Lockdown - Day 16

Week 13; 27 March 2020 - Al Abraq

Given it is the weekend and curfew hours still allow an early departure time, I headed west to the farm at Al Abraq arriving around 6:30am. Other than a few farm workers, it was just me - so no issues at all with social distancing. However the weather wasn't great with desert fog and later blowing wind and dust - but you need to make the most of whatever time is available for birding!

Before the gate, I checked out the trees in the area with the derelict buildings and found a dark form Booted Eagle that had roosted overnight

Booted Eagle (Aquila pennata)

Driving around the perimeter, I had the first of many Great Grey (Steppe) Shrikes

Great Grey Shrike (Steppe) (Lanius excubitor lahotra)

and quite a few Pied Wheatear's that didn't seem to be enjoying the cool wind

Male Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka)

Female Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka)

There was a single Northern Wheatear amongst the Pied's

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

I then headed into the farm and did a drive around the perimeter to cover all the habitats. It seems there had been an irruption of Great Grey Shrikes and I had around 8 birds

Great Grey Shrike (Steppe) (Lanius excubitor lahotra)

A few Turkestan Shrikes 

Turkestan Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides)

and Woodchat Shrikes were interspersed with the Great Grey's

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

In the distance, a female Eurasian Sparrowhawk was keeping low on the top of one of the trees

Female Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

I saw a large Sylvia warbler fly across the track and it played hide and seek with me for the next 30-minutes, giving fleeting glimpses - but I did nail it down as Eastern Orphean. As I had not seen one for quite some time, I put in the effort to try and get an unobstructed view and image - eventually!

Eastern Orphean Warbler (Sylvia crassirostris)

In the same tree, there was also a female Blackcap

Female Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

and an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

Common Redstart were also prevalent during the course of the morning

Male Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

In the open area a Pallid Harrier passed by quickly on the wind

Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)

Whilst the blowing dust put down a small flock of Pale Rockfinch

Pale Rockfinch (Carpospiza brachydactyla)

The dead Sunflower's provided charismatic perches for Willow Warbler and Common Chiffchaff 

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

and Tree Pipits

Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)

Shortly afterwards a stunning male White-throated Robin put on a show and was quite obliging

White-throated Robin (Irania gutturalis)

Driving the fields near the Goose pens, a flash of black and white could only mean a male Semi-collared Fly - he was sort of obliging, but the light was just not in the right position

Semi-collared Flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata)

On the same track a Grey Wagtail foraged ahead of the car

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)

And an unexpected surprise was a Black-winged Stilt in one of the small fields, just after the Wagtail

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

I then parked the car and had a walk through some habitat, finding many more Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff - love the background colour in these images!

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

Note emargination on P6 to confirm Chiffchaff

a second Semi-collared Fly

Semi-collared Flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata)

A couple of Ménétriés’s Warbler's

Female Ménétriés’s Warbler (Sylvia mystacea)

and a few more Blackcap's

Male Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

I glimpsed a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk - I think we both surprised each other, but I got a half decent jump shot..

Male Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

It was while walking that I saw a quick flash of a small fast flying brown butterfly that I knew immediately was a Skipper and for sure a new species for Kuwait. With patience I managed to relocate it, although it wasn't static for long. Although I only had my 600 prime with me, I did manage to get some images to clinch the species ID as Lesser Millet Skipper, so was pretty elated!

Lesser Millet Skipper (Pelopidas mathias)

A last drive along the boundary track and suddenly there were thousands of Desert Locust's - these are swarming short-horned Grasshopper's and are part of the mega swarms that have decimated parts of North Africa, Middle East and South and South-western Asia

Desert Locust (Schistocera gregaria)

Lockdown - Day 14

Week 13; 25 March 2020 - Pivot Fields

I had an early morning sortee to the Pivot Fields arriving just after 6am, just inside the gate, I had this cracking male Armenian Stonechat

Armenian Stonechat (Saxicola m. variegatus)

A flock of Spanish Sparrow's were feeding voraciously and gorging themselves on the wheat seeds

Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis)

I headed down to the marsh where the light is favourable at this time of day; plenty Common Snipe. Always a challenge in flight with a heavy prime lens!

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

Along with a few Wood Sandpiper's

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

The Glossy Ibis was still present, but very wary and easily spooked

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

I had my first Sedge Warbler of the spring 'tacking' away at the base of the reeds

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)

I suddenly heard and almost felt a whoosh go past me and looking up I saw this falconer's Peregrine Falcon that had stooped and missed what it was going for. A magnificent raptor to observe..... Also high tech, with a transmitter should it not return, which seems to happen from time to time

Captive Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

It did however put up a lot of birds, including a single Spur-winged Lapwing which I had not seen earlier

Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)

There were also White-tailed Lapwing's present at the marsh and it would not be surprising if they breed at this location in the coming weeks

White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)

As I was leaving, I noted 3 smallish Seed-eaters in the reeds, I suspect these are the Yellow-crowned Bishops that have been previously seen at this location

Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer)

Leaving the marsh, I had a Long-legged Buzzard fly past me

Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)

Followed by a Black Kite 

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

and later a Pallid Harrier much further away

Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)

Neil Tovey was also visiting the site and he told me about some Caspian Plovers. I checked the place and finally managed to locate them by walking deep into the field - cracking in summer plumage

Caspian Plover (Anarhynchus asiaticus)

They were in the company of a number of Collared Pratincole's

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

Heading for the gate, numerous Willow Warblers on the boundary of the farm

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

A Steppe Buzzard passing by overhead

Steppe Buzzard (Buteo b. vulpinus)

and a few Tree Pipit's flushed from the road to perch on the overhead lines concluded and enjoyable couple of hours

Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)