19 November 2013

The Baltic comes to the Gulf

Week 46, 14 October 2013 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

The very next day I was back at Sea City, but this time exploring lagoons in another Phase.

The large flock of Heuglin's Gulls was still present, but scattered over a few of the beaches - but there was one gull that stood out like the proverbial sore thumb - a cracking adult Baltic Gull and one of the best views I have had of this uncommon Gull in Kuwait


Baltic Gull (Larus f. fuscus)





Part of the Heuglin's Gull flock


Heuglin's Gull (Larus f. heuglini)
Also amongst the Heuglin's was a single Common Black-headed Gull which are not as abundant in the south as they are in the north


Common Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
A few Slender-billed Gulls were present and they almost seem to have a pinkish hue, as they do in breeding season - I'm not sure why?


Adult Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei)
The only wader seen today was a Grey Plover...


Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Yesterday, I noted quite a few tiny Asian Grass Blue butterflies on one of the Islands, but a big piece of glass was not ideal to photograph them. Today I brought a more appropriate lens to photograph this small, delicate and agile butterflies. I suspect this is the female, but I cannot find it in the butterfly book that I have, whereas the male is more easily identifiable


Suspected female Asian Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)




and male
Male Asian Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)



Male and female Asian Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)
I also found a cryptic moth that preferred to roost inside the habitat rather than on the outside where it would be vulnerable to being someone's food


Unidentified Moth sp.
A couple of Dragonflies were also seen, thanks to Oscar Campbell who suggested this is Crocothemis erythraea a member of the Dragonfly genus Crocothemis. It's common names include; Broad Scarlet, Common Scarlet-darter, Scarlet Darter and Scarlet Dragonfly


Crocothemis erythraea
And lastly a small Wasp sp


Unidentified Wasp sp.

1 comment:

  1. Interesting shots! Funny that I'm myself being more curious about macro shots in the past 2 weeks as well. Too bad I don't have much proper tools .. for such shots like you do you might need extension tubes, but definitely you'd need a rail head for precise focusing (and maybe a ring flash)!

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