Playboy's off the Rails in the South

Week 49, 06 December 2014 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

Following the elation of a new bird on Thursday, I was headed back to the south of the country on Saturday. I had my customary breakfast stop at the 24/7 McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin (their best meal i.m.h.o) and a cappuccino (not bad for a fast food outlet).

I then enjoyed eating my breakfast at a reed bed waiting for the day to begin

Backlit Phragmite Reeds

and enjoyed a spectacular sunrise.

Khiran sunrise

Birds were thin on the ground today, but I did find a Water Rail in the reeds catching some early morning rays. This is an uncommon sighting in the south which I was happy to confirm.

Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)

In an area of some standing water, a Water Pipit gingerly picked it's way around some spent shotgun shells - an all too familiar sight in Kuwait where shooting seems to continue unabated all through the year

Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)

Out on the boat, I found a single wintering Socotra Cormorant off-shore

Wintering Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis)

Back on land, the only passerines seen were a few Daurian Shrike

Daurian Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)

and a single Eastern Mourning Wheatear

Male Eastern Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens)

For the non-birders, Western Pygmy Blue's were still present, but in very low numbers

Western Pygmy Blue (Brephidium exilis)

A Brown Playboy, was a new addition to the butterfly checklist

Brown Playboy (Deudorix antalus)