Birding Bahrain

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