Birds of Bahrain

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

No month passes without something interesting turning up in the garden, but being able to snap a picture is not always possible. However, this month the birds were exceptional in that a real rarity turned up - an Evermann's Redstart. Initially, I had thought it just a Common Redstart having just glimpsed one but it soon showed well enough for ID. It was a chance not to miss, so it was a case of sit and wait.

Evermann's Redstart

Common Redstart -

A regular over the years but always nice to see
Masked Shrike

A regular around at the same time
Whitethroat

Unfortunately, Old Age caught up with me, by way of collapsed back vertebrae, 6 in total, and as a consequence, I haven't been able to move much further than a chair in front of a garden window since shortly after my talk on Hawar given in late March. Hopefully, it is a period of time that will end soon.

Interestingly even with this - the task turned up its own anomalies. The obs I had of the few migrants I clocked in and out, in terms of the time frame noted, didn't fit with the previous period recorded data. Several Species of whom I had thought would have long passed were recorded in the case of the Whitethroat in quite good numbers up until the end of the May whilst for a Female Blackcap, it remains a regular seen even today June 14th.

A most interesting obs for early May and a first for the Garden was the all too quick visit from a Wryneck -

A seasonal regular was a solitary Nightingale which stayed a week early in the month and then left as expected

The whitethroats on occasions 5 or 6 birds started being noted on the 5th and stayed up until the 29th - It had been a species I thought to pass almost completely by April end.

The last obs

Blackcap were in the garden when I first put the camera up one remains a female mentioned above

This is her - my semi-resident Female and a real prize for any sporting chap passing

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