01/31/10
Winter Bird Count -
Categories: 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 Cynomorium coccineum which he hadnt seen for many 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
