After working from the apartment all week, it is a pleasure to escape to the Pivot Fields for a dose of 'green'. Again, I was at the gate by 6:30 and on the way to the marsh, I had a Common Kestrel roosting on a fence
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| Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) |
and a Black-winged Kite on the overhead lines
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| Black-winged Kite (Elanus c. vociferus) |
I explored a small soggy patch with long grass and reeds adjacent to the marsh.
Here I found 2 male Yellow-crowned Bishop's trying to impress an uninterested female. This species has been seen at the farm at least the last 2-years.
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| Female Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer) |
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| Male Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer) |
Indian Reed Warbler's were calling and this one put in a brief appearance before disappearing into the reeds
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| Indian Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus s. brunnescens) |
I then moved over to the marsh itself. As is expected, the Black-winged Stilts were up in the air as I got out the car
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| Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) |
They were closely followed by a juvenile Spur-winged Lapwing. There is a pair breeding at Jahra Pools and I don't believe this is one of their offspring - so where did this one originate from?
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| Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus); class of 2020 |
While walking, I put up a Western Yellow Wagtail - certainly unusual for this time of year
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| Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla f. flava) |
Even more unusual and unexpected for this inland location was this Common Tern foraging over the marsh
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| Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) |
Overhead a Purple Heron circled a few times and eventually landed.
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| Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) |
I tried to re-locate it and put up a Black-winged Pratincole
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| Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni) |
At this time of year when the temp soars, the marsh with it's water is certainly the best location at the farm.
I then had a drive, finding this years Red-wattled Lapwing. So, for sure 2 Lapwing species had breeding success at the farm this year, just not sure about the Spur-winged?
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| Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus); Class of 2020 |
And the usual Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks, already trying to find shade at 9am in the morning
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| Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix nigriceps) |
By now it was too hot, so a good time to call it a morning
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