Lockdown - Day 163; A morning around the Pivots

Week 35; 21 August 2020 - Pivot Fields

I squeezed in another morning's birding over the weekend, which really helps after the week spent working indoors. As Autumn creeps closer, each day birding will start producing new species and arrivals.

On the way to the marsh, I stopped for a few Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters on the overhead line

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)

Followed by a young Indian Reed Warbler at the big reed-fringed pond

Indian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. brunnescens)

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At the marsh, Graceful Prinia's were active and vocal

Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)

More Indian Reed and Caspian Reed Warblers were foraging around the base of the reeds

Caspian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. fuscus)

A contact call alerted me to a Savi's Warbler which are still present - really cool Warbler's

Savi's Warbler (Locustella luscinioides)

Overhead, a Black-winged Kite was seen hunting

Black-winged Kite (Elanus c. vociferus)

And quite a long way in the distance, I had my first Marsh Harrier for this autumn, this bird a male

Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

The Yellow-crowned Bishop is still present and resplendent in his bumble-bee summer plumage

Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer)

Walking back to my car, a Woodchat Shrike

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Followed by two Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

And this unidentified Lizard, hiding like a Snake

Lizard sp.

Driving to the more exposed shallow pool, a Great Reed Warbler was working through some small trees

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

And a Lesser Grey Shrike, also my first for this Autumn was perched in one of the Palm Trees

Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor)

Just before the pool, I stopped for a few 1st year Collared Pratincole

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

As I arrived at the pool, 4 Spur-winged Lapwing took flight and settled a lot further away

Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)

There was not much around the fringes of the pool, so I resigned myself to some BIF practice..

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

European Roller

European Roller (Coracias garrulus)

and Crested Lark's, although I was really trying to get an image of a male Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark in flight. The challenge with these birds is that they fly low over the fields, so there is always a busy background which is tough for small fast flying birds

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

I watched another small flock of Bee-eaters that were sitting in the fields. Every time they took off, they returned with a catch. In the 20-minutes I watched, not one of them missed - incredible! If you look closely, you can see the pollen sac on one of the bees...

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)

Not much else was seen at this location, so it was hot enough to call it a morning