Return to Mutla'a

Week 34, 22 August 2015 - Mutla'a Ranch

Neil Tovey and I decided to return to Mutla'a at first light to see if the Sooty was still present, as it seemed to have disappeared late yesterday afternoon.

Hamad was also there and neither of us had any luck relocating the bird, so it was possibly a one-day bird.

We walked the farm, finding a female Whinchat

Female Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

Followed by a female Northern Wheatear

Female Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Neil found a Grasshopper Warbler, but as we know these Locustella are notoriously difficult to find once they drop down to the floor. Whilst searching for it, I found a Garden Warbler

Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)

This Warbler gave us the run around as it was behaving quite unlike the species we thought it was. In the end, it did turn out to be the species we thought it was - Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, even though the super is broader than it should normally be...

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

A Clouded Yellow, was a new addition to the butterfly list for this autumn.

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)

A quick detour around Jahra Pools on the way home, the White Storks were still present, but not much else.

More importantly, I have finally caught up my backlog and I hope not to get so far behind again - as it has taken a lot longer than I had anticipated to get up to date!