hurt, after being found in Feb 2000.

The image is undoubtedly of a Striped Crake, for which very few records exist, south of Nylsvley. There are only a handful of records from further south. The pan is also home to Baillon's Crake, and while currently dry, will no doubt be visited by local birders next summer. At the front of the house, on the farm Groenfontein, is the main pan - about 50 ha in extent. 10 duck species and large numbers of African Snipe, are presently in residence. Other good birds from this winter outing included Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Fairy Flycatcher and Marsh Owl.

Etienne Marais