Autumn passerines

Week 40, 03 October 2015 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

After my obligatory McDonald's breakfast, I stopped on route to the Sea City project to check out some desert habitat that has some ground water.

In amongst a few Western Yellow Wagtails was a single Citrine - my first record for the south of Kuwait

Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)

A pair of Common Kestrel's had stopped for a drink in the same area, but didn't stay long

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Wheatear's were represented by Isabelline

Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)

and Northern

Female Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Out on the boat, I checked a few off-shore buoys and found roosting Lesser Crested Terns

Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis)

A number of Socotra Cormorants

1cy Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis)

And a single 1cy White-cheeked Tern

1cy White-cheeked Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)

with a Purple Heron enjoying the warm sun on the beach

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

Exploring some other desert habitat, I came across a few late passerine migrants; a skulking Eurasian Blackcap

Female Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Garden Warbler

Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)

And undoubtedly the best bird of the day - Hume's Whitethroat

Hume's Whitethroat (Sylvia althaea)

Although a male Byzantine/South Caspian Stonechat wasn't too be discounted either

Male South Caspian Stonechat (Saxicola m. variegatus)

However, a few Tree Pipit's

Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) in a Tree......

and Spotted Fly's rounded off the day..

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)