Impromptu guiding

Week 49; 07 November 2018 - Green Island and Sulaibikhat Bay

After an enjoyable morning of tennis, I had planned a leisurely walk around Green Island. When I arrived I saw a couple with binoculars and camera looking a little 'lost'. I stopped to speak with them and introduce myself only to find out that Stanislaw and Kasia had arrived earlier in the morning from Poland and their local guide was not at the airport to meet them. So, they arranged for the hotel driver to bring them to Green Island. 

I suggested they join me and we had an hours walk around this man-made island finding a few of their target species. Stan needed only 5 more birds to get to 700 on his WP list and had come to Kuwait to achieve this. White-eared Bulbul was the quickest addition for Stan with one of many seen at the entrance

White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)

I found the Weaver, but no luck with the Red-vented Bulbul. On the seaside there were a few Continental Great Cormorants

Continental Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sinensis)

Their driver was only picking them up at 3pm and I couldn't leave them at Green Island for another 4-hours. So, I took them on an orientation drive to show where they could find some of their other target species like Hypocolius and Crab-plover. We ended up at Sulaibikhat Bay, unfortunately the tide was still a little far out for any Crab-plovers (they did get them at the same place later in the week, as well as the Hypocolius), but we enjoyed some of the other species that were in the Bay. More White-eared Bulbul's.

White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)

Gull-billed Terns hunting up and down the inter-tidal zone

Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)

Many Common Black-headed Gulls

Common Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

And both colour forms of Western Reef Heron, here the dark form cruising over the many Mudskipper's below

Western Reef Heron (Egretta g. schistacea)

Not bird related, but they also enjoyed the antics of the two species of Mudskipper that occur in this habitat; Walton's Mudskipper is the smaller of the two

Walton's Mudskipper (Periophthalmus waltoni)

The other and much larger is Boleophthalmus dussumieri, but often they are found together in the same pool and are both full of character

Boleophthalmus dussumieri

On the drive back to Green Island, I pointed out Al Shaheed Park where they could find another two of their target species. I stayed in touch with Stan and Kasia during their stay and gave them locations for Indian Roller and Babbler. In fact Afghan Babbler was Stan's 700th bird for the WP - a really good bird for that milestone.