Passage Shorebirds cont.

Week 30, 26 July 2014 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

After spending a few outings in the north of Kuwait, I was back in the south at the Sea City project to check if the shorebird abundance was as good as Jahra Bay.

As with the north, passage migration of shorebirds was also evident in the south - smaller numbers, but similar diversity. Inside the project I had flocks of Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

A few Redshank and small flocks of Lesser Sand Plovers.

Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius atrifrons) in non-breeding and breeding plumage

Of more interest to me were two Socotra Cormorants foraging inside the project, as these are more typically coastal and off-shore species - at least in Kuwait they are

1st year Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) a summer visitor

A pair of Graceful Prinia was a new addition for the project, they had taken up residence in an area with suitable habitat. It is certainly the first time for me that I have seen this species on the coast in the south of Kuwait

Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)

South of Khiran, I found a good mixed shorebird roost on the coast 

Redshank, Greater/Lesser Sand Plover, Curlew Sandpiper and Kentish Plover

There was also a large flock of Bar-tailed Godwits with a smaller number of Eurasian Curlews

Bar-tailed Godwits and Eurasian Curlew

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

and a single Eurasian Oystercatcher, distinctive in winter plumage with the white collar

Winter plumage Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)