06/13/10
Africa comes to Kuwait -
Categories: Week 24 - 10 June 2010, Green Island and Free Trade Zone
As summer rapidly approaches, schools are closing and traffic is now so much more bearable. This morning I had time for a very quick walk around Green Island on the way to work. You cant stay out too long, as temperature is already 40 degrees by 7am, by which time I was back in my car. Images by Mike Pope
The only reason for stopping at Green Island was to see if I could locate any juvenile Red-vented Bulbuls, as I had seen some juvenile White-eared Bulbuls. Those that I saw were all adults. I then heard a canary singing and imagine my surprise when I eventually located a Yellow-fronted Canary in one of the densely covered trees. This is a resident breeder in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert (S of 15 degrees North) and is more likely an escapee from the Friday market or someone's avairy
At our offices in the Free Trade Zone, the 'resident' Speckled Pigeon is still around and is another escapee from a private collection. It is also widely distributed S of 16 degrees North where they breed and roost on cliff ledges and more recently have taken to breeding in buildings
However, the biggest African surprise of all was the brilliantly coloured Superb Starling I had seen when I left work yesterday and found it again this morning feeding on the grass verge. This could also be an escapee from a collection, but there is an outside chance of a ship-assisted landing as the Port is in the Free Trade Zone. This is a species that occurs in north east Africa (south eastern Sudan, eastwards through Ethiopia to Somalia) and south to Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
