Hot and sweaty in the South

Week 36, 07 September 13 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City (Click to enlarge image)

I had a visit to Sea City in the south of Kuwait on a hot and humid day that seemed to just drain all of your energy and reserves. I can usually handle the summer heat, but today was a struggle made even more so with skittish and uncooperative birds.

As expected, migrant diversity was up - but the numbers are still relatively low in the south (when compared to north of the City). Walking on the islands, a Little Crake was not expected, but disappeared into the undergrowth before I could get the camera to my eye. A single female Ortolan Bunting was a little more obliging

Female Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana)

As was this female Byzantine Stonechat

Female Byzantine Stonechat (Saxicola m. variegatus)

Most birds were deploying heat management strategies, by sitting quietly and unobtrusively in the shade, trying not to expend any energy - perhaps I should have done the same to minimise my moisture loss. A Eurasian Hoopoe looked like it was trying to have 40-winks to slow it's heart-rate.

Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

I got pretty close to a Spotted Flycatcher and it was not interested in vacating its perch on a water pipe in the shade

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)

The resident Crested Larks are a little more hardy and heat resistant - but even they were not out in the open for long.

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

After the islands, I headed off-shore, finding a single Grey Plover on the beach

Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

together with a 1st year Greater Sand Plover

Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

Once off-shore, only 2 Socotra Cormorants were roosting on the buoys, together with 2 juvenile Bridled Terns who are now dispersing after the summer breeding season on our off-shore islands.

Juvenile Bridled Terns (Onychoprion anaethetus)

Also seen were 2 juvenile White-cheeked Terns who will also soon be departing the Arabian Gulf shores

Juvenile White-cheeked Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)