Birding Bahrain

Only managed a few hours at the chicken farm this last weekend lots of birds, mostly distant but enjoyed just the same

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Spotted Flycatcher

Some of the many seen
Isabelline Shrike

Glossy Ibis

The Harries that have been around a week now were seen from across the site two distant record shots - much cropped
Marsh Harrier

Pallid Harrier

the last day of the Eid Holiday - I spent most of my time crawling around the coastline of Busaiteen - lots of Wheatears and Waders Terns and Gulls plus the Hoopoe.

Not looking quite so elegant were the Grey Plovers

Slender-billed Gull

A selection of Wheatear pics - some just to aid ID

Pied Wheatear

The Most common Wheatears this week end were the Northern Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Back to the waders and continuing with Sand plovers
First see how they run
Greater Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover

Kentish Plover

Lesser Sand Plovers in flight and chasing each other note faded neck rings

Eid Mubarak one and all - Great to have a whole five day holiday so

Hard to know where to start - the weather so far has been at varying times calm hot humid and windy from the south -

Around Adhari
First an escape and quite nice masked intruder Red-billed Quelea

European Bee-eater

Masked Shrike

Cattle Egret

Red-vented Bulbul

Missed were a Kingfisher and Pied Wheatear...

Collared Dove

Moorhen

Palm Dove

Around the Hamalah experimental farm and waste area behind the chicken shed

Roller

Missed was a Golden Oriole

One problem with Hamalah is too many distant perches
Grey Shrike

Isabelline Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

plenty on the ground though and wires
Namaqua Doves

and hundreds of Short-toed Lark

Swallow

Easy to find

Isabelline Wheatear

Crested Lark

At the outfall pond behind the chicken plant - well covered by both AJDH and Brendan as well this week end -some of the better shots I took

Ruff

Black-winged Stilt

Shorelines have been pretty busy as Terns start to congregate and take on winter plumage. Wader numbers and variety begins to build as do Gull numbers although Slender-billed remain the most numerous. Wheatears and larks can also be found close to the shore

Short-toed Larks

Isabelline Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

on the shore

Dunlin

Greater Sand Plover

Terek Sandpiper

White-cheeked Terns

White-cheeked Little and Lesser Crested Terns

Lesser Crested Tern

Lesser Sand Plover

one looking more like a nutty professor

Migrants are coming though in small numbers but a good range of species. Below are a few recent photographs of what is around.

A discussion with Howard raised the notion that the Harrier below might be a Montagu's. The deciding factor for me is the light collar on the Pallid. I have added another shot of the same bird to show the collar. Definitely a Pallid in my book.

Yep I would agree on that Brendan - my books confirm that as well

The morning was quiet but the afternoon provided a few migrants. I (Brendan) was at Ali farm most of the day and got lucky with this shot of a Pallid Harrier drinking from a pool of water. 2 Pallid Harriers and 3 Collared Pratincoles were the highlight of the day.

Over the weekend I (Brendan) was erecting nets in Isa Farm (Hawarad Agricultural Farm)in preparation for Eid. We managed to catch whitethroat, Great reed warbler, Rufous bush robin and Barred warbler. The highlight of the weekend however was a quick view of a Golden Oriole coming to drink. I happened to have camera at hand.

managed to check out bits of shore line around Maharraq and the gardens at Buri and Hamalah but the best birds seen have to be the Golden Orioles which I missed but Brendan did manage a photo in Sh Zayed Town MOA site where he was ringing. Plus fitted in a trip down to Zallaq

My trip south to Zallaq Beach gave me the best photograph of the day this Hoopoe

Two Southern Grey Shrikes

A Tree Pipit

Buri Gardens, the Chicken Farm and Hamalah Farm produced a mixed bag

A flock of Short-toed Larks

A bag full of Yellow Wagtails

Grey Francolins

Rufous Bushchat

Isabelline Shrike

Isabelline Wheatear

Temminck's Stint

A Glossy Ibis

Turnstone Marsh Sandpiper Green Shank & Ruff

Wood Sandpiper

Ruff

Crested Lark

A spotted Flycatcher

From the shore at Maharraq

A playful Isabelline Wheatear

Little Stint

Greater Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover

Grey Plover

Mixed Plovers

Greater Sand Plover with a Kentish

Lesser Sand Plover with a Kentish

MORE DISTANT RECORD SHOTS

Lesser Crested Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Oyster Catcher

Curlew

Caspian Tern

Had withdrawal symptoms in the UK - Wales was so WET AND WINDY now settling back into the heat humidity and haze of Bahrain ---
Spent the afternoon yesterday after work prowling Maharraq shore - lots of waders and terns present sadly on the sunny side making them no good to Photograph but on the reclamation at Busaiteen a few migrants were found the easiest to get to grips with were these
Black-eared Wheatear (melanoleuca) a dark throated individual

Hoopoe