Kuwait - Day 4, 8 April 2011, Jahra East Outfall, Pivot Fields, Fahaheel & Zour Port

We began day 4 back at JEO where things were a little more lively in the early morning sun. Best was a female Citrine Wagtail along the dyke but we also added 6 Bluethroats (of 3 different races!), Cetti's Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, 3 Spotted Crakes, 6 Lesser Kestrels passing through, Steppe Grey Shrike and a 'maura' Siberian Stonechat.

Bluethroat, Jahra East Outfall

Bluethroat, Jahra East Outfall

It was a return visit to Pivot Fields next as this site only allows visits in the mornings. Upon arrival we bumped into Brian Foster and his visiting mate Andy and while chatting a splendid male Rock Thrush popped up on a pylon. We then went on to enjoy a bit of a raptor fest with a Greater Spotted Eagle perched on a distant pivot and 3 or 4 each of Pallid and Montagu's Harriers, a single Hen Harrier, 2 Black Kites, 3-4 Steppe Buzzards and when driving round the site a little later an Eastern Imperial Eagle and several Lesser Kestrels. The latter obviously on the move through Kuwait. Back at the pond a Wryneck popped out onto the ground whilst Great Reed Warbler, Spanish Sparrow, 2 Little Crakes, 7 Glossy Ibis, 6 Night Herons, a Little Bittern, 5 Squacco Herons, several Cattle Egrets, Little Egret and the Pygmy Cormorants were all seen. On a slow drive around the site we clocked up 1 White-throated Robin, 3 Hoopoes, a Bluethroat, Rufous Bush Robin, loads of Crested Larks, Tawny Pipits, Pied and Northern Wheatears. A flock of 45 Collared Pratincoles on an open area of dry ground allowed us to drive the car really close for some photographs!

Collared Pratincole, Pivot Fields

Pallid Harrier, Pivot Fields

Southern Grey Shrike, Pivot Fields

Squacco Heron, Pivot Fields 

Tawny Pipit, Pivot Fields

As we'd arranged another stab at Zour Port later in the afternoon we started to make our way south and made a brief stop at Fahaheel once more. This time we were greeted by a pathetic excuse for a security guard who tried to prevent us entering the public shopping mall because we were carrying cameras, scopes etc. Despite much discussion he wouldn't budge so we simply walked around to another entrance and strolled in! And it proved to be well worth it because perched on the same rig as we had Swift Tern last time round were 2 marvellous adult White-cheeked Terns. c15 Lesser Crested Terns, 2 Sandwich Terns and an Arctic Skua completed the picture before we grabbed a quick coffee and made sure we passed the security guard on the way out. His face was a picture!

Reija and Jouko, ejected from a shopping mall!

Upon arrival at Zour Port we were once again met by Austin and started with a slow drive and walk around some spots within the complex in search of migrants. This paid off with a great find of a male Cinereous Bunting (race semenowi) alongside an Ortolan on waste ground at out first stop. c5 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, c20 European Bee-eaters, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Turkestan Shrike and 2 Pale Rock Sparrows were also picked up before we headed to the coastal strip. Once we were at the point a pale cormorant flew past us very close inshore and Ernst called it as a Socotra Cormorant. Despite not looking right it then ditched onto the sea  about 100 meters offshore and with prolonged views we all agreed it was indeed a juvenile Socotra Cormorant. Nice one Ernst! Later on we went on to see 3 more of this much wanted WP species flying together offshore. 4 Night Herons headed high north and this time terns were much more in evidence, at least 50 Bridled Terns gradually streamed past north in a steady flow , another White-cheeked Tern and several Sandwich Terns were amongst the numerous Slender-billed Gulls. What a difference 2 days makes! To round off the day we drove round again in search of Desert Finches but to no avail. Instead we managed Terek Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes on pools by the golf course.

The whole gang, Zour Port (copyright Seppi Ringert) 

   

   

Kuwait, Day 3 - 7 April 2011, Abdali Farms, Maghasil, Jahra East Outfall & Jahra Pools

Day 3 and another early start. This time we awoke to clear skies which would thankfully be with us for the remainder of the trip.


