06/14/10
Little Brown Jobs -
Categories: Week 24 - 12 June 2010, Pivot Fields and SAANR
This was Brian Fosters last weekend before he migrates north for the summer, so we headed out early to explore Pivot Fields and SAANR. Images by Mike Pope
Heading out at 6:30, the sun has already been up for almost 2-hours and it is almost 38 degrees, so birding is a little more restricted when it is so hot. Also, the heat waves and position of the sun are not conductive to good photographs at this time of year. Nevertheless, it is still good to be out birding. We searched for the Pratincole that Brian had seen last week, without success. We did find 2 Isabelline Wheatears though
At the more arid side of the Pivot Fields we found many 1st year/female Black-crowned Finch Larks and just a single male
I didnt have too much time today, so after an hour we headed to SAANR and straight to Tuhla where we spent sime time watching a Little Egret hunting and catching the abundant small fish in this pond
A single Lesser Short-toed Lark was seen sheltering in the shade with a flock of Crested Larks
We then headed to the pan in the wadi where at this time of year, evaporation is a big challenge. Most of the birds at the pan were larks of all ages and plumage variations, so it was tough sorting some of them out. We had 3 Bar-tailed Larks foraging near the car
Crested Larks is the most abundant species in the Reserve, this one managing to find some protein for sustenance
We counted 5 Hoopoe Larks, all juveniles - this one cooling off in a scrape next to the water
In amongst all the Larks, we found Short-toed Lark, this one also cooling off in a scrape next to the water
I am still amazed every time I see the tiny Kentish Plover chicks surviving in this incredible heat, trying to regulate their own body temperatures when the ambient temperature is almost 50 boggles the mind. This pair had produced two chicks out in the middle of the desert
