Bahrain Obs

Only had a few hours this morning to spare so I went over to Asry Lagoon set between the Shipyards and Pelletisation works. The tide was out unfortunately however I did encounter a Desert Wheatear along with its usual friend a Desert Warbler. All other species of Wheatear seem to chase the warbler off however these two seem to have a symbiotic relationship find one normally you can find the other.

Desert Warbler

Hopping along

Desert Wheatear

A frustrating afternoon and early evening was spent trying to net and ring some new species at Badaan Farm for our project but at every turn we seemed doomed by our own endeavours. We did see some good birds though including Marsh Harrier, Sparrow Hawk, Short Eared Owl and Egyptian Nightjars.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Stonechat

Sparrow Hawk

November is not always the most productive time to bird here with so many migrants having already passed but today Badaan Farm exceeded expectations. Besides a few Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, the continued presence of the Purple Heron, both Rosy Coloured and ordinary Starling, a Pallid Harrier that kept making long hunting forays across the fields added some real spice to an otherwise ordinary day.

Starling

Rosy coloured Starling

Great Grey Shrike

These Cattle Egret took to the trees when the Pallid Harrier turned up

Pallid Harrier

Common Sandpiper

Grey Fancolin

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Isabelline Wheatear

Redshank

Ruff

Stonechat

Male Stonechat

Tawny Pipit

White-cheeked Bulbul

White Wagtail

I finished visiting most of the sites around Maharraq this morning even though development and reclamation continues at every point along the shore so many new lagoons and mudflats have been created that the number of waders terns and gulls has not diminished. The problem is now one of gaining access across the soft sand in the newly reclaimed areas. For the best light most sites are best visited in the morning and on an incoming tide.

Flocks of terns are everywhere - here largely Lesser Crested and Little Terns.

enlargement of section from photo above

as are mixed flocks of Back-headed and Slender-billed Gulls, these right along side one of the new roads. Great as long as you don't stop when they have a tendancy to up up and away.

Waders are numerous but often when the tide is out distant, as was the case this morning.

Marsh Sandpiper, the only one seen and always towards the sun

Ringed Plover a common species

Oyster Catcher

Very little of the old coastline still exists but near Dair I was able to find a few other species
Skylark
Water Pipit

Namaqua Doves

Black-winged Stilts

on old regular seen everywhere in Bahrain the Crested Lark

Today I took a visiting birder Betty Power around some of Bahrains better sites, I think the hightlight was the 17 Hypocolius we saw at the Saar roost late this afternoon. Here are a few of the photos I took at Badaan farm this morning.

Mynah - did anybody bring a bucket and spade

Cattle Egret - in a bit of a quandary

White(Pied)Wagtail

Starling

Female Stonechat

On my way to visit the BDF wadi near Hamad Town to check for Hypocolius (see Hypocolius page for report on that visit) - I drove the long way around via Tubli bay to check the birds out there.

Redshank

Black-headed Gull

Curlew

Flamingo

Grey Heron

Grey Plover

Gull-billed Tern

A mixed bag -

Snipe

Stint and Dunlin

Western Reef Heron - dark morph

This afternoon I was able to get a couple of hours of birding in but as it gets dark at 5pm these days I could not go far so I spent the time looking around the reclamation areas of Busaiteen a short drive from my house. Several pairs of Caspian Terns were scattered at regular intervals along the shore - they breed from October through to February in Bahrain - on the coast in any quiet corner, normally just above the tide line.

The seawall proved a good place to find Wheatears over twenty of three species were observed.
Desert Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

In the failing light I was able to grab a few pictures of the species encountered along the shore
Slender-billed Gull

Lesser Sand Plover

Turnstone, Plovers and Little Stint, then Lesser Crested Terns with Godwits and Curlew

Dunlin

Finally I finished at the mud flats at the northern end of the runway at sunset - if visiting BEWARE there are stupid Military personel in the area who don't understand that people might be interested in something other than them.

Driving back across the reclaimed areas I found some of our Yellow Legged Gulls - Cachinnans