First up was an early morning drive north towards the Iraq border and the expansive area of farms known collectively as Abdali Farms. Our main target for the morning was to locate the only Afghan (Common) Babblers in the WP. With sightings this year few and far between and the birds seeming to have wandered we weren't too hopeful but all spread out and walked the date palm fields with ears and eyes open. And the tactic worked! A call from the left hand end of the line and within a few minutes a delighted group were ticking off this much sought after bird as we watched 5 adult birds. Soon they moved through a fence and melted away though so we had been very fortunate. Sadly we weren't so lucky with the other target species here, despite much searching of a large area we couldn't find any Red-wattled Lapwings. Other species were few and far between but we did manage Rufous Bush Robin, Graceful Prinias, Isabelline Wheatear, 2 Hoopoes and as we were leaving a female Namaqua Dove on wires by the road. Most noticable was a raptor passage consisting of 9 Booted Eagles (exceptional numbers for Kuwait) consisting of 6 pale, 2 dark and 1 rufous bird, c4 Sparrowhawks, several Kestrels, 1 Lesser Kestrel and then a lovely Long-legged Buzzard as we proceeded to out next site.

Namaqua Dove, Abdali Farms

On the way back to the Jahra area we called into a site at Maghasil which affords some good views across towards Bubiyan Island. Here we were treated to some nice close views of 3 Swift Terns, 1 Lesser Crested Tern, 4 Little Terns, 5 Western Reef Herons, 8 Curlew and several Yellow Wagtails.

Jahra East Outfall was next on the agenda and boy how this site has changed in the last couple of years. Access is now tricky and involves negotiating a building site as the developers edge closer to the reedbed. Once there we were faced with poor viewing conditions due to a lack of grazing meaning reeds have grown up cloaking the productive stream. We did manage to clock up 2 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Water Pipit, 2 Red-throated Pipits and several Yellow Wagtails. Very sadly a sickly Steppe Buzzard on the saltmarsh which was unable to fly had to be put out of its misery. It was time to move on...

Steppe Buzzard, Jahra East Outfall

To finish the day on an upbeat note we ventured to the nearby Jahra Pools which proved to be the perfect antidote, there we birds everywhere! Greeted by an amazing flock of 35 Purple Herons we moved the cars into position overlooking a flooded creek in the reeds and to the delight of my German passengers were soon feasting our eyes on 1 Baillon's Crake, 5 Little Crakes and 2 Spotted Crakes all within a few meters of each other. Around the other side of the reserve the water levels were good for waders and we had 6 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Marsh Sandpipers, Greenshank, Ruff, Little Stints, c20 Red-necked Phalaropes and c15 Black-winged Stilts together with c5 Garganey, c6 Little Grebes and 2 Grey-headed Swamphens. Passerines were represented by single Reed and Savis Warblers, a male Bluethroat (race magma), 1 Water Pipit and the commoner pipits and wagtails. 3 more Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, 3 Night Herons, 2 Glossy Ibis and c15 Collared Pratincoles swooping over our heads as dusk fell made sure we finished the day in good spirits before braving the evening traffic chaos on the way back to our hotel!

Baillon's Crake, Jahra Pools

Baillon's Crake, Jahra Pools

Red-necked Phalarope, Jahra Pools

Spotted Crake, Jahra Pools

Yellow Wagtail (feldegg), Jahra Pools 

       

     

        

Kuwait, Day 2 - 6 April 2011, Al Abraq, Fahaheel & Zour Port

Having caught up on some sleep day 2 dawned with us all feeling a bit more refreshed for our 06.00 start. Our first aim for the day was to visit the isolated area of farms out in the western desert at Al Abraq. Being surrounded by mile upon mile of hot a featureless desert getting there can be a tricky undertaking if you don't know it. Even then it involves a drive of the last few miles over open sandy desert making a 4-wheel drive vehicle essential.
We arrived after finding the area rather windblown but quickly settled into a thorough working of the area for migrants.  Things took a while but with work we winkled out some great birds - both male and female Menetries's Warblers and Upcher's Warbler were the highlights but 5 Grey Hypocolious, Wryneck, 3 Hoopoes, c3 Redstarts, Rufous Bush Robin, several Tree and Red-throated Pipits, Yellow Wagtails (feldegg, beema and lutea), Song Thrush, c35 Short-toed Larks, 2 Ortolans, Spanish Sparrow, Daurian and Masked Shrike vied for attention. A call from the Austrians had us hot footing it to the edge of southern fields where a grey eastern race Grasshopper Warbler eventually showed superbly. Non passerines included Crag Martin, Green Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Squacco Heron, Steppe Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, 2 Montagu's Harriers and a Sparrowhawk. 

