Lockdown - Day 42

Week 42; 22 April 2020 - Fnaitees

No birds, but had a short walk in the late afternoon around the very small garden outside my apartment with my macro lens.

Honey Bee's are still feverishly collecting pollen from the flowering plants

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

This is one of the large Flies that are seen quite often

Sarcophagidae sp

Not sure on the ID of this Fly

Fly sp

This brightly coloured Beetle is a Harlequin Ground Bug

Harlequin Ground Bug (Lygaeus equestris linnaeus)

This Moth was so small, I had difficulty finding and focusing on it

Moth sp

Whilst this Ant was carrying a dandelion seed, the same size as it's body - food or for his partner?

Ant sp

The plants have no more flowers, so now it is time for wind dispersal

Wind dispersal

A little plant abstract

Lockdown - Day 37

Week 16; 17 April 2020 - Pivot Fields

With the weekend, no need to rush like a mad man around the Pivots, although it is already getting pretty warm by 9am - nevertheless, still better than being house-bound.

I had my first European Roller of the spring, but very skittish

European Roller (Coracias garrulus)

In the nearby field, quite a few Whinchat's

Female Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

Male Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

And Red-backed Shrikes which have arrived

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

Also a smart looking Woodchat Shrike

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Amongst the young palms, more Red-backed Shrikes

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

and a Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes)

Still good numbers of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters hawking from the overhead lines

Calling Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)

A single Black Kite passed by; this has 6 primaries with white bases - good feature for Black-eared.. 

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

On the way to the marsh, a single Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

And a fairly large Spiny-tailed Lizard (Dhub)

Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis)

Near the marsh, I found a pool created by the Pivots which had Little Stint

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

and a Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

whilst a Red-throated Pipit also dropped in for a quick drink and bath

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)

The number of Yellow Wagtails has reduced considerably

Sykes's Wagtail (Motacilla f. beema)

By now it had warmed up considerably, so check the marsh, only to be harassed by the White-tailed Lapwings

White-tailed Lapwing (Motacilla f. beema)

Which also put up a Marsh Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)

I had brought my macro lens along, so spent quite some time lying in the dirt photographing a few Moths and Butterflies; this one is called The Vestal

The Vestal (Rhodometra sacraria)

whilst this Moth doesn't have an English name

Euchromius cambridgei sp

Asian Grass Blue's is common at the Pivots, this one feeding on Portulaca

Asian Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)

Lockdown - Day 35

Week 16; 13 April 2020 - Pivot Fields

Another quick dash to the Pivots just after sunrise. Just past the pool, there was a flock of European Bee-eaters that had roosted on the deck and their colours just popped in the early morning sun.

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

In another field, a flock of Black-winged Pratincole whose plumage is so much richer than the Collared Pratincole

Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni)

There was a single Collared Pratincole with the Bee-eaters, for comparison

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

On the overhead lines, a big flock of Barn Swallow, some with quite rusty underparts

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

I went to check the area with the leaky pipe and it was quite productive; first up a Masked Shrike

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)

Followed by an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

This bird is a little confusing, I suspect Common Redstart, as it had red tail when it flew, but the white throat and greyish nape seem odd?

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

A probable Caspian Reed Warbler, although this one has quite dark plumage

Probable Caspian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. fuscus)

White-eared Bulbul's were also drinking from the leaky pipe

White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)

On the way to the marsh, a male Common Redstart

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

and a Whinchat

Male Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

and a Steppe Buzzard 

Steppe Buzzard (Buteo b. vulpinus)

At the marsh I had two Ortolan Bunting's - the numbers of this species has diminished quite rapidly over the years in Kuwait

Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana)

Not a great pic, as the Harrier was quite far off - but look at the 'fleeing' Wagtails as it passes low over the fields looking to grab one out of the air

Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) harassing the Yellow Wagtails