Update 5.4.2010: Thierry and Marianne Quelennec managed to see the bird in its origanal place yesterday. Seems that it is moving in much bigger area than we assumed.

Update 4.4.2010: I decided to omit word possible as I received confirmation of ID from several people. I have also learnt much about its ID since yesterday as well as seen many photographs. Unfortunately we couldn’t relocate the bird today.

This is update to original posting. Tommy Pedersen confirmed ID and told me that there is in U.A.E. third record: One Al Warsan Water Treatment Plant 21.12.2009 (S.P. Lloyd); presumed same Safa Park 14-15.01 & 02-07.03.2010 (P.Mountain, N.Tovey, R.Khan et al.).

Original posting: Visiting birders Hans Rudhe, Olle Karlson and myself found a Drongo this afternoon at Jahra Farms that seems to be Ashy Drongo. Original founder of the bird is Hans Rudhe. This species has been seen in U.A.E. twice. First sightning is one  in  Abu Dhabi Hilton/Spinney’s area 16.-19.12.2006 (N.Moran et al). The second record is: One Ain al-Fayda Park 29.02. – 07.03.2008 (S.L.James et al). However, the ID and the status of this bird will be reviewed and confirmed later on by KORC.

The bird seemed to be in perfect plumage which is not typical for long-tailed gage bird. Its behaviour was normal for Drongo and it wasn’t tame. Still we need to check all possibilities.

Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus)

African Darter Anhinga (melanogaster) rufa is a new species for Kuwait was found and photographed by OSk members today at Jahra Pool reserve. It was Rashed who first paid attention to the bird identified it. This morning it was seen Nawaf Ahmed, Mohammad Al-Kandary, Ibrahim Al-Nassar and AbdulRsahman Al-Sirhan.

African Darter Anhinga (melanogaster) rufa, photographs by Rashed Al-Hajji

African Darter Anhinga rufa, photographs by Nawaf Ahmed

Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris

I heard from Khalid Al-Ghanem about Mongolian Finches on previous day. Today I went to the site with Simon Price to see the birds by ourselves. First we saw two Trumpeter Finches but soon after that Mongolian Finches started to come to drinking pool. Our best estimation was 12 birds.

Trumpeter Finch (Bucanetes githagineus)

Mongolian Finch (Bucanetes mongolicus)  Male

Mongolian Finches

On 5/03/2009 Khaled Al-Ghanem has found a first record for Kuwait a Mongolian Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes mongolicus. The bird was found in Sabah Al-Ahmed Natural Reserve in a flock of up to six, but today on 20/03/2009 the number increased to 12 birds according to Pekka Fågel.

This bird inhabits high arid desert to semi-desert  mountains up to 4200m or in rocky slopes and steep  cliffs, descends in winter to lower levels, a gregarious bird, sedentary to partially migratory that flies some distance to water.

The bird occurs in Western Palearctic only in Eastern Turkey discontinuously to Armenia and Azerbaijan (and in Northern Iran, Elburz Mountains).

It has been recorded in Bahrain as vagrant but no records from the other Gulf States as far as I know.

The following photograph is by Khaled Al-Ghanem Bucanetes mongolicus.

Ouda Al-Bathalie a member of Kuwait Birding forum has asked me to see what he thinks a new bird for Kuwait at his farm. This morning Rashed and I went to his farm and photographed the bird it turned out to be an Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus, a first winter.

Asian Koel has been recorded twice in Bahrain (has not been accepted yet), eight times in UAE between 1996 and 2006, and is an uncommon and irregular winter visitor to Oman with a mximum of six birds, birds are  mostly seen at Masirah.

This bird has not been seen at Kuwait Bird Market according to Ouda Al-Bathalie who owns a bird shop at this Market. Further, no birds have been imported to Kuwait since the breakout of avian flu. The bird being a first winter, as the white tips to greater coverts and in breast indicate this age, also being a parasitic bird that parasites on Crows and Mynas would make it difficult to breed in captivity or even impossible. It must have flown to Kuwait from its breeding ground naturally.

