01/18/10
A good start to 2010 -
Categories: 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)
