Dodging Bullets

Week 17, 24 April 2014 - Al Abraq

I have really fallen behind on my Blog posts, here we are in the middle of summer and I'm still posting about the Spring migration in April!

During spring, you have to visit the western oasis farm of Al Abraq at least a few times, as it known for turning up interesting mega's and vagrants - but at the same time, you can also come away empty handed.

Before getting to the farm, I came across this Lesser Grey Shrike sitting on a very expensive perch - a burnt out Range Rover. After catching and eating a large beetle, it retreated into the car to get out of the sun.

Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor)

Not much further on, a Red-back Shrike put in an appearance, I included the red post, but only on processing the image realised that it is a warning sign for landmines! (UPDATE: on 05/07/14 I was back at Al Abraq and stopped to look at the rest of the sign more carefully and it is actually a warning sign for a fiber optic cable - so no danger at all).

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

Before getting to the gate of the farm, I came across this Wood Sandpiper looking a little out of place on the desert sand

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

On approaching the farm, I knew my morning was going to be ruined, as the migration shooters were already positioned around the perimeter of the farm - obliterating any bird that flew in or out and raining shotgun lead on the people working inside the farm, myself included. Will this annual slaughter ever stop? Probably not, there just seems to be little to no willingness from the authorities to change legislation to prohibit shooting of migratory birds. Perhaps if a visiting birder is 'accidentally' shot, something could happen - but probably the birder would be blamed

No caption required!

Once inside, I tried to stay away from the shooters, but still had lead pellets falling on me every now and then. There was a good number of migrants about, but as can be expected most were skittish and also wisely stayed in cover.

A Common Redstart was found in the shade of a Casarina Tree

Male Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Red-backed Shrikes were aplenty

Male Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

but only one splendid male Masked Shrike was seen

Male Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)

The main quarry for the shooters on the perimeter are birds of colour like Orioles, Rollers

Adult European Roller (Coracias garrulus)

and Bee-eaters

Adult European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

On the passerine front, Lesser Whitethroat (this one with pretty dark upperparts)

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)

Numbers of Spotted Flycatchers

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)

An Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

and Eurasian Reed Warblers in the phragmite reeds at the pond near the entrance

Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

A male Whinchat was seen near the cultivated fields

Male Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

As was a single Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)

The fields also produced a number of Yellow Wagtails sub-species

Grey-headed Wagtail (Motacilla f. thunbergi)

Sykes's Wagtail (Motacilla f. beema)

A stunning Yellow-headed Wagtail (Motacilla f. lutea) that had been wounded by the shooters

Not sure what colour this Wagtail is going to turn?

Whilst working through the Wagtails I noted a small Raptor passage by mid-morning as the rising temps created the necessary lift for them to commence their migration..

Black Kites

Juvenile Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Booted Eagle

Dark form Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)

Numbers of Steppe Buzzards

Juvenile Steppe Buzzard (Buteo b. vulpinus)

A variety of Western Marsh Harriers

Sub adult male Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Female Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

And a Eurasian Sparrowhawk that was flushed from cover by a farm worker.

Female Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

Working my way back through the farm, I found a Common Cuckoo and it took some work to get a few 'clean' images.

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

Whilst birding, I normally check for invertebrates that are about

In the Alfalfa fields, Small Cabbage Whites were enjoying the flowers

Small Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)

A new butterfly species for me was this Brown Playboy - interesting name for a pretty dull and innocuous butterfly

Brown Playboy (Deudorix antalus)

Painted Lady's are still in abundance

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

I'n not sure of the identity of this rather large Wasp

Wasp sp

By now the temps had risen, creating heat haze and the majority of the shooters had also given up for the day.

So, I headed back East marveling at the mirages on the horizon and can quite understand how these would have confused early travelers to think that water was imminent.

