I spent morning at Tulha with Khalid Al-Ghanem. We were waiting raptors to drop to the pool to drink. Although the numbers of raptors were not high today a good variety f them compensated it. Juvenile Bonelli’s Eagle was a bit confusing but at home with raptor guide it was relatively easy to identify.

Hobby 1, Steppe Buzzard 3, Long-legged Buzzard 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Marh Harrier 1, Pallid Harrier 2, Montagu’s Harrier 2, Bonelli’s Eagle 1, Osprey 1, Short-toed Lark 100+, Crested Lark 20, Redstart 1, Blue Rock Thrush 1, Thrush Nightingale 1, Common Cuckoo 1, Laughing Dove 2, Collared Dove 3, European Bee-eater 25, Sand Martin 5, Barred Warbler 2, Whithethroat 2, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Blackcap 2.

Hobby (Falco subbuteo)

Long-legged Buzard (Buteo rufinus)

Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus.

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) juveile obviously very exhausted bird.

Some 25 Steppe Buzzards were on migration but otherwise not many new birds were around.

Egyptian Nightjar 1, Quail 1, Corncrake 2, Scops Owl 1, Black-crowned Night Heron 1, Steppe Buzzard 25, Black Kite 2, Sparrowhawk 2, Pallid Harrier 1, Willow Warbler 2, Chiffchaff 1, Whitethroat 2, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Barred Warbler 1, Olivaceous Warbler 1, Hoopoe 6, European Roller 1, Common Rosefinch 5, Ortolan Bunting 3, Black-headed Bunting 2, Short-toed Lark 20, Woodchat Shrike 1, Masked Shrike 1, Red-backed Shrike 1, Thrush Nightingale 1.

Egyptian Nightjar (Caprimulgus aegyptius)

Scops Owl (Otus scops)

Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythirnus)

A quick check of Jahra Farms this morning produced few records and photographs.

Common Cuckoo 1, Garden Warbler 2, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Olivaceous Warbler 1, Bank Myna 1, White-throated Kingfisher 1, Common Snipe 1, Yellow Wagtail 20+.

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) juvnile.

Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais pallida) 

Ramadan timings with reduced working hours is very much welcomed by expat birders. Just “slightly” pushing limits one can visit place like Al Abraq in early morning.

Black Kite 6, Common Buzzard 7, Long-legged Buzzard 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Booted Eagle 1, Pallid Harrier 1, Squacco Heron 1, Quail 1, Corncrake 1, Scops Owl 1, Hoopoe 8, Laughing Dove 1, Green Sandpiper 1, Golden Oriole 1, Spotted Flycatcher 5, Whitethroat 2, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Menetries’s Warbler 1, Barred Warbler 1, Garden Warbler 7, Olivaceus Warbler 2, Willow Warbler 2, Thrush Nightingale 1, Yellow Wagtail 20, Tree Pipit 1, Black-eared Wheatear 3, Isabelline Wheatear 1, Redstart 1, Short-toed Lark 60, Common Rosefinch 1, Ortolan Bunting 1, Black-headed Bunting 6.

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo ssp. vulpinus) “Steppe Buzzard”

Booted Eagle (Hieraetus pennatus) Pale morph.

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus ssp. samamisicus)

Menetries’s Warbler (Sylvia mystacea)

Still more bird shooter! at Jahra East Outfall. Common Buzzard 10, Marsh Harrier 2, Montagu’s Harrier 1, Pallid Harrier 2.

At Tulha: Greater Short-toed Lark 418, Common Buzzard 1, Crested Lark 20, Purple Heron 1, Masked Shrike 1, Steppe Grey Shrike 4, Yellow Wagtail 10.

Egyptian Nightjar, shot dead.

Common Buzzard.

At JEO there were 20 bird shooter cars from 6am to 7pm, so I went to Pivot Fields.