European Bee-eater, Al Abraq

Grasshopper Warbler (race straminea), Al Abraq

Grey Hypocolious, Al Abraq

Marsh Harrier, Al Abraq

Menetries's Warbler, Al Abraq

Birding at Al Abraq

Upcher's Warbler, Al Abraq

Upcher's Warbler, Al Abraq

After leaving the farms and getting back onto the tarmac we spotted a Steppe Grey Shrike beside the road and were amazed that in flight alongside our moving car the bird flew at c70 kph!

Our main aim for the afternoon was to undertake the long drive south to Zour Port, a Chevron owned oil installation. En-route however we stopped at the coastal town of Fahaheel which provides a good view of the sea and some offshore concrete reefs. A white morph Western Reef Heron showed very closely on the edge of the marina but this was eclipsed by great views of a single Swift Tern on a offshore platform alongside 3 Lesser Crested Terns allowing easy comparison.

Western Reef Heron, Fahaheel

Western Reef Heron, Fahaheel

Further south at Zour Port we met our friend Austin Baird who kindly arranged access and escorted us around the best sites within the complex. Sadly our target species Socotra Cormorant, Bridled and White-cheeked Terns were nowhere to be seen but we did manage 35 Crab Plover flying north, Red-necked Phalarope, Greater Sandplover, 1 Ortolan, 7 Pale Rock Sparrows, 2 Desert Wheatears, 2 Isabelline Wheatears, c10 Pied Wheatears, Crag Martin, 40+ Chiffchaffs, Southern Grey Shrike and arguably best of all a 1st year Great Black-headed Gull on the beach at the point itself.

Desert Wheatear, Zour Port

Pale Rock Sparrows, Zour Port

Tour Group, Zour Port

White-cheeked Bulbul, Zour Port

     

 

Kuwait, Day 1 - 5 April 2011, Pivot Fields, Manchester Club & Jahra Farms

My now annual spring trip to Kuwait was in its 4th consecutive year and this time the tour was enjoyed by an extended group consisting of 3 Finns, 3 Germans and a Dane. A truly multi-national week!


Despite participants arriving at different times from different places our rendezvous at the airport went well. We had soon met our local guide and were straight into birding. 


First port of call were the Pivot Fields, a large area of green cultivation SW of Kuwait City. At the pond here we quickly found the long-staying Pygmy Cormorant plus Little Crake, a nice male Little Bittern, c5 Squacco Herons, Little Egret, Cattle Egrets and 8 lovely Glossy Ibis. Examination of the scrub and reeds along the fence revealed a striking male White-throated Robin, Rufous Bush Robin, Great Reed Warbler, Masked and Turkestan Shrike. We then split the group into 3 vehicles (by now an independent Austrian group led by Ernst Albegger had joined us) and drove the various tracks around the whole area. Doing this we picked up Pallid Harrier, several Black Kites, European Roller, Hoopoe, c6 Redstarts, 1 Black Redstart, c15 Pied Wheatears, c10 Northern Wheatears, Tawny Pipit, Daurian Shrike and Siberian Stonechat before meeting back at the gates.

Daurian Shrike, Pivot Fields

Turkestan Shrike, Pivot Fields

Glossy Ibis, Pivot Fields

Hoopoe, Pivot Fields

Pied Wheatear, Pivot Fields

Pygmy Cormorant, Pivot Fields

European Roller, Pivot Fields

Our next destination was the very un-Kuwaiti sounding Manchester Club on the southern edge of Kuwait Bay. Waders are the main attraction here with Crab Plover being the really sought after species. We were lucky enough to find 3 hiding amongst the other waders, terns and gulls. The pick of the other sightings here were c50 Terek Sandpipers, c10 Lesser Sandplovers, c6 Kentish Plovers, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, c4 Whimbrel, Wigeon, Shoveler, several Caspian and Gull-billed Terns, a single dark morph Western Reef Heron amongst numerous Slender-billed Gulls.

