02/07/10
Scratchy Birding -
Categories: Week 06 - 06 February 2010, Green Island and Sahara Golf Club
We have had almost a week of overcast cool weather with intermittent rain - great for the desert, but challenging for photography. Images by Mike Pope
I spent 45-minutes at Green Island early one of the mornings, no Hypocolius today - all the fruit they were feeding on is gone, so it appears they have moved on - who knows where though. I did get a Pied Kingfisher hunting in the sea near the entrance gate
A House Crow stopped on the tower, but almost immediately departed without waiting for its photograph to be taken - I hadnt seen a House Crow in over a year. You can see from this image why the White cheeked Bulbul is so named
I only found one Red vented Bulbul - against the gloomy grey sky
I found a pale morph Western Reef Heron feeding around the inner lagoon
Great Cormorants are now pretty common all along the coast during the winter months
I saw a shadow pass over me, looked up and got a Pallas Gull flying over and away from me to land some distance away next to another floating on the sea
On a brisk morning yesterday, watching my son have his golf lessons at the green Sahara Golf Club, I saw the first Hoopoe of the coming Spring and a Kestrel hunting from the high spotlights
However, the highlight of the weekend was seeing two Red Foxes casually grooming themselves at the edge of the driving range oblivious to any wayward shots from the practising golfers - that is until the tractor picking up the balls got too close to them. Nevertheless, a real treat.
01/31/10
Week 05 - 30 January 2010, Pivot Fields, Jahra Pools and Khiran
After the coldest day of winter last week, the weather warmed up nicely for the weekend. The French Group (Pierre-Andre Crochet and Eric Didner) and the Brit Group (Richard Bonser, Andy Clifton and Alan Clewes) were still here. As we were all out, we decided to make this weekend a winter bird count - the lists are still coming in, but it bodes well for an impressive winter total. Images by Mike Pope
My first stop was Pivot Fields where Pierre and Eric birding first thing this morning. Photography was hampered a little by moisture in the air from the SE breeze that upped the humidity level today. Raptors were well represented and I had Hen and Pallid Harrier, as well as an adult Eastern Imperial Eagle high up on the pylon
A couple of Spotted Eagles
A male Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus)
Water Pipits are still to be found at most sites in Kuwait
It is not often you hear birds singing in winter, this Corn Bunting however was in full cry
I saw 4 Wood Pigeons roosting on the overhead irrigation and got this image as they flew past me
I checked the spot where Brian and I had seen the 11th record of Buff bellied Pipit and found it close by - good news that it has remained for some time
Following the good rains and mild weather, Kuwait is awash in a sea of yellow flowers
I headed to Jahra Pools, usual suspects in the form of Moorhen, Coot, big flock of Black headed Gulls, Little and Black necked Grebe, Shoveller, Mountain Chiffchaff, Spotted and Imperial Eagle and Marsh Harrier and this female Siberian Stonechat
I then got a call from Brian Foster who passed on the news that Rashed Al Hajji had found a Pharaohs Eagle Owl (Bubu ascalaphus desertorum) south of Khiran. This was too good to pass up and most of the locals, made the 95km trek south to meet up with Rashed to see this great bird roosting in a hole in the jebel
Whilst we were in the vicinity, Rashed said he would show us the location of some Wheatears. On route he pointed out this edible fungus (Cynomorium coccineum) which he hadnt seen for over 20-years. The good rain and mild weather can only be responsible for it to suddenly sprout up
Once we got to the site, two birds were seen on some of the rubble and sand heaps - the first turned out to be an autum plumaged Black eared Wheatear
The second was the one we were after, also an autumn plumaged Finsch's Wheatear
A third Wheatear in the same area was Mourning
01/24/10
Week 04 - 23 January 2010, Sulaibikhat
The Lesser Flamingo (2nd record for Kuwait) found by Rashed Al Hajji on 16 January 2010 hadnt been seen for over a week. Pekka had confirmed Hume's Wheatear this morning, so I headed out to Sulaibikhat Bay in the late afternoon to check the big flocks of Greater Flamingo on the incoming tide to see if I could confirm the presence of this rarity. Images by Mike Pope
The first stop at the Maternity Hospital was fruitless, only a small flock could be checked. The much bigger flock was into the sun, so I headed to Sulaibikhat Reserve where I could have the sun behind me. There is still water at the reeds with the hide which is heartening and the first bird seen on the way in were a few calling Graceful Prinia's.
