Birding Bahrain

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.

I start with a picture unrelated to birds but it is of one of my favourite Bahrain residents the Spiny Tailed Lizard (Dabb Lizard) - they are vegetarian and harmless - this chaps expression sums up for me the change in the weather - it ain't half Hot Mum

Now the Birds -
Lesser Grey Shrike never many but they are stunners

Red-backed Shrike numbers increase

Isabelline Shrike still quite a few about

Purple Swamphen two put in an appearance at Alba/Askar Marsh

Spotted Crake

Little Stint

Little Bittern

Little Grebe a good breeding year thus far

Kentish Plover Chick - they are everywhere

Black-Winged Stilt Chick

Moorhen Chick

Clamorous Warbler have successfully colonised our restricted wetlands

Bee-eater a really disappointing year for obs

Little Tern

Black-crowned Night Heron

Palm Doves

Ringed Plover

Rock Thrush

Spotted Flycatcher

Socotra Cormorant

Slender-billed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Warbler NOT POSITIVELY identified too big too colourful for Willow but only other possibility is a Wood Warbler

The weather this last month has got its own back with unseasonable highs after the extremely wet and cool spring; I recorded 48c plus once this month according to my own personal weather sensor (my telephone) - mid 30c are normal for this time of the year. However surprisingly there are still quite a few migrants passing at local green wet spots while in contrast the shore has become bit of a ghost town other than for the odd lone wader and the locally breeding Terns, Herons and Egrets. For these local breeders it is more a place of refuge away from tending active nests. Things will start to get interesting on the shore again once fledged young join these adults. Surprisingly also some waders will also by then have started to return.

However in the meantime .......... Inland it is permanent water that is currently the key to finding birds be it from a simple drip line on a vegetable plot, a drainage ditch or to the environs of one of our ponds in our limited and decreasing wetland areas.

As a consequence on my last few field trips out I have ignored many of our better known wintering hot spots instead favoring those with water that I know will produce locally breeding or late migrant birds. Have I missed stuff as a consequence, probably yes.

Starting with a species that I have not seen since 1992

Just back from Egypt, no time to bird unfortunately just a brief visit to the Pyramids and a few walks along the Nile in Cairo however with that and the visit preparations out the way I now have time to update my web site - a factor that really does determine when and how often I can do this.

Wryneck

Willow Warbler

Whinchat

Waterpipit

vittata a Pied Wheatear

Turnstone

Ringed Plover

Red-throated Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Redshank

Black-eared Kite

Socotra Cormorant

Pied Wheatear

Alaskan or Siberian - Northern Wheatear

Masked Shrike

Isabelline Wheatear

Isabelline Shrike

Hoopoe

Great White Egret

Great Grey Shrike

Desert Wheatear

Black-winged Stilt

Little Grebe nesting

Common Sandpiper

Northern Cormorant

Curlew Sandpiper

Dunlin

Grey Plover

Gull-billed Tern

Kentish Plover

Little Tern

The last few weeks work and pleasure have gone into overload only now do I have time to up date the site. The weather has been the winner this month regardless - to sum up its been cold wet and worse still no change in access it remains - sticky icky on the tracks.

Durian Redstart

Black-eared Wheatear - not the best picture but interesting plumage

Bluethroat

Chiffchaff

Squacco Heron

Cattle Egret

Coot - only a few left now

Desert Warbler as seen in town

Palm Dove and Masked Shrike

Houbara Bustard

Hypocolius probably the last until they return in October

Isabelline Shrike - very high numbers this year

Little Grebe

Masked Shrike

Northern Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Pintailed Snipe identified by the facial markings

Red-throated Pipit

Stonechat

Redbacked Shrike

Yellow Wagtails

Willow or Chiffchaff - my vote Willow

Saunders's Tern

Rock Thrush