The heavy yellowish green hooked bill, unforked heavy rounded tail, yellowish green legs, and gape reaches under eye excludes any other forms of Drongo.

This constitutes a first record for Kuwait and the Western Palearctic as defined by BWP by Cramp and Simmons 1977 if accepted by KORC.

Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus

In the morning I decided to visit Jahra Farms. After seeing many interesting birds I came across with Phylloscopus-species that I first thaught to be either Willow Warbler or Chiff Chaff. Since I was carrying quite heavy camera equipment I decided to photograph the bird and identify species at home from my pictures. While shooting few quick shots I noticed obvious green panels on the wings. Unfortunately the bird flew to nearby big Tamarisk tree and disappeared. I thought about the possibility that I had seen Bonelli’s Warbler type of bird.This was confirmed after downloading my pics onto computer.

Identification was based on the following features: First task was  to identify it as Bonelli’s Warbler/Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler. Greenish panels on the wings and greenish sides of tail are clearly visible as well as yellowish rump. Edges of tertials are whitish, Face of the bird is whitish as well as the rest of underpart. Eye-ring is unbroken. To identify bird as Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler: Amount of green colour  on the wings and sides of the tail is rich. Longer primary projection compared to Bonelli’s Warbler. Grey head, neck and upper mantle are without any hint of greenish tinge. However, no call was heard.

 Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler (Phylloscopus orientalis)

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler

Brian and me decided to try Lappet-faced Vulture today altough the bird wasn’t seen on previous day.  After 4 hours search we couldn’t find anything else than several migrants. We saw 3 Upcher’s Warblers, 1 Syke’s Warbler, 2 Barred Warblers, 3 Great Reed Warblers, several fuscus type Reed Warblers, 2 Rollers, 1 Golden Oriole, several Shrikes and Willow Wartblers. We were just about to leave Tulha when Brian noticed a big bird coming to the pool. There it was - Lapped-faced Vulture. We quickly informed other birders around and started photographing. Next three pictures photographed by P. Fagel.

Lappet-Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus)

Lappet-faced Vulture

Lappet-faced Vulture

Lappet-faced Vulture 1, White-winged Tern 1, Garden Warbler 1, Barred Warbler 2, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin 4, Northern Wheatear 2, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler 2, Whinchat 1, Corncrake 1, Comon Redstarts 3, European Roller 1, Red-backed Shrike 3, Spotted Flycatcher 4, Masked Shrike 1, Cattle Egret 1.

The Cattle Egret has been preying on birds on the last two visits to Tulha, this time flew and attacked a Red-backed Shrike, later I saw it swallowing a large bird probably the shrike.

Lappet-faced Vulture as pointed out to me by Frédéric Jiguet from France. A first for Kuwait subject to acceptance by KORC. Notice naked face and throat, this is probably negevensis race from Arabia, because of white face.

On 27/04/2008 the French group found an Oriental Pratincole at JEO at dusk, next day the bird was not relocated. I then re-read the article in Dutch Birding 27:1-35 (2005) by G. Driessens & L. Svensson, referring back to some photographs that I made at JEO and Pivot Fields, there were two birds of that species photographed at Pivot Fields.

On 25/04/2008 at Pivot Fields I saw a flock of more than 30 Pratincoles, at that time I was searching for Black-winged Pratincole, three were close and I quickly photographed two of them, but sunddenly all three flew 10 metres back to join the flock, they all had the red underwing pit, I left the place thinking that they were Collared Pratincole.

Bird discription from photographs:

The birds had short tail streamers shorter than primary projection, red on bill short, lower mandible has red restricted to the area further down to base of bill, beyond the the feathering at base of lower mandible from below, black lore, the black extends further to sides of forehead, the nostril looked oval in shape, neck sides and nape had an orange-rufous colour, upperparts were dark as that of Black-winged pratincole, the birds had an upright stance when compared to the horizontal stance of collared Pratincole, they had slightly longer legs when compared to photographs of Colllared Pratincoles. Comparing the bill of Oriental to Collared, from photographs the Oriental had a deeper based bill and the feathering of lower mandible stretches a little forward.