I drove to the part of the reserve closest to the flock, disturbing a flock of around 100+ roosting Kentish Plovers
A lone Dunlin in amongst the Kentish Plovers
I found an undisturbed spot and got myself comfortable. The big flock of Greater Flamingo's was some 500m away and was soon joined by the flock I had checked earlier - making the flock even bigger
After around 30-minutes of scanning back and forth through the flock, two Greater Flamingos parted and I saw the smaller Lesser Flamingo in the middle of the flock, before it got closed in again by the moving birds. The bird is in the middle of this image, but this is to give an indication of how far they were and how easily it could be overlooked
The same image cropped to show the dimunitive Lesser Flamingo amongst the larger Greaters.
Satisfied in confirming its presence for our visitors who arrived last night, I headed to Manchester Club to check what could be seen from the spur. Saturday afternoon is not the best time for this location, as it is used as a launch site for small fishing boats. There were big flocks of Gulls, Terns, Curlews and Greenshank that would roost here overnight.
White Wagtails were preening on the berm after a wash in the outfall
After a productive hour out, it was time to head home when I spotted this large flock of Crab Plovers on the Kuwait City side of the spur
01/18/10
Week 02 - 09 January 2010, Pivot Fields, SAANR and Jahra Pools Reserve
After a relaxing vacation in Thailand interspersed with adventurous excursions and some good forest birding we are back in Kuwait. We continue to experience mild winter weather and look forward to good birding in 2010, following above average winter rainfall. Brian and I were out on the weekend, checking a few locations ahead of visits by a UK and French Group later in the month. Images by Mike Pope
Almost a regular circuit now for a mornings birding, we started at Pivot Fields. At the crocodile pond we had 2 Pied Kingfishers and a smattering of Black Crowned Night Herons, including a juvenile.
One of the 4 crocs was thawing out in the morning sun - this is the scary side of a crocodile!
A smallish acciptor put up all the Collared Doves as it came in low over a field and landed. We suspect it to be a first year male Sparrowhawk
This Long legged Buzzard also catching the first rays of the morning sun
We were quite surprised to find two Steppe Buzzards in what is pretty much mid-winter
Namaqua Doves are most abundant at Pivot Fields
The large flocks of Northern Lapwing are scattered around the Pivot Fields, however no sight of the Golden Plover
A male Pallid Harrier in place of the Hen Harrier which is still present
On the way out a good Isabelline (Daurian) Shrike hunting from the overhead irrigation structures
After 2-hours we headed to SAANR and straight to the wadi where we were thrilled to find the Hume's Wheatear; almost a month after first being seen. Good news for our visitors!
There is still a bit of ground water around SAANR and birds are dispersed, so we headed to Jahra Pool Reserve where water levels have been maintained and this bodes well for coming spring and summer. Purple Gallinules are still present and I'm sure will breed this year, so we will monitor closely.
Jahra Pools has been fantastic for ducks, today however only Gadwalls were present
Little Grebes bred at Jahra Pools in December, when they should in fact be in winter plumage. We dont know if they took advantage of the mild winter? By comparison, the Black necked Grebes at the same site have remained in winter plumage. We are also doing some research to see if there is any similarity to the Iraq and SW Iran endemic subspecies of Little Grebe or Red throated Dabchick (Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis)
01/17/10
31 December 2009
I thought that it would be useful to share the rarities recorded and accepted by KORC (Kuwait Ornithological Records Committee) for the year 2009, before we head into what may be another exciting birding year in Kuwait. We believe this will be the case, following the above average winter rains and temperatures recorded over the winter.
