A magnificent winters morning

Week 50, 04 December 2012 - Green Island, Sharq Harbour and JPR (Click to enlarge image)

I was out early this morning and was on the Corniche at Green Island just after sunrise and it was just gorgeous and got the creative juices going. It must be said that I'm a bit of a sucker for sunrises and sunsets.

Reflective Gull

More Reflective Gulls

Johnathon Livingston Seagull

Gulls were already quite active this early in the morning as they emerged from their roosts and headed to the beach for a wash and splash. Overhead, one Black-headed Gull was being chased by a number of Gulls trying to get it to drop it's breakfast - although taken in low light, these few images give an idea of the aerial piracy displayed by Gulls.

Aerial Gull piracy

I managed to get access into Green Island and found a large obliging flock of Hypocolius just inside the entrance

Flock of Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus )

Female Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus) 

Male Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus) 

A quick stop at Sharq Harbour gave some Heuglin Gulls still roosting on the street lights

Heuglin Gull (Larus f. heuglini)

Whilst at the harbour itself only a couple of Common Black-headed Gulls

Common Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

and a handful of Sandwich Terns

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)

I then met Khaled Al Ghanem at JPR and we tried unsuccessfully to find the male Hooded Wheatear at JEO, so it was back to JPR for some photography in mixed light conditions. Driving along the pool next to the boundary fence, I found a distant male Citrine Wagtail - this just a record image. Unfortunately, it never did come closer than that for me.

Male Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)

The mixed flock of 67 Greater Flamingo's was still present

Adult Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) in classic pose

Just had a bath

About to have a bath

With a single Whiskered Tern foraging over the same pool, here with a Flamingo backdrop

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)

I had seen Common Kingfisher earlier, but was fortunate to find it perched on the fence in good light.

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

A little further along the fence was a female European Stonechat

Female European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

Back to the main pool, Western Marsh Harriers were quite prevalent and harassing birds into taking flight or cover

Female Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

A single female Mallard was quite confiding

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

But, I was quite lucky to get this sequence of a Eurasian Teal coming in to land before I had to leave

Landing sequence of a Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)

I was encouraged by this new sign outside of JPR and hope that the laws will now be enforced

Prohibition in Trade of Endangered Wild Species