LBJ's announce their arrival

Week 06, 06 February 2016 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City, Khiran

We are starting to move into the transition period where the winter visitors slowly diminish but are replaced with the arrival of the spring migrants in pumped up breeding plumage.

I was in the reed habitat with my coffee, as the sun peeped over the horizon. This time there were a few more Green Sandpiper present

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)

I could hear Warblers calling in the reeds and with patience they slowly appeared as the rays hit the reedbed; first a possible Caspian Reed Warbler, which is pretty early

Possible Caspian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. fuscus)

Which was followed by a number of Moustached Warbler's - this my first record for the south of Kuwait

Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon)

In the desert area, Desert Wheatear was still present

Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)

And the expected White-eared Bulbul

White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus l. leucotis)

Once out on the water, the number of Gulls had also diminished somewhat, this a roosting Caspian Gull

Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)

Off-shore, I had my favourite Gull; Great Black-headed

Great Black-headed Gull (Leucophaeus ichthyaetus)

Today, the only invertebrate of interest was a Brown Playboy

Brown Playboy (Deudorix antalus)

The next few weeks should show a marked increase in species diversity as the spring migrants announce their arrival and we are all looking forward to that...