1st Records (7 species) - Asian Koel, Mongolian Finch, Sombre Tit, African Darter, Dusky Warbler, Indian Pond Heron, White tailed Eagle
2nd Records (5 species) - Pallid Scops Owl, Grey necked Bunting, Red footed Falcon, Rustic Bunting, Greater White fronted Goose
4th records (3 species) - Grey Phalarope, Arctic Tern, Common Crane
5th records (2 species) - Stock Dove, Sociable Lapwing
6th records (3 species) - European Golden Plover, Ferruginous Duck, Stock Dove
7th records (3 species) - Crested Honey Buzzard, Rufous Turtle Dove, Ferruginous Duck
8th records (1 species) - Hume’s Wheatear
9th records (3 species) - Black Stork, Spur winged Lapwing, Dead Sea Sparrow
10th records (2 species) - Black Tern, Dead Sea Sparrow
12/22/09
Week 51 - 19 December 2009, Pivot Fields, SAANR and Jahra Pools Reserve
We had a long weekend so Brian Foster and I managed a morning out to a few key sites. This was my last outing for this year and we were greeted with mild weather and clear skies. Kuwait has experienced some good rain by desert standards in the last few weeks and this bodes well for a colourful spring in the desert, with Iris's already starting to sprout. Images by Mike Pope
Our first stop was Pivot Fields which started off relatively quiet, although we did get onto a Buff bellied Pipit in fresh autum plumage that didnt stay long enough for a picture. This was followed by a Clamorous Reed Warbler
Birding picked up more as the temperatures rose and we found the large flock of Northern Lapwing, this one taking advantage of the surface water from the recent rains
At the depression we had a flock of around 67 Cattle Egrets, we sat for sometime watching this Cattle Egret going through what seemed like a set ritual for softening, washing and finally eating a Green Toad. Here it is using its beak to break bones and I assume get all the skin secretions out of the frog skin
It then rinsed and washed the Toad; this was performed many times whilst we watched the breakfast being prepared. It was interesting that the other Egrets did not interfere or try and steal this meal, unlike the piracy Gulls or Kites display
Finally the Toad was actually ready to be devoured, but this wasnt as easy as it seemed
Once down the hatch, it had to use a peristolsis type contraction to get the Toad down the gullet into the stomach - Im sure after this a siesta was needed!
After watching the Egret we found a flock of 18 Wood Pigeons on the pivot irrigation
A male Hen Harrier had been around for a week or so and we were fortunate enough to relocate it. In typical Harrier style, it flew low of the fields scattering all that was below it - I was lucky to catch a quick and unsuccessful pursuit of a Lark or Pipit
We raced to Jahra Pools where White tailed Eagle had been reported earlier, but I missed again! So, we headed to SAANR to try and relocate Hume's Wheatear found by Brian and Pekka on the 12 December. A Mourning Wheatear at the bottom of the wadi gave some hope and strangely no Red tailed Wheatear, which are almost always seen in this particular wadi.
We persisted to the end of the wadi and were rewarded with the Hume's Wheatear (a lifer for me) in the same spot as it was first seen. With patience, we got some saturated views of this 8th record for Kuwait
We tried Tuhla, but VWC was having a photographic field workshop which was encouraging to see, but with all the activity birds were nowhere to be seen. We headed to the Bay just behind Jahra Pools and managed to see the two Great crested Grebes, a rare winter passage visitor first seen on 14 December. Whilst here we had a last stop at Jahra Pools and were rewarded with two Pochard, another rare winter visitor and a 2nd lifer for me - this just a record shot
Purple Gallinules have been present since water was restored to this site
Rick Saval was returning for the Pochard and Grebe, so I dropped Brian at the observation tower and spent what turned out to be a rewarding 15-minutes at a small pool in the reserve. Bluethroat was foraging for insects around the base of the reeds
A Water Rail was most obliging as it enjoyed the mid-day sun
Unexpectedly, a Citrine Wagtail dropped in to feed on the gnats around this quiet pool
As I was about to pack up, this great little Mountain Chiffchaff arrived after gleening its way through the reeds
I managed to get this image as it briefly sat on a reed in the sun, showing the distinctive buffy brown plumage. With that, it was time to head home. However, in typical birding fashion; I had just arrived home when Brian called me to say the Eagle had landed - Aaaahhh! I'm hoping that the White tailed Eagle will remain for the winter and give me my first lifer in 2010, when I return from our Xmas vacation in the East - happy New Year to you all!
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