Birding Bahrain

Things are happening fast with more great birds some arriving much earlier than usual. In the last week we have seen Golden Oriels, Collared Pratincoles, Great and Clamorous Reed Warblers, Yellow Wagtails, Black-headed and Ortolan Buntings. A few small warblers were noted but not identified, no shrikes this week but Isabelline Wheatears continue to show. Swallows and Sand Martins continue to pass but no Red-rumped or House Martins this week to report. Cattle Egrets and Purple Heron numbers are up again, the Egrets no doubt will winter.

Larks however seem short in supply other than our resident Crested no other species has been noted out on the grass.

On the shore little change in species arriving just more of the same from the weeks before.

Wait - can't you see I'm going as fast as I can

Helmeted Guinea Fowl Numida meleagris

The migration is in full swing now - the Swallows on the wires have now been joined by European Bee-eaters, Sand Martins, and the odd Red-rumped Swallow which are putting in a very early appearance. Noted recently earlier than normal were a Masked Shrike and a couple of Pale Rock sparrows with even some Great Reed Warblers joining the Clamorous that have been around for the last week. Otherwise the gardens are still quiet but Purple Herons, Hoopoe, Egyptian Nightjar Golden Oriel and Isaballine Wheatear are beginning to be seen regularly. The shorelines on the other hand are filling with waders Terns and Gulls as expected at this time of the year - most numerous at the moment are the Curlew Sandpipers and the Lesser Sand Plovers.

Yesterday the weather turned foul yet again - strong winds and dust reduced visibility but trapped the heat so we decided not to go ringing at Badaan but check various sites for migrants. Brendan headed off to the south, Abdulla went east to the shore and I went north to Maharraq -

I was the lucky one as I found a Crab Plover at Busaiteen the first here for several years - a quick call to Brendan and Abdulla brought them running Brendan made it to get a "Lifer" after around 40 mins Abdulla sadly had to divert.

Waders are now arriving in large numbers Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew, Bar-tailed, Godwit, Redshank, Lesser and Greater Sandplover, so with large numbers of Terns and small gulls shorelines are filling rapidly

Back from a short break Brendan Abdulla and myself spent time last Friday and this afternoon ringing birds at Badaan Farm - some of the more interesting species seen were, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Egyptian Nightjar, Clamorous Reed Warbler and Collared Praticoles. Heard but not seen were Bee-eaters