March is that time of the year when the number of waders on the shore numerically starts to peak while in the gardens and desert areas its time to spend quality time looking out for the chance of a real rarity - luckily this month certainly lived up to expectations on both counts.
But to start with a reality check -
Early in the month young Ali better know on twitter as shaggy @sahggy1991 contacted me to inform me that a real rarity - a Black-winged Kite had turned up for sale in a village pet shop - together we contrived the means to acquire the bird and when done to pass it on to our friends at Tails Veterinary surgery to be chipped and checked out for subsequent re-release back to the wild. A wild single Black-winged kite had been observed across northern Bahrain from mid January through February our second or third record was this the same bird well that was hard to tell from the data presented but it certainly was a youngster and in beautiful condition. It appeared fortunately not to have been in captivity very long. For me this was a first - What a beauty - was love at first sight - I was amazed at just how small and elegant the species is and although friendly it made it known, it wanted out. Thus after its medical and a few days in isolation, well fed to ensure a successful transition back to the wild the bird was successfully released one evening in an extensive area of gardens along the west coast. Should it ever be recaptured being chipped will enable us to prove without doubt that it is indeed a wild bird and undertake a successful prosecution in the courts here.
The Kite apart - the month also turned up another real rarity a male Finsch's Wheatear in Buri
Finsch's Wheatear
Fortunately during the period I also saw several Black-eared Wheatear always useful for making comparisons between the two species for identification but also was interesting in feeding behavior observed
Black-eared Wheatear
As epected on a large scale Pied Wheatear always dominate the early return of wheatear by numbers alone they seem to turn up everywhere - all ages both male and female
Pied Wheatear
Northern Wheatear never fail to impress at this time either as the first birds through are generally bigger and more colorful than later ones
Northern Wheatear
Desert Wheatear just one of many still around
Isabelline Wheatear still numerous
Another scarcity was the Mistle Thrush seen at Buri in the same general location as the Finsch's Wheatear but it was never as obliging
Mistle Thrush
A big surprise however was the White-tailed Plover that turned up at Hamalah over grass
White-tailed Plover
Woodchat Shrike good numbers this year
Cinereous Bunting two birds seen keeping company with the more frequently seen Ortolan Bunting
Meadow Pipit
Collared Dove one of the many
Barn Owl a pair at their nest site at the Bahrain Fort
Bluethroat
Bee-eater large passage mostly late evening with few seen down on the deck for good photography
Chiffchaff
Lesser Whitethroat
Redstart
Leucistic Sparrow
Marsh Harrier
Desert Warbler a common wintering species
Glossy Ibis - 4 of the 12 wintering around Askar Marsh area
Now a resident breeder in my garden in Manama - one of my pair of Graceful Prinia
Grey Francolin now also regular in my garden
Great Grey Shrike
Hoopoe a now well established breeding species
Isabelline Shrike
Yellow Wagtail Fledegg
White Wagtail one of the thousands wintering
Crested Lark - remarkably resilient a locally breeding species of town and country
Water Pipit just one of the many
Tawny Pipit always a regular across agricultural areas and all desert fringes
Isabelline Shrike - Durian
Striated Heron at the northern Tubli outfall must now be regarded as a scarce but resident breeder
Wood Sandpiper - wintering numbers this year have been better than in previous winters
Green Sandpiper good numbers wintering too
Common Sandpiper a regular often in considerable numbers
Marsh Sandpiper one of several wintering at Askar
Little Ringed Plover just the one at Askar
Pin-tailed Snipe at last one out in the open
Snipe
Cattle Egret coming into breeding plumage
Black Headed Gulls at Hafeera quarry site around the watering hole just one frame of a few of the tens of thousands at the location daily
Red-wattled Plover at Hafeera pool a potential breeding site
Kentish Plover chick
Kentish Plover - Dad provides shade and sanctuary
Dad
Mum
Rock Thrush
Rufous Bushchat
Just a hungry House Sparrow
Ruff
Curlew
Purple Gallinule A breeding resident at Askar
Redshank at Askar
Greenshank at Askar
Grey heron at Askar
Namaqua Dove at Hafeera having moved south to breed
around Muharraq shore
Ringed Plover
Bart-tailed Godwit
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Mixed small waders
Curlew Sandpiper
Dunlin
Flamingo
Greater Sand Plover
Lesser Sand Plover
Little Stint
Little Tern
Sanderling in among the Sand Plover
Terek Sandpiper
Turnstone
Waders
Grey Plover
An injury to my back kept me housebound for much of the month but it did not stop me recording the wanton Destruction of the prime breeding habit for 30 species of bird at Adhari. The importance of Adhari cannot be over emphasized. 30 breeding species is representative of nearly half the total species breeding in Bahrain, furthermore ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE 159 of the 330 species occurring in Bahrain have been recorded at the site. It is with out doubt the most important single site ornithologicaly speaking in the country in terms of the diversity of species recorded.
There is not an animal on earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you...
Qur'an 6:38
Little Bittern in breeding plumage at Adhari before it was turned into a residential wildlife disaster zone - Sadly this Bittern is but one of the many breeding species previously resident at Adhari that will now have to look for a new home with the sites total destruction and the wholesale removal of all suitable breeding habit at a time coinciding precisely with the start of their breeding cycle - Thank you Municipality and your contractors for such wanton destruction - your ignorance of good management techniques of natural habitats and wildlife in Bahrain just beggars belief -
Adhari ditch before clearance
Answer me this who ever is responsible "How Does this type of wholesale clearance of a prime wildlife wetland habitat at the start of the breeding cycle for the wildlife dependent on it, fit into Bahrain's declarations on SDG's" Justify your actions - your methodology - your reasoning not just to me but to the people of Bahrain.
