Water, water everywhere

Week 48, 24 November 2013 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

Following the week of a low pressure system and substantial rain I headed down to Sea City in the south of Kuwait. There was plenty of evidence of the rain the previous week with many desert camps still flooded and huge shallow pans of water on either side of the 30 Freeway. 

Flooded Desert Camp

Excess rain water along the 30 Express Way

Flooded road

This early rain should bode well for the spring flower show and already grass has started sprouting up on the highway verges.

A carpet of green

The temp was pretty fresh out on the water, the big flock of Heuglin's Gulls from the previous week were nowhere to be seen, but there was a scattering of these Gulls around the lagoon beaches.

Heuglin's Gull (Larus f. heuglini)

A few Slender-billed Gulls were also seen, looking decidedly pinkish.

Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei)

I was in the bigger boat, so we could check off-shore and as with last year, I found an over-wintering Socotra Cormorant roosting on the buoy.

Over-wintering Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis)

Exploring further south in a SUV, a late Pallid Harrier was an unexpected surprise. It flew along a tree line checking for unsuspecting passerines before heading out over the desert.

Hunting Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)