Oriental Pratincole, short tail streamers.

Oriental Pratincole head, oval nostril, neck sides and nape orange in colour, darker lore extending to sides of forehead, black on lower mandible extends beyond the feathering at lower mandible base.

Oriental Pratincole another bird, an upright stance and short tail streamers and longer-legged.

Comparing head and bill shape, Collared Pratincole (left) and Oriental Pratincole (right), see nostril shape difference and amount of red on both mandibles.

The following has just been posted at WestPalBirds@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Richard Bonser:

A Lesser Frigatebird has been seen and photographed this evening at Zour Port, southern Kuwait by visiting English birders- a national first and as I understand it the 4th Western Palearctic record and the first away from Israel (birds at Eilat on 1st December 1997, 6th May 1999 and 16th April 2005).
Of interest a single Socotra Cormorant, 100 Bridled and 4 White-cheeked Terns were also at this site today.
Cheers and good birding
Rich__

From Lee G R Evans I recieved this email through UK400Club@yahoogroups.com:
Just in the nick of time ! A single SOCOTRA CORMORANT has returned this
spring to Zour Port in Kuwait but more importantly, a juvenile LESSER FRIGATEBIRD
is showing well this evening, along with 100 or more BRIDLED TERNS. The
Frigatebird constitutes the first record for Kuwait (Lee Gregory, Justin Lansdell,
etc). With luck, the bird will still be present tomorrow. I shall be there with
a group from 11th-16th April

Lee G R Evans

It is probably the iredalei subspecies as it is this subspecies that breeds in Mascarene Islands east of Madagascar and disperses to coasts of India and Somalia. The other two subspecies recognized, namely ariel and trinitatis are unlikely.

Today at Subiya,  Purple Sunbird 1, Desert Warbler 2, Desert Wheatear 2, Isabelline Wheatear 2.

Overgrazing soon will  the destroy the new shoots of Lycium Shawii bushes that contains flowers, the main food for the Sunbirds reducing the bushes to  just woody branches pointing upwards, another story of habitat destruction.

At Ras Al-Subiya, Purple Sunbird seen by the two British Birders.

This morning Dr. Gary Brown went to Subiya and photographed a Sunbird and a Desert Warbler, his photographs are shown below.

Today the two groups arrived at Kuwait international airport, a Danish and a British group; they headed straight to Subiya and relocated the two Purple Sunbirds.

This morning they were at the Pivot Fields when I met them, we then split into three groups in search of the Little Curlew, even though two days ago it was not relocated again. This morning it was very cold, temperature was down to 5° C and the Pivot Fields had reduced it bird numbers to only c. 20%, Water Pipits, Northern Lapwings and White Wagtails are not seen in 100’s any more, so unfortunately we couldn’t find the Little Curlew.

I found 3 Merlins two on one patch, 4 Namaqua Doves, 10 White Wagtails, 7 Water Pipits, 14 Northern Lapwings, and the Danishes saw 1 European Golden Plover, although two days ago they were 9 European Golden Plovers as reported by Brian.

We decided to go to Sulaibikhat Reserve to see the Long-tailed Shrike, but the British were more interested in finding the Indian Roller, as they had seen the Long-tailed Shrike last spring. On our way to the Sulaibikhat Reserve, I suddenly decided to take them to Kuwait University as it was on our way, I have already told them that the Indian Roller in no longer in Kuwait University, as Rashed tried more than three times to relocate the bird but couldn’t until he gave up. At Kuwait University the groups were trying to relocate a Masked and an Isabelline Shrikes they already had already seen, then I looked to my left hand side and found the Indian Roller just 20m away, the two groups were very happy and much relieved.

On 12/12008 Dr. Gary photographed a European Golden Plover, his photograph is shown below.