Trips to the Pivot Fields between 27/03 and 30/03 yielded up to 100 Cattle Egrets, 3 White Storks (29/03/2008), 15 Steppe Eagles, 1 Imperial Eagle, 1 Greater Spotted Eagle, 3 Montagu’s Harriers, 6 Pallid Harriers, 1 Eurasian Hobby, 12 Caspian Plovers, over 8 Collared Pratincoles, 50+ Eurasian Hoopoes, in excess of 300 hundred Greater Short-toed Larks and Yellow Wagtails, as well as the usual migrants.

30/03/2008: A visit to Kabd with a visiting Belgium group on 30/03/2008 proved quite fruitful, with 15 Dunn’s Larks, 30+ Black-crowned Sparrow-larks, 1 Short-toed Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, 1 Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, 1 White-throated Robin, 1 Upcher’s Warbler, 1 Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, 1 Asian Desert Warbler, 1 Ménétries’ Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Common Redstarts and a Crag Martin. The latter was probably also the same species the visiting German group and myself saw a few days previously, but were unable to identify.

31/3/2008: The lawns at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) at Shuwaikh continue to attract small numbers of migrants: the ca. 6 Tree Pipits have now augmented by a group of 20 Red-throated Pipits. Only a couple of Yellow Wagtails remain, but 1 male Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and a female Blue Rock Thrush have joined 4 Eurasian Hoopoes, four Pied Wheatears, 1 Northern Wheatear and Isabelline Shrike on the lawns. A Squacco Heron appears regularly on one lawn immediately after working hours, taking advantage of the peace and quiet. A further 12 Squacco Herons and 120 Greater Flamingos were present in the Sulabikhat Bay at KISR.

Dunn’s Lark singing

Red-throated Pipit

Steppe Eagle with Imperial Eagle at the Pivot Fields

Hen Harrier 1, male.

Rock Martin 3, the 6th record for Kuwait, Long-eared Owl 1, the 3rd record for Kuwait. All record are suject to exceptance by KORC.

Rock Martin photographed by Pekka Fågel.

At Sulaibikhat Bay: Common Shelduck 4.

At Sulaibiya: Orphean Warbler 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Upcher’s Warbler 3,  Common Redstart ssp. samamisicus 1, Common Whitethroat 1, Deser Warbler 1, Steppe Grey Shrike 1, Pallid Harrier 1.

At Pivot Fields: Hen Harrier 1, Collared Prantincole 55, Montagu’s Harrier1, Short-toed Eagle 1, Caspian Plover 3, European Roller 1, Namaqua Dove 28, Squacco Heron 4, Steppe Eagle 4.

At Al-Abraq, by Pekka Fågel and the Belgian visiting group:

Long-eared Owl 1, Shikra 1, Upcher’s Warbler 2, White-throated Robin 4.

Caspian Plover, male summer plumage.

Caspian Plover female.

Pallid Harrier, male.

I received this email from Pekka Fågel:

Belgian group came this morning and they got an excellent start for their trip. Male Shikra in the morning at Sulaibikhat N.R. There they saw also 4 Little Gulls in breeding plumage (we have only 4-5 records before). I had  an honor to join them in SAANR where we had 1 Rock Martin (Ptyonoprogne fuligula). After SAANR we visited Jahra Farms where we saw Stone Curlew. Also male White-throated Robin was seen well. One very interesting thing was to find a “new” well for Bank Mynahs. Although I have visited there frequently I have never noticed this well. Approximately 10 birds were seen around the well.

After Jahra Farms we opted to go to JEO in the end of the day which wasn’t bad decission. Due to weather conditions many raptors were on ground. We saw c. 50 Steppe Eagles, 3 Short-toed Eagles, 2 Booted Eagles and Imperial Eagle. Harriers and Lesser as well as Commom Kestrels were numerous. Then one bird dwarfed all the others - Black Vulture.

Black Vulture.

Steppe Eagles.

Various waders in Sulaibikhat bay at KISR, and a small group of Common Shelduck. A lone Squacco Heron was photographed near some mangroves.

