09/28/09
Autumn Migration -
Categories: Week 38 - 19 September 2009, Pivot Fields, Jahra Pools Reserve and Jahra Farm
I was able to get out for a full morning's birding in bearable temperatures and visited 3 locations. Images by Mike Pope
An hour at Pivot Fields was surprisingly unproductive, although there were a large number of Black Kites seen. I caught this juvenile departing off the irrigation system where it roosted for the night.
I got to Jahra Pools by 8:15 and spent a quality 3-hours at this site. This picture gives a good idea of the habitat and water coverage. As predicted last week, this site did turn up a mega the very next day in the form of 2 African Darters, a 1st for Kuwait - sadly they were one day birds and have not been seen since.
There is an air of tranquility at this site and again there were good numbers and many species to be seen. First up was a family of Little Grebe, a bird I havent seen in a long time here in Kuwait
I sat quietly on the bank with my camera on a monopod and waited for birds to come to me. We have been told that Basra Reed Warblers also bred at this site in the summer which is encouraging and exciting and I managed to see 2 birds. This one was plucking insects off the water surface without letting go of its perch
and what appears to be a moulting adult Basra Reed
There were about 20+ Little Crakes around the pans, in the corner where I was sitting I photographed an adult
This juvenile plucking food from the water surface
and some territorial interaction between 2 Little Crakes
A Water Rail put in a brief appearance as it scurried between cover
Killian Mullarney kindly corrected the ID to Sedge Warbler and provided ID tips to more easily separate Sedge from Moustached. "A Sedge typically does have spots on the breast in juvenile plumage. The feature that will always clinch the ID of Sedge Warbler, when it is visible, is the length of the primary projection. This photo allows quite precise comparison of the primary projection (pp) with the total length of the tertials: clearly, the pp is more than half of the tertial length. In Moustached the pp is always short, usually no more than about a third of the tertial length, often even less".
There are still many Yellow Wagtails around, this one also feeding on surface water insects
A patrolling Marsh Harrier put up or sent birds scurrying for cover everytime it came over - it was eventually successful and then peace returned to the pan
A drive around the fringes of the pan produced feeding White winged Tern (same as previous week)
Still many Dunlin around
As well as Wood Sandpipers
2 Avocets dropped in which were not seen the previous week
There were quite a few loose flocks of Garganey
I found an adult and juvenile White tail Lapwing, but not very cooperative to be photographed
Next stop was Jahra Farm where I met up with Nicola Hulet and her husband, although pretty hot by this stage still some passerines to be seen. A few Garden Warblers were seen along one of the canals
A Lesser Whitethroat feeding on plump ripe dates
The numbers of Common Whitethroat have diminished
The 2 Orioles were very elusive, as they usually are - this just a record shot
09/23/09
Week 37 - 12 September 2009, Jahra Pools Reserve
Earlier in the week I had found out from Brian and Pekka that Jahra Pools Reserve, previously the jewel of the Kuwait sites, had water restored in mid June and was again a haven for water and reed birds. In this condition, there are good chances of discovering a rarity over the coming months and through winter. Images by Mike Pope
I managed a quick visit with my son and was thrilled with what we found. It is a fenced site with permission needed to enter and as a result is free from shooters. The water level had receeded a little, but birds were everywhere - it was fantastic and we all hope that it will remain this way. First birds seen were Black tailed Godwits
Numerous adult and juvenile Black winged Stilts
White winged Terns were feeding up and down the main water channel
Moorhens of all sizes made up the bulk of the birds feeding around the pans
In the reedbed I found a skulking Squacco Heron
Waders in various stages of eclipse plumage were well represented and were seen feeding along the edges of the pans and in shallow water. We found Curlew Sandpiper
Dunlin
Little Ringed Plover
Little Stint
Marsh Sandpiper
and Wood Sandpiper
09/08/09
Week 36 - 05 September 2009, Khiran Pearl City
Anand and I conducted an early September bird census at Khiran this morning. Images by Mike Pope
I left home at 5am and drove south down "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz Road" more commonly known as the 40. I saw the full moon set in the west which means we are mid-way into Ramadan
Followed shortly by the rising sun in the east
On the way to the site office, I stopped at the pond fed by the rising ground water and found a 1cy Red back Shrike
This time the boat was moored in Phase A2 and our first bird seen was a feeding Osprey on the abundance of fish in the system.
