Again new species turned up in Al Abraq. Todays’s highlight was Grasshopper Warbler which is not very rare but rarely seen well and hardly ever before photographed in Kuwait. This time Mike, Ian and myself were lucky enough to get some close-up photos. An other new species for this season was Redstart.

Golden Oriole 4, Corncrake 1, Grasshopper Warbler 1, Redstart 1, Whinchat 1, Wryneck 1, Whitethroat 10+, Barred Warbler 1,  Bluethroat 2, Thrush Nightingale 1, Yellow Wagtail 20+, Citrine Wagtail 1, Great Reed Warbler 1, Marsh Warbler 3, European Roller 3, Hoopoe 10+, White-throated Robin 1, Woodchat Shrike 1, Red-backed Shrike 1, Rufous Bush Robin 3, Cattle Egret 13, Squacco Heron1, Black Kite 2, Montagu’s Harrier 1, Marsh Harrier 1

Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)

Grasshopper Warbler

Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia)

Bluethroat, probably race magna (Luscinia svecica ssp. magna?)

After quite empty handed trip to Abdaly I decided to visit Jahra Farms once again. Rashed Al-Hajji was there and he kindly helped me to get finally nice shots of Golden Oriole. According to Rashed also Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler was still present. However, I didn’t manage to see it this time.

Golden Oriole

Golden Oriole

Whitethroat in “Studio Lights”

Rosy Starling along road 80 to Abdaly

I was tempted to visit Pivot Fields again this morning like Khalid Al-Ghanem too in hope to get some good pictres of Great Bittern. While photographing we noticed that there must be two birds and indeed my two first pics show clear difference in facial markings. Especially blackish stripe down from the eye is very different with these birds. Also stripes on upper breast are different. Luckily birds were very co-operative today. Other birds today were very much same than yesterday.

Great Bittern n:o 1

Great Bittern n:o 2

Great Bittern in very slim posture

Glossy Ibis

At Hospital Area: Gull-billed Tern  25, Terek Sandpiper 20, Little Stint 10, Ruddy Turnstone 5, Steppe Gull 6.

At Sulaibikhat Bay: Steppe Gull 23, Caspian Gull 3, Heuglin’s Gull 4, Armenian Gull 2, Black Tern (juvenile) 1, Little Tern 20, Purple Heron 1, Greenshank 1, Redshank 5, Terek Sandpiper 30, Garganey 1.

Black Tern (juvenile) 8th record.

Rick, Mike and me decided to visit this morning Pivot Fields also because Abdulrahman had seen Great Bittern over there two days ago. Wet area was expanded significantly thus providing good habitat for many species though number of Garganeys was anymore only 5 being few days earlier 33.

Great Bittern 1, Purple Heron 2, Little Egret 1, Squacco Heron 2, Cattle Egret 1, Glossy Ibis 1, Hoopoe 3,  Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 15, European Bee-eater 3, Black Kite 1, Marsh Harrier 1, Montagu’s Harrier 3,  Collared Pratincole 15, White-tailed Plover 1, Ruff 20, Green Sandpiper 1, Garganey 5, Yellow Wagtail 5, Short-toed Lark 2

Great Bittern

Great Bittern

Glossy Ibis

Pivot Fields: Great Bittern 1,  Little Ringed Plover 1, Squacco Heron 3, Glossy Ibis 1, Ruff 6, European Roller 3, Sand Martin 10, Barwn Swallow 20, Green Sandpiper 1, Collared Pratincole 1, Marsh Harrier 1, Great Reed Warbler 1, European Bee-eater 4, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 6.

Shuwaikh Port: Curlew Sandpiper 80, Bar-tailed Godwit 50, Greater Sand Plover 10, Lesser Sand Plover 30, Broad-billed Sandpiper 20, Whimbrel 4, Grey Plover 1, Dunlin 2, Eurasian Oystercatcher 1, Ringed Plover 2, Heuglin’s Gull 1.

Great Bittern.

Heuglin’s Gull.

Glossy Ibis.

Squacco Heron.

Another Squacco Heron.

Little Ringed Plover.

At Jahra Farms:

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1, Upcher’s Warbler 1, Bluethroat 1, Barred Warbler 1, Blackcap 1, Eurasian Hoopoe 3, Clamorous Reed Warbler 1, Rosenecked Parakeet 2, White-eared Bulbul 4.

At Tulha:

Lesser Grey Shrike 1, Isabelline Wheatear 2, Whitethroat 1, Crested Lark 30, Great Reed Warbler 1, Bluethroat 1, Eurasian Wryneck 1, Lesser Short-toed Lark 1, Greater Short-toed Lark 2.

A Clamorous Reed Warbler.

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler.

Jahra Farms has been since Eastern Bonellis Warbler was found on 12.8 actual birding hot spot in Kuwait. Star was still present this morning. However, also new species seem to turn up almost every day. New arrival today was Semi-collared Flycatcher. This species seems to migrate through Kuwait in August in small numbers. (Last year Mike Pope and me found 3 at Al Abrag on 18 Aug.) This has not been known previously.

Blackcap 2, Whitethroat 2, Barred Warbler 1, Upcher’s Warbler 1, Olivaceous Warbler 2, Semi-collared Flycatcher 1, Spotted Flycatcher 2, White-throated Robin 1, Golden Oriole 1, White-throated Kingfisher 1, Rose-ringed Parakeet 2.