Crab Plovers, Manchester Club

Tour Group, Manchester Club

Our final site of the day was one of my personal favoutites - Jahra Farms. This area of small holdings in the centre of busy Jahra has a great reputation for harbouring migrants and today we had a good selection - c12 Grey Hypocolious were very welcome being high up on everyone's target list. A male Semi-collared Flycatcher showed well as did Masked Shrike, c8 European Bee-eaters, White, Grey and Yellow Wagtails (feldegg and beema), c8 Tree Pipits, c3 Red-throated Pipits, Hoopoe, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. A very interesting looking brown chiffchaff flew from where it was being watched by the German guys and settled in to a palm right next to me. It proved very interesting indeed - a very distinctive Mountain Chiffchaff. Also seen were the resident White-breasted Kingfisher, Bank and Common Mynas.

Red-throated Pipit, Jahra Farms

  

  

    

Marlingford, Norfolk, 27 February 2011

A little detour on the way back to Norwich from Pulham and the Great White Egret found by Jus yesterday was present on arrival and showing nicely in flooded meadows by the River Yare. Little Egret, Common Buzzard, Wigeon, Teal and Little Grebe also present while chatting to Dave Russell (with less than welcome input from dongler!)
No camera = no photos! 

The Gambia, Day 7 – 17 February 2011, Lamin Lodge, Abuko NR, Kotu Bridge and Kotu Ponds

Our last day so we decided to visit the gloriously appointed Lamin lodge, on stilts in the water amongst the mangroves. Birding here was disappointing however with just several White-biiled Buffalo Weavers, Red-chested Swallows and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters amongst scattered commoner terns.

The afternoon was a different story however as I decided on a return visit to Abuko NR to show Belinda, Jacob and Hannah how good a place this is. Most of the birds seen were similar to my first visit but this time I managed to photograph a perched Giant Kingfisher. Common Wattle-eye, Lavender Waxbill, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat, African Thrush, Red-billed Firefinch, Black-necked Weaver, Violet Turaco, Green Wood Hoopoe and Black-shouldered Kite were all seen but this time I scored with 3 news birds as well – Little Greenbul, an amazing male African Paradise Flycatcher and a Pied-winged Swallow.

Black-necked Weaver

Giant Kingfisher

Green Wood Hoopoe

Vinaceous Dove

To round things off I opted for a stroll around the Kotu Bridge and Ponds area from late afternoon until dusk.  Hamerkop, Black Heron, African Grey Hornbill and Little Bee-eaters entertained as did another Lizard Buzzard and then 3-4 Black Crakes and Little Grebe at the ponds. A new bird in the form of a Siffling Cisticola was a nice find as were the flock of 50+ White-faced Whistling Ducks that circled over before presumably settling on the ponds. Senegal Coucals showed nicely in the evening sun as I headed towards the bridge and my final tick of the trip – 2 glorious Blue-breasted Kingfishers! As dark descended a perched Broad-billed Roller allowed some dingy photographs to be hastily snapped.

Broad-billed Roller

Grey-headed Gull

Little Bee-eater

Lizard Buzzard

Pied Kingfisher

Senegal Coucal

Spur-winged Plover

Wattled Plover

White-faced Whistling Ducks

What a trip, 153 species including 103 lifers despite only birding for a total of about 2 days!         

The Gambia, Day 6 - 16 February 2011, Kartong and Tanji

Today was filled with a whole day tour with Tilly’s Tours called ‘The Southern Gambia Experience’, which involved a visit to Kartong the most southerly village in The Gambia, by the river boorder with Senegal.

The drive south in the open topped Landrover gave me views of Blue-bellied Roller, Grey Kestrel, Pied Hornbill, several Bronze Mannikins and in Tanji village 2 Vitelline Masked Weavers. At Kartong I picked up a hugely impressive Long-crested Eagle amongst the soaring Hooded Vultures while the river here held Gull-billed and Caspian Terns, Little Egret and several Turnstones looking over towards Senegal. A couple of Orange-cheeked Waxbills showed nicely at Gunjur Reptile Farm and a White-faced Scops Owl was pointed out to us by helpful staff at the Tanji Village Museum. At Tanji fish catch numerous Royal and Lesser Crested Terns and Grey-headed Gulls flocked overhead looking for pickings and on the drive back I was surprised to get a Violet Turaco flying over the road and also a Black-shouldered Kite.

White-faced Scops Owl