The lawns at KISR supported up to 50 Yellow Wagtails (ca. 35 beema, 15 feldegg on the 24/03, but most had departed by 26/03. Up to 10 Tree Pipits were still around on 26/03/2008.

Also present were up to 10 Eurasian Hoopoes, a Ménétries’s Warbler, Graceful Prinia, small numbers of Pied and Black-eared Wheatears, a single Northern Wheatear, Common Stonechat, and the usual residents. 

Squacco Heron

Yellow Wagtail feldegg

Yellow Wagtail beema

Tree Pipit

White-eared Bulbul

Eurasian Hoopoe

Spring migration has now started in earnest – visiting birders are turning up daily from various parts of northern and central Europe.

An early morning trip to Kabd on the 25.03.2008 yielded 

1 Booted Eagle, 3 Dunn’s Larks, 1 possible Black-headed Bunting and 1 European Bee-eater, as well as the following, which a visiting group of Finnish birders were later able to see: 

2 Short-toed Eagles, 1 Steppe Eagle, 2 male Pallid Harriers (involved in a tangle over some prey), 1 Lesser Kestrel, 3 Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, 1 Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, 25 + Black-crowned Sparrow-lark (making for some very happy Finns), 1 Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and the usual shrikes, wheatears, larks etc.

26/03/2008: The visiting birders from Germany were luckier than the Finns on the previous day, as I was able to locate 1 pair of Dunn’s Lark, of which they got excellent views. Black-crowned Sparrow-lark was also very much in evidence, and good close-ups were also obtained. Apart from several Pallid Harriers, a male Montagu’s Harrier flew by. A small group of Pale Rockfinches was also observed.

Booted Eagle

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush waiting for my return from the Booted Eagle on my car

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush

Isabelline Shrike enjoying an early-morning snack

The Bunting

Axel, a visiting birder from Germany, in action

Isabelline Shrike ssp. isabellinus 1. Pale Rochfinch 3, Kurdish Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna xanthoprymna 1, Tree Pipit 1.

Kurdish Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna nominate race.

Isabelline Shrike ssp. isabellinus.

Pale Rochfinch.

Tree Pipit.

Northern Wheatear 1, Baillon’s Crake 1, Yellow Wagtail ssp. beema 4, Yellow Wagtail ssp. feldegg 8+, Siberian Stonechat ssp. maurua 1, Pallid Swift 2, Red-rumped Swallow 6, Barn Swallow 8,  House Martin 4.

Baillon’s Crake.

Yellow Wagtail ssp. beema.

Pallid Swift.

White Stork 1, Yellow Wagtail ssp. feldegg (melanogrisea) 1.

White Stork .

Yellow Wagtail ssp. feldegg (melanogrisea).

Liyah Quarry Site: Common Kestrel 5, Southern Grey Shrike 2, Isabelline Shrike 1, Greater Hoopoe Lark 3, Crested Lark 1, Black-eared Wheatear 2, Desert Wheatear 1, Pied Wheatear 3, Isabelline Wheatear 2, Asian Desert Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler 1.

Kabd (from outside the fence): Short-toed Eagle 1, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 8, Southern Grey Shrike 3.

Sulabikhat (next to KISR): Northern Wheatear 1, Siberian Stonechat ssp. maurus 4, Pied Wheatear 4, Black-eared Wheatear 2, Isabelline Wheatear 1, Tawny Pipit 2.

Black-eared Wheatear

Female Pied Wheatear

Siberian Stonechat ssp. maurus.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Little Swift 1.

Little Swift.

Baillon’s Crake 2, Spotted Crake 1, Garganey 1, Red-rumped Swallows 20+, House Martin 5+, Pallid Swift 6+, Barn Swallow 20+, Sand Martin 20+.

Baillon’s Crake.

Garganey 2, Little Swift 1, Baillon’s Crake 1, Bluethroat ssp. svecica 1,  Bluethroat ssp. cyanecula 1.

Bluethroat ssp. cyanecula.

Bluethroat ssp. svecica.

Baillon’s Crake.

Little Swift.

Garganey.

Garganey.

I tried to relocate the Little Swift, but couldn’t find it, I found many Barn Swallows, Sand Martins, House Martins, Red-rumped Sawallows.

Red-rumped swallow.