Adios August

Week 34; 17 August 2019 - Pivot Fields

This is to be my last outing in August, as I head back to SA for a long overdue 2-week break to see my family and to spend a week at our timeshare at Ngwenya Lodge on the banks of the Crocodile River in the southern Kruger National Park (my soul food!).

I was through the gate at 6am and not shortly after, came across a flock of Collared Pratincole (all juveniles) roosting on the desert floor

Juvenile Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

And a Spiny-tailed Lizard that was enjoying the cooler early morning sun

Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis)

The family of Common Kestrel were hanging around the same Tamerisk Tree as a week ago

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

I then headed back to the reed and shallow pool habitat to sit in the car and wait patiently to see what interesting Warbler were around. It didn't take long for them to start appearing. This time there were Great Reed Warblers

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

Along with Indian Reed Warblers, worn adults and fresh juveniles

Worn adult Indian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. brunnescens)

Young Indian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. brunnescens)

I was eventually rewarded with a fleeting but better view of the Savi's

Savi's Warbler (Locustella luscinioides)

There were still Citrine Wagtails

Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)

Amongst the Western Yellow Wagtails

Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla f. flava)

Amongst the mixed waders, I had a single Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

and the White-tailed Lapwing numbers had increased to three

White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)

A single Garganey was among the big flock of Black-winged Stilts when a passing Marsh Harrier flushed them from the pool

Garganey (Anas querquedula)

Namaqua Dove's dropped in for a drink, but often flushed again before drinking

Male Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis)

On the way out, I saw the Falconer with his Peregrine, so a few more portraits of this magnificent raptor were almost obligatory

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

I went to check the area with the Sparrow-Larks and found the flock of 7 Spur-winged Lapwing. They have now been present in the general area for a few weeks and hopefully will remain

Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)

I will return to Kuwait in early September and in time for the raptor passage - lets hope it surpasses last year.