Birding Bahrain

It was my intention to concentrate on land birds today in both the gardens and fresh water margins. But having visited Adhari ditches,the chicken farm and a few green spots in between I ended up at Dumistan or Lawzi Lake with not many species recorded. The lake, our biggest body of brackish water and all that remains of an old long abandoned sandpit, was full of Terns; White-cheeked and Little, Reef Herons and Black-winged Stilts, a few Kentish Plovers, Little Egrets, a solitary Grey Heron and Little Grebes completed the picture. I was surprised as sat viewing the antics of the terns to see a pair of Slender-billed Gulls appear from the reed margins on the far side. Slender-billed are not that numerous in the summer unlike in winters when tens of thousands can be found. What was surprising about this pair were that one was obviously a juvenile whist the other an adult and the attentive behavior of the adult was suggestive of parent and offspring. Interesting to say the least as we do not have any accepted records for this species breeding here.

Dumistan Lawzi Lake

Slender-billed Gull the pair in question

the adult

the juvenile

Terns

White-cheeked Tern

Little Tern

Black-winged Stilt

From Adhari
breeding Collared Dove

Squacco Heron another species thought now to be breeding here

Kentish Plover chick

Moorhen

From the Chicken Farm
Rufous Bushchat