Adhari ditch during clearance
A ditch being cleared - a clear case of, from a mismanaged but green oasis into a sludgy hell for one pair of Night Herons, 2 pairs Moorhen, 2 pairs Squacco Heron, I pair little Bittern - All have lost nest sites just in this small section alone not to mention the White-cheeked Bulbuls, Clamorous Reed Warblers and Prinia and other marine species like terrapin displaced.
This is in my opinion, an Environmental Disaster of unprecedented proportions - Who ever sanctioned this work should be held ACCOUNTABLE along with all other agencies involved in wildlife protection and natural resources here in Bahrain - this whole episode is a National disgrace, you should be ashamed that such mismanagement is tolerated, worse still is officially sanctioned. To me this is environmental destruction by the back door, by the very people we are told daily in the local press, that CARE. After the next edition of the Bahrain Animal Production Show (Mara'ee) that will be held from March 27 to 31, what will we read in the local press? Nothing no doubt but praise, sung loudly, for these same mismanaging so-called environmental champions. Will any question marks be raised at the event or in the press reports after as to those champions success rate in the mismanagement of such a vital national resource. Will any red flags be waved to ensure that what passes for habitat protection or maintenance at Adhari doesn't happen again elsewhere. I think not. I expect that much of that which will be reported after the Mara'ee event on environmental issues and its protection would be more worthy of featuring, in fact headlining at events such as Bahrain's Comic Con 2018. The reality is far more shocking however than I have stated unfortunately, this wanton destruction of a prime and unique wetlands site is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the mismanagement of natural resources here in Bahrain. As far as I am concerned - A line has now been crossed so if my ranting have offended someone in authority GOOD - maybe we can now get some real action on these important issues - there are simply no more magic carpets left to brush the grains of truth under.
Now breeding record at Adhari Asian digger
But back to the Birds elsewhere - NONE of which where photographed at any of Bahrain so called declared wildlife reserves all where recorded that is found in unprotected Habitat including Adhari before its destruction
Think about that for a second
Askar White-tailed Plover
Bluethroat at Adhari before destruction
Spotted Crake at Adhari before destruction
Common Sandpiper at Adhari before destruction
Squacco Heron at Adhari before destruction
Shoveller at Adhari before destruction
Snipe at at Adhari before destruction
Pied Wheatear at Adhari before destruction
Bahrain Bay
Desert Wheatear Manama Sea front
Hamalah Farm
Hoopoe
Skylark
Isabelline Durian Shrike
on the Jebel
Blue Rock Thrush one of two seen
Namaqua Dove
at Hafeera
Chiffchaff
at Samaheej
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper
Slender-billed Gull
Greenshank
On returning from the UK my first port of call had to be the Hypocolius morning roost adjancent to Jasra Water Pumping Sation - it was pleasing to see so many - probably well over five hundred birds pass through the site between 06:30 and 08:00 THE PEAK BEING AROUND 07:00 - this will creep earlier as the time passes keeping pace with sunrise.
Hypocolius
Male
Female
Close to Hamalah farm in adjacent scrub thanks to birding friends I was finally able to get up close and personal with a Great Spotted Cuckoo
Not a lot seen at Adhari just too much disturbance at weekends but a visit did provide closeups of a Spotted Crake and Clamorous Reed Warbler
Spotted Crake
Clamorous Reed Warbler
and Bluethroat
At Hamlah Farm the problem was finding birds the site was relatively quiet and birds were often easily spooked
Richards Pipit is a species they I have been chasing for years I have seen dozens but could never get close enough for a decent phtograph well now I have and what a hind claw they have.
Meadow Pipit
Bluethroat female I believe
Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Wheatear
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This rather weird looking Dove was keeping company with the Collared
Collared Dove
Corn Bunting
Crested Lark
Curlew
Kestrel
Lapwing
Namaqua Dove
Pallid Harrier
Red-throated Pipit
Graceful Prinia
Skylark
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Tawny Pipit
Spanish Sparrow
Stonechats a mix of European and Siberian types
At the Jeble Dakhan
Desert Lark
the long staying White-crowned Black Wheatear
Desert Wheatear
After a late return from the UK the remainder of the month was really exceptional - not a lot of species around mind but what did turn up was exceptional, hence a rather long posting split into two parts
Snipe
Green Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Kingfisher
Glossy Ibis
Pooping on the wing
Little Grebe
Green Shank
Western Reef Heron now in breeding plumage
Squacco Heron
Purple Gullinule (SwampHen)
White Wagtail
Water Pipit
But the bird of month or rather the species of the month observered at Askar has to be the two Pied Kingfishers that turned up in the last week of the month however intitialy it was thought there was only one
Pied Kingfisher
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Manama Seafront at Bahrain Bay can provide some interesting opportunities for interesting shots of fishing or roosting birds
Caspian Tern
Slender-billed Gulls
Dunlin
Great Black-headed Gull
Steppe Gull
Greater Sand Plover
Socotra Cormorant
Whimbrel
Out and about at various locations
Marsh Harrier
Little Stint
Kentish Plover
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