Sunbird stakeout

Week 05; 31 January 2020 - Abdullah Al Salem and Abu Hassania

While I was away in SA, a Purple Sunbird had been reported from another private garden near Al Shaheed Park. This begs the question, that given the number of large and mature private gardens throughout Kuwait that this species may be more prevalent than we previously thought?

I made arrangements with the hospitable owner to try and photograph the birds and had a pleasant morning in their fantastic garden - not that the Sunbird was seen. We did have a Grey Wagtail feeding around the large fish pond where it has been seen successfully catching and eating some of the very small fish.

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)

A Lesser Whitethroat was also seen briefly as it came to feed from one of the feeding tables

Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia c. halimodendri)

Later in the afternoon, I tried the original Sunbird site - again no luck at all, but I did briefly see the Hume's Leaf Warbler after the sun had disappeared, so not a great image.

Hume's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus humei)

Shortly thereafter, this very grey Common Chiffchaff was seen. It is possibly of Iranian origin from an area where the forms of caucasicus and menzbieri converge (thanks to Alan Dean for his feedback on this and previous confusing birds I have seen)

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)