Its hot out there

The birds and the butterflies

Week 16, 19 April 2014 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

I'm spending a lot more time in the south at Sea City and around Khiran. This is primarily due to no access again to SAANR for reasons unknown to most (unless of course the real reasons are not being divulged) and restricted access to JPR. Access to JPR is now only during week-days and for only 3-days a week from 8 - 12; far from ideal timing for summer photography. These restrictions in a period when visiting birders are planning trips to Kuwait for spring migration. With these constraints, promoting Kuwait as a birding hotspot (which it is) is becoming a lot tougher.

Around the project, I came across a few Sykes's Wagtails, it seems most Yellow Wagtails have already moved on.

Sykes's Wagtail (Motacilla f. beema)

A new butterfly for me was this Caper White

Caper White (Belenois aurota)

Moving out of the project, I explored much of the desert and coastal area to the south of Khiran village.

There weren't many spring migrants to be found in the desert area, but I did get Blue-throated Agamid, a lizard I hadn't yet recorded in this area, but one which should be more common

Blue-throated Agamid (Acanthocerus atricollis or Agama blanfordi) 

The coastal area was the most productive with many species of shorebirds sheltering on the spur and keeping out of the wind.

A few late blooming Cistanche lutea parasitic plants were still in flower

Cistanche lutea

A few Little and Lesser Crested Terns were roosting amongst the waders but took flight long before I even got close

Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis)

I was able to get a few BIF of the larger waders like Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Eurasian Curlew

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)

And a Eurasian Oystercatcher, which was a new species for me this far south in Kuwait. They are certainly more abundant north of Kuwait City and around Sulaibikhat, Jahra Bay and Doha Spur

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Mid-sized waders were predominantly Grey Plovers

Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

And Lesser Sand Plovers were present in quite large numbers.

Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius atrifrons)

In between the mixed waders a few Terek Sandpipers were also seen.

Mixed shorebirds; Grey and Lesser Sand Plover and Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)

On the coastal side, a few Ruddy Turnstone  and Sanderling were seen foraging together.

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) and Sanderling (Calidris alba)

And Willow Warblers were literally found gleaning on every bush on this small spur, fattening up for the last stretch of the journey north

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

From Spring to Summer

Week 15, 12 April 2014 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

I was back down in the south and spring had suddenly been replaced by summer with temperatures now hovering close to 40 degrees by mid-morning.

I spent some fruitless time in the boat with very little seen other than the resident Kentish Plovers.

However, birding picked up when I walked a few of the islands in the main Khor with many of the usual passerine migrants making use of the habitat, as well as a few species that I hadn't encountered this far south before.

A single European Turtle Dove was found roosting in the top of one of the bigger tree's and later I found a small flock of 3

European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

More unusual was a skulking male Little Bittern in the dense perimeter vegetation, the most southern record for me.

Male Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)

Many of the other usual suspects were seen including, Eurasian Wryneck

Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)

and Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (Erythropygia galactotes)

Willow Warblers were the dominant Warbler and were literally seen everywhere

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

An Eastern Orphean Warbler was also the most southern record for me

Eastern Orphean Warbler (Sylvia crassirostris)

Also present was an Upcher's Warbler

Upcher's Warbler (Hippolais languida )

and numbers of Lesser Whitethroat, although with the con-colourous neck and nape, this one could be a possible candidate for Hume's

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)

There were a number of Shrike species, most were Turkestan

Turkestan Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides)

But one Masked was also recorded

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)

A single male Whinchat dropped in

Male Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

The resident White-eared Bulbul's also made an appearance

White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus l. leucotis)

and I struggled to get close to this White-throated Robin, as the temp turned up and started creating heat haze which a long lens really compounds.

White-throated Robin (Irania gutturalis)

I found a Dragonfly sp that I normally find around fresh water ponds, so this seemed out of place - unless it was migrating?

Dragonfly sp

I was quite pleased with my Clouded Yellow flight shot, considering it was hand-held with the big glass.

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)

The spring migration does appear to be tailing off, but there should still be some good birds to be had in the final couple of weeks