Semi-collared Flycatcher obviously 1st summer bird

White-throated Robin most probably 1st summer bird as well

Jahra’s star Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler

Migration has advanced to the point that brings first ducks to Kuwait. Garganey is typically first to arrive but still a flock of 33 birds was a bit surprising in August.  Montagu’s Harrier was a new raptor species for the season. Numbers of our two Bee-eater species are growing rapidly.

Purple Heron 1, Little Egret 3, Cattle Egret 13, Garganey 33, Ruff 5, Little Ringed Plover 7, Green Sandpiper 1, Collared Pratincole 4, European Roller 6, Hoopoe 10+,  European Bee-eater 15, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 35, Barn Swallow 300+, Sand Martin 5, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark 30, Rufous Bush Robin 4, Woodchat Shrike 1, Great Rreed Warbler 2.

Garganeys landing to wet field.

Purple Heron

I started at 12:15PM at Shuwaikh Free Zone then moved along the coast at Sulaibikhat Bay untill I reached Doha Spit. High tide was at 12:35PM, I reached Doha Spit at 2:45PM so high waters were much reduced and the birds were too far to count, I counted only large birds, mainly Curlews, Oystercatchers and Crab Plovers. I finshed counting at the end of Doha Spit at 3:13PM.

Little Stint 528, Dunlin 4, Broad-billed Sandpiper 47, Greater Sand Plover 6, Lesser Sand Plover 40, Common Ringed Plover 4, Sanderling 12, Curlew Sandpiper 194, Ruddy Turnstone 66, Eurasian Oystercatcher 98, Greater Flamingo 225, Crab Plover 108, Little Tern 151, Gull-billed Tern 47, Grey Heron 107, Grey Plover 14, Common Redshank 54, Terek Sandpiper 121, Slender-billed Gull 400, Caspian Tern 17, Eurasian Curlew 124, Western Ref Egret 20, Greenshank 6.

Eurasian Oystercatcher.

 Grey Plover.

Ruddy Turnstone.

A flock. Top left Greater Sand Plover, two lower right and the exreme left are Little Stints, the one in the middle and that to the right but lower with buff breast are Lesser Sand Plovers. The five darker birds are Broad-billed Sandpipers. The largest body with long bill is Curlew Sandpiper.

Note the size difference between the Lesser and the Greater Sand Plovers, their leg colour; the Lesser has darker legs, see also bill size; the Lesser has shorter and finer bill. Compare also differences in  neck and head size and shape in proportion to rest of body.

At Jahra Farms:

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 2 (seen by Khaled Al-Ghanem), Icterine Warbler 1, Masked Shrike 1, Upcher’s Warbler 1, White-throated Robin 1, Laughing Dove 6, Southern Grey Shrike 1, Barred Warbler 1.

At Sulaibikhat Bay:

Armenian Gull 2, Steppe Gull (Larus [cachinnans] barabensis) 20, Little Tern 98, Terek Sandpiper 100, Black-tailed Godwit 4, Eurasian Curlew 96, Bar-tailed Godwit 35, Grey Plover 40, Dunlin 20, Little Stint 50, Black-crowned Night Heron 1, Ruddy Turnstone 20, Grey Heron 60, Common Redshank 40, Greater Flamingo 250, Caspian Gull (eastern type) 2, Whimbrel 1, Little Egret 3, Caspian Tern 30,Gull-billed Tern 6.

Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans). Note the white in P10 which is typical of eastern cachinnans.

Armenian Gull.

Armenian Gull in flight, note how the black in wing is reduced in a similar fashion to that of some Steppe Gulls (barabensis).

Steppe Gull (L. barabensis).

This morning Pekka has relocated the Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler (Kuwait’s first) he has found on 12/08/2008, I was able to see the bird and photograph it. The birds we saw today as follows:

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 2, Icterine Warbler 3, Blackcap 3, Upcher’s Warbler 2, Willow Warbler 1, Common Nightingale 1, Rose-ringed Parakeet 3.

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler.

Icterine Warbler.

An other early morning for birding. I saw in Tulha some interesting birds:

Great Spotted Cuckoo 1 (First summer bird), European Roller 1, Hoopoe 5, Woodchat Shrike 1, Masked Shrike 1, Egyptian Nightjar 1, Crested Lark 100+, Short-toed Lark 1, Cream-coloured Courser 1, Collared Dove 6, Sand Martin 1 and Rufous Bush Robin 2.

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

Early morning visit to Jahra Farms was surprisingly rewarding. I first encountered Rosy Starling and after photographing Black-headed Bunting I returned to Ali’s side. Finding and description of Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler is described above,

In the following are listed my all the records from this morning:

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1 (First for Kuwait if accepted by KORC), Rosy Starling 1, Black-headed Bunting 1, Bank Myna 4, Rose-ringed Parakeet 2, White-throated Kingfisher 1, Hoopoe 2, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler 1, Yellow Wagtail 2, Woodchat Shrike 1, White-eared Bulbul 2, Isabelline Wheatear 1, Collared Dove 2, Laughing Dove 4, Feral Pigeon 10+ and House Sparrow 20+.

Rosy Starling.