Birding Bahrain

Purple was the order of the last week of the month down at Askar marsh with the discovery of a family group of 4 Purple Gullenule 2 adults 2 Juveniles - the species has suddenly gone from vagrant status to breeding resident with other birds being seen at Tubli mangroves and Arad bay it seems likely the species will be able to establish itself permanently here.

Purple Gallinule

Elsewhere in the gardens some local late spring early summer breeding species were out and about often with young

Clamorous Reed Warbler and young

Rufous Bush-chat and young

Coot a pair in residence at Buhair breeding - possible

Great Grey Shrike Southern

Southern Red Bishop always nice to see a few around Adhari - a site condemned to destruction

On the shore a few new species to report moving in
Black-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwits

Broad-billed Sandpiper a lonesome single more will follow very soon

Curlew Sandpiper more and more arriving

Flamingo

Greater Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover

Gull-billed Tern

Little Stint huge increase in numbers

Family Oyster Catchers

Non breeding summering birds being joined by birds having completed their breeding somewhere east and north of here

Squacco Heron blue is the new orange

It might surprise some people when they realize that our migrant waders are here more than where ever it is they breed - many don't depart until late April early May yet some species are back by as early as June while July sees the flood gates open. August will see even more arrive.

Striated Heron well this species was a complete surprise for the middle of July - we have so few records its barely out of vagrant status yet here we have in Tubli a bird? and it could well be more turning up. Is this indicative of breeding, an extension of range further north or both - only time and further clear observation will settle that point.

The summer is far too long here for us humans the weather, well starting the end of May high temperatures kick in, then as July moves through August it just gets hotter and hotter and the humidity rises and often stays around 100% for days on end. Early September if we are lucky it will break and the place gets habitable again but its a long wait until then.

However for many species the summer is the time for breeding, a time when it requires a miracle for it to rain, thus for many Southern Terns species all ground breeders they choose to enter the Gulf during this period so as to escape the Indian Monsoon and breed alongside our hardy resident species.

May is coming to an end as Ramadan starts and although temperatures have soared the birds this month photographically speaking have not disappointed. A pile of unusual records which went along with some great opportunities to get close up and personal. Mind you "close up" is a relative term - for the four Crab Plovers off Busaiteen less than a 100 mtrs was close whereas for the Wrynecks its was a question of backing away. The Red backed Shrike always difficult to get to grip with were overwhelming in numbers so we were often spoilt for choice. The only disappointment were the lack of warbler pics, they were glimpsed but seldom gave up a chance to be photographed.