Kuwait Birding: Lockdown

18 July 2020

Lockdown - Day 107

Week 26; 26 June 2020 - Pivot Fields

After a week in the apartment, it is always enjoyable to get back out again, even in mid-summer. As usual, it is back to the Pivots and in the gate by 6:30am.

As before, I headed to the marsh to walk the small soggy area adjacent to the bigger pool, finding an early Black-headed Wagtail

Black-headed Wagtail (Motacilla f. feldegg)

At the marsh, the Black-winged Stilt's were already airborne and vocal

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Accompanied by the White-tailed Lapwing's

White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)

and not too long after, the Red-wattled

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

A White-winged Tern was briefly seen as it flew from one pool to another and then disappeared to forage over the fields

White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)

I checked the arid patch of the farm and as expected found quite a number of Cream-coloured Coursers

Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor)

And in their usual area, many Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks. This male was quite cool with his raised crest.

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix nigriceps)

Not far from the Larks, there is another smaller pool and this had a good few Little Ringed Plovers

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

Whilst watching the pool, I managed to catch this juvenile Namaqua Dove as it shot past

Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis)

Out on the southern boundary fence, last weeks Guineafowl was still present and looking lost

Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)

Whilst at the marsh earlier in the morning, I had caught a brief glimpse of a Skipper butterfly, so went back and put in some effort to try and re-find it. I was pleased that I did, as it turned out to be a new species for Kuwait - Pygmy Skipper or Dark Hottentot. Thanks to Steve Collins for confirming the ID.