05/29/08
Kubbah Island -
Categories: Week 21, 24 May 2008 - Kubbah Island
It has been too long since my last posting, work taking precedence over migration.
Last weekend I was fortunate in being able to charter a boat to visit Kubbah Island. At this time of year a number of Tern species start their breeding cycle. Almost all were still on eggs, so Im thinking of a return journey once the eggs have hatched. Images by Mike Pope
Kubbah is a very small island but each Tern specie has its unique requirements for nesting areas, so their is little competition for habitat between species. As we approached the island, Bridled Terns used the boat to roost. Bridleds are the most prolific specie on the island
Perched on a salt bush
Two birds squabbling quite aggressively over a prospective nesting site
Single eggs are laid on the ground under a salt bush
Lesser crested Terns had their nesting colony in the middle of the island. As you approached the site, the birds got airborne and made it known we were getting too close
A Lesser crested Tern alighting on its single egg
We counted around 70 eggs in this single colony
White cheeked Terns roosted on the rocky section of the island and were also agitated if we got too close
This bird must have had a chick, but we could not locate it
Displaying on the rocks
White cheeked Terns also lay a single egg, which is very well camouflaged on the avaible habitat
A pair of Lesser Kestrels were roosting on the masts/antenna. This is the male circling over us
There were still some passerines on migration. A Marsh Warbler resting on a fence
Olivaceous Warbler gleening leaves on the small bushes. Garden Warblers were also present, but appeared very tired
Red backed Shrikes are still to be seen all over Kuwait, so not surprising to see a 1st year bird on Kubbah
We were thrilled to find a Socotra Cormorant hunting on the fringes of the island and one of our closest sightings to date
On the way back, we came down the coast from Mahboula and found our second Socotra Cormorant - althought it took flight as we approached. This is quite far north of Zour where they have traditionally been seen
Getting away with characteristic bent nect
Our third sighting was of two juvenile birds on a buoy near Al Kout
A quizzical look before departure
See ya.....
05/04/08
Finns Trip to Kuwait IV/08 -
Categories: Kuwait - 3rd to 13th of April
INTRODUCTION
The story begins
For full details please click HERE
Waiting for a flight
We’re driving in a morning traffic from Kirkkonummi to Helsinki-Vantaa airport when I received a call. The rest of our group, Janne Kilpimaa, Petri Kuhno, Tero Linjama and Tero Toivanen, were already at the airport and they had found out that our flight to Frankfurt had been cancelled! Finally we managed to get to the airport too and luckily we had got new flights so we’re now going to fly first to Stockholm, then to Istanbul and then finally to Kuwait city.
So we had a little bit longer time to wait for our first flight and we decided to go to eat to a restaurant. At 1 p.m. our plane left to Stockholm where we were an hour later. Surprisingly we had a lunch also in this flight and at 2.10 p.m. we had the next flight to Istanbul and we ate again…
The Turkish Airlines plane was extremely hot but finally at 6.35 p.m. we landed. The only birds we saw I the last light were Yellow-legged Gulls, Cormorants, Magpies and Hooded Crows.
At 9.45 p.m. took off our last flight to Kuwait city. Also this flight was sweaty but once again we had good dinner so at least we weren’t hungry.
For full details please click HERE
05/01/08
Week 18, 27 April 2008 - Jahra East Outfall
We have visiting group of French birders and with their experience have found and photographed a first for Kuwait, in the form of an Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum). Digi-scoped Images by Pierre Crochette
The bird was seen with a flock of Collared Pratincoles, which gave the oppurtunity to compare and verify the differences between the two species. Oriental was separated from Collared by: shorter tail, shorter bill with thicker base and less red to the base than Collared, noticealbly shorter legs and lack of white trailing edge in flight
