Birding Bahrain

I spent this morning checking the ditches around Adhari again before moving out to the reclaimed land at the top end of Tubli Bay

Adhari was good but I missed the Kingfishers yet again but at least I did get my camera leveled onto one bird.

But best of the day were the Little Bitterns I found two pairs here are images of one from each.

Little Bittern -
Female

male

Western Reef Heron - having a bad hair day

Squacco Heron

Purple Heron - still around

Grey Heron and Little Egret

Moorhen

Flamingo

Great Black-headed Gull - 5 seen at the sewage outfall

At the tidal roost area on the reclaimed land
Pacific Golden Plover - one of 25 plus

Broad-billed Sandpiper - a good number were mixed in with the other waders

Waders - Turnstone, Broad-billed and Curlew Sandpiper, Lesser Sand Plover and Dunlin

a Ringed Plover with Dunlin and Stints

Dunlin and Curlew Sandpipers

Dunlin

A Greater Sand Plover strolls past the flocks of roosting waders

Lesser Sand Plover with a single Broad-billed Sandpiper

Oyster Catcher - 14 seen

I spent a lot of time last Saturday 23rd January -waiting out a new species Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio I had spotted in the effluent outfall behind Delmen Poultry. Having watched the bird for a few good mins by the time I decided to photograph it, it had disappeared. Despite long stake outs I still have not got a picture of this elusive bird. AJ told me he thought he saw it the week before but didn't bother with it!! but it remains my observation tough luck boyo..

I spent some considerable time yesterday Friday 29th hoping to see it again but no luck as yet. But did take a few photos around the lovely smelly pool.

Common Sandpiper

Desert Wheatear

Marsh Harrier - still around

Spent some time at Buri where AJ found these Bank Mynah's - a recent escape I would think

the rest of the time was spent chasing shadows with only a few photos of our regulars
Crested Lark

Graceful Warbler

House Sparrow

a numerous wintering species
A ringed male Stonechat - probably one of Brendan's from last year --

Pied Wheatear - first of the seaason

Skylark

Now in bloom - Desert Hyacinth

Had a long day out - started by checking the shores of Maharraq and Hidd before moving on to Tubli Bay then the Diplomatic Wadi the desert areas around the Jebel Dakhan before moving on the Hamalah to finish at Jasrah. Saw a lot more that I could photograph but still relatively quiet. The 5 Spoonbills are still around in Tubli bay and at the Chicken Farm several large Reed Warblers are still present.

Lots of Wheatears around and numbers increasing from those that wintered
Mourning Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Desert Wheatear

Red-tailed Wheatear

Around Hamalah
Corn Bunting

Isabelline Shrike

Sky Lark

Water Pipit

White Wagtail

Wood Sandpiper

Marsh Harrier - our distinctive wintering Harrier and still around

Some from the shore in the early morning light
Bar-tailed Godwits

Ugly Greater Cormorants not as pretty as our resident Socotra

Greater Sandplover

Lesser Sandplover

A rock Dove from the Jebel

From my kitchen window just before I left a cold and frosty Wales

Got back late last night after a harrowing journey spread over two days - was woken this morning by a call from Bahrain Resident Daniel Zanotti about a Kestrel stuck in a tree at Adhari - one that had been entangled in a trappers lair and then complete with tap had become entangled in a tree. With the help of a young Bahraini Ahmed Al Manari and his Indian Gardener we managed to free the bird and release it successfully uninjured back to the wild.

After this managed a quick scan of the area which revealed one Pied Kingfisher on the adjacent motorway lights - a surprise since according to Daniel the bird had also been present before Christmas. With the tree gone from the ditch it stayed too far away to get any decent shots. I could only find one of the European Kingfishers also seen before Christmas. A few calling Warblers, plus a few Bluethroats and a single thrush were seen as well as the usual waders and Egrets in the ditches. Find of the day was however this Purple Heron

Common Snipe

The Kestrel - photos by Daniel Zanotti

Nodolig Llawen - Happy Christmas and prosperous yet peaceful New Year

Back in early January

Visited quite a few places since returning from Hawar - not a lot of species were noted and even less photographed, but still I enjoyed the time off.

In the early morning light a shrike considers where to find breakfast

Early morning is also a good time to catch Skylarks having a sand bath

with quite a variety of ssp Stonechats are increasing in numbers

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater a few still passing - they probably don't go as far as European Bee-eaters

White Wagtail are everywhere you look

Cattle Egret - now a common species

Indian Silver-bills

Isabelline Shrike beginning to mature

Red-throated Pipit

Isabelline Wheatear

Desert Wheatear

Desert Warbler its yellow eye and rufous tail should ensure it is not confused with the common Graceful below

Graceful Warbler

Around the ditches and wet patches
Green Sandpiper

Green and Wood Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Redshank

little Egret

A mixed flock of sparrows and silver bills take flight followed by the next character

Sparrow Hawk - going flat out coming down the track he missed them all and sailed on by mores the pity cause by then I was ready for a decent photo

Red Bishops found near Adhari fast becoming an escape haven

No outing would be complete without checking the shore but with the tide way out I could only get a few closeup shots.

Grey Plover

Lesser Crested Tern

Saunder's Tern

Slender-billed Gulls

Western Reef Heron

Turnstone

Ringed Plover

Curlew

Lesser Sand Plover