Birds of Bahrain

18 April 2020 NEW SPECIES - It's not every day that one gets to announce a country first but here it is a Bay-backed Shrike, (Lanius vittatus) unfortunately, was only able to get reference photos but they are sufficient thankfully to be able to determine and confirm the species with the assistance of OSME

Bay Backed Shrike

European Bee-eater

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Roller

Cinereous Bunting

And keeping company with an Indian Silverbill

Corn Bunting

Ortolan Bunting

Crested Lark

Tree Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Female Redstart

Male Redstart

Rufous Bushchat

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Yellow Wagtail

White Wagtail

Whinchat

Turtle Dove

Spotted Flycatcher

Nightingale

Lesser Grey Shrike

Isabelline Shrike

Collared Dove

Juv Moorhen

Grey Wagtail

Grey Fancolin

White-tailed Plover

Ruff

White-cheeked Tern

Braod-billed Sandpiper

Lesser Sandplover

After the Christmas, New Year break its always nice to doodle around and see what has remained in situ through the winter - my first surprise was that the only Stonechat I could find - this Siberian a female at Adhari

Siberian Stonechat

and the next pleasant surprise was a Marsh tern at Alba Marsh
White-whinged Black Tern

I have to admit I was surprised to find the Marsh Harrier still in residence here too - no longer one, it is now one of a pair
Marsh Harrier

This Pintail Snipe was out in the open for once

Marsh Sandpiper one of about a dozen at Alba Marsh

GreenShank nice for comparison

out and about I came across some
Cattle Egret

Common Sandpiper

Pied Wagtail

Isabelline Shrike

Herons by the dozen
Grey Heron and a Western Reef

Squacco Heron

Curlew

And the every present Graceful Prinia

Grey Fancolin

Moorhen

and A displaying
Crested Lark

Not a lot about really but from a single visit to Alba Marsh I did manage a few decent species images
Purple Gallinule

Wood Sandpiper

Marsh Harrier

Clamourous Reed Warbler

Isabelline Shrike

Mallard

Black-winged Stilt

Snipe

My route between my home and the office is always prone to rush hour traffic often as a means to easy that time I often stop on accessible bits of the shore - it's always rewardng just for the peace of mind it offers then with a few birds thrown in for good measure it can be - well you know the feeling

Redshank

Curlew Sandpiper

Kentish Plover

Lesser Sand Plover

Turnstone

Pied Wheatear both Females and Males

So April fools day has successfully passed - time to catch up

Masked Shrike

Pratincoles passing

Red Rumped Swallow

Swallow

Northern Whaetear

Northern Whaetear

Pied Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Barred Warbler

Rufous Bushcat

Stonechat

Whinchat

Upchers Warbler

Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit

Saunders's Tern