As the Osprey departed it put up a roosting flock of 260+ Caspian Gulls which scattered in all directions
We went north up the coast to the sandbank at Zour and found 2 Socotra Cormorants and many Lesser crested Terns
It was time to check out the last buoy outside the harbour entrance to Khiran and to our delight found 13 roosting Socotra Cormorants which gave us a total of 15 for the morning, exceeding the count from August. Excuse my indulgence in the next few images, but it is a good bird to see and photograph in Kuwait
Landing gear down, flaps up
Up close and personal for a quizzical and curious look
We only saw two White cheeked Terns (adult and juvenile) with the adult appearing to be showing the juvenile how to catch fish
On island #4 we found a few migrating passerines and shrikes, a Lesser Grey passing by
A few Common Whitethroats
and a lone female Stonechat (maura)
On the way home, a quick stop at the pond produced 9 Short toed Larks, cryptic against the background at the waters edge
09/07/09
Week 35 - 29 August 2009, Khiran Pearl City
In the afternoon I met up with Anand and Dr David Jones and accompanied them whilst they conducted some inter tidal sampling around the islands in Phase 1. Images by Mike Pope
Single Eurasian Curlews have been seen on each visit, this one seen flying over island #4
Followed by a Hoopoe
A single female Stonechat was seen feeding on insects attracted to the vegetation on the island
It was low tide and I watched interesting behaviour with some first winter Greater Sand Plovers. It almost appeared as if this was territorial behavior or defence of an area with abundant food. The first image shows one bird flying in and the other standing its ground
The defence or threatening behaviour from the bird on the flat
Chasing the intruder away
The victory pout
I found this Eurycarcinus orientalis crab on the exposed low tide mud flat
On the island there are large numbers of Macropthalmus depressus crabs, we observed this male standing on its back legs waving its blue claws in the air to attract a female
and would you believe it, succeeding - if only life was that simple
Week 35 - 29 August 2009, Pivot Fields
I had a few hours spare in the morning, so tried Pivot Fields - again hot weather but coupled with humidity which Kuwait experiences every August. Images by Mike Pope
Almost all the birding action was at the fenced crocodile pond, with close scrutiny I found this Black crowned Night Heron roosting in the reeds
Barn Owls are very rare in Kuwait, sadly this one was shot by someone who did not know that fact
3 Black tailed Godwits were feeding on the banks of the pond
There were also 3 Garganey sitting quite unobtrusively in the middle of the pond, but were quite skittish. I caught these 2 against the light as they took off
The individual with the grey upper wings, must be a first winter male Garganey
Flying around the pond, I captured this one in decent light
Before I left the pond, I captured 6 species in one image - Black tail Godwit, Garganey, Black wing Stilt, Moorhen, Ruff and Temminck's Stint
Leaving the croc pond a juvenile Masked Shrike landed in the reeds and departed as quickly
On the telephone wire adjacent to the pond, I found juvenile Roller
Sitting next to a House Martin
A magnificent male Montagu Harrier came cruising over the fields scattering the birds feeding on the ground
On the way out, a male Red back Shrike
Week 34 - 22 August 2009, SAANR, Jahra Farms and JEO
Although still pretty hot with some wind, it is the time to start monitoring the autumn passage of migrants. Images by Mike Pope
I was able to arrange access to SAANR and was at the gate by 6am. Sometimes early is not good as often birds only start moving later in the morning when it heats up. I checked the wadi's for wheatears, no luck but quite liked this desert scene
From the wadi I moved on to Tuhla. This morning there was a lone and out of place Moorhen feeding around the fringes
Plus a skulking juvenile Baillon's Crake that with patience fed out in the open
Hoopoes are now seen all over Kuwait and always impress when they flare their crests
First winter Yellow Wagtails have started to arrive in small numbers
A Barred Warbler gleening through the acacia tree
On the way out I inadvertently flushed a Bar tail Lark that was resting in a little bit of shade from a concrete block. As it ran away from me, you realise just how crytpic they are against the stony desert
Next stop was Jahra Farms where I found a large mixed gathering of adult and juvenile Bank Mynas - another successful breeding season for this species
A juvenile Bank Myna coming to quench its thirst on a sweltering morning
At the holding pond a few warblers came in to drink, the first was Olivaceous
Followed by an a 1cy Great Reed Warbler - note the immaculately fresh remiges and warm tones to whole plumage and the very dark eye
Then a 2cy+ Great Reed Warbler. Note the typical moult - replaced head, nape and mantle, while rest of plumage including remiges very worn and bleached and the eye which is paler than 1cy bird
Last stop was JEO at midday where I found a small group of Turnstones
I managed to see the first winter Caspian Plover which has been at JEO for sometime