At Pivot Fields: Spotted Redshank 1, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Whiskered Terns 3, Wood Sandpiper 3, Ruff 15, Marsh Harrier 3, Little Ringed Plover 1, Purple Heron 3.

Spotted Redshank.

Spotted Redshank 1, Little Tern 2, Whiskered Tern 2, Garganey 2, Ruff 20, Little Ringed Plover 1, Purple Heron 28 (seen by Pekka), Black-crowned Night Heron 2, Black Kite 3, Marsh Harrier 2, Common Snipe 4, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Marsh Sandpiper 2, Green Sandpiper 3, Wood Sandpiper 3, Eurasian Hoopoe 4.

Spotted Redshank.

Isolated farm in the middle of desert surely draws birds attention. Actually it offers much needed relief to them.  Leaking taps and water reservoir are visited by hundreds if not thousands of birrds on  their way to wintering grounds.

Black Kite 15, Common Buzzard 6, Marsh Harrier 2, Montagu’s Harrier 3, Kestrel 1, Greenshank 1, Green Sandpiper 1, Golden Oriole 4, Hoopoe 20+, European Roller 1,  Willow Warbler 6, Barred Warbler 4, Whitethroat 2, Lesser Whitethroat 2, European Nightjar 1, Wryneck 1, Ortolan Bunting 2, Black-headed Bunting 1, Common Rosefinch 2, Yellow Wagtail 20+, Short-toed Lark 30+, Lesser Short-toed Lark 2, Lesser Grey Shrike 1, Red-backed Shrike 2, Masked Shrike 2.

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) and Black Kite (Milvus migrans) next to water pool

Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythirnus)

European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)

SAANR and pool at Tulha allways atracts birds. Juvenile Cuckoo had arrived and it was as exhausted as other migrants in hot weather. An other new migrant was European Nightjar.

European Nightjar 1, Common Cuckoo 1, Southern Grey Shrike 5, Masked Shrike 1, Isabelline Shrike 1, Golden Oriole 1, Spotted Flycatcher 2, Willow Warbler 3, Whitethroat 4, Barred Warbler 2, Eastern Orphean Warbler 1, , House Sparrow 10+, Grey Heron 1, Black Kite 1, Montagu’s Harrier 1, Hoopoe 4.

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) White nape patch is typical for juvenile bird.

European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) The bird was in shade of bushes next to small drinking pool just on the top of the ridge.

Once again Pivot Fields produced new species for this season. They were two White Storks (Initially found by Musaeed Al-Saleh) and three Caspian Plovers.

White Stork 2, Ruff 20+, Common Snipe 1, Green Sandpiper 1, Northern Lapwing 1, Garganey 16, Collared Pratincole 10,  Sand Martin 20+, Barn Swallow 10, Short-toed Lark 5, Black-crowned Finch Lark 20+, Tree Pipit 1.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Caspian Plover (Charadrius asiaticus)

It was a surprise not to see any raptor in Tulha although Al Abraq was flooded with raptors on previous day. With a kind help by Khalid Al-Ghanem I managed to get both photographs shown below.

Common Quail 1, Eurasian Scops Owl 1, Grey Heron 1, Shouthern Grey Shrike 3, Isabelline Shrike, Hoopoe 3, Yellow Wagtail 2. Crested Lark 10, Short-toed Lark 2, Collared Dove 4.

Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix)

Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops)

It was soon obvious that raptor migration had started. First for this autumn were Steppe Eagle, Booted Eagle and Pallid Harrier. Also Ortolan Bunting was new.

Steppe Eagle 1, Booted Eagle 1, Montagu’s Harrier 1, Pallid Harrier 3, Marsh Harrier 3, Black Kite 5, Common Buzzard 2, Ortolan Bunting 1, Black-headed Bunting 3, Woodchat Shrike 2, Red-backed Shrike 1, Masked Shrike 1, Barred Warbler 2, Eastern Orphean Warbler 1, Whitethroat 3, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Golden Oriole 4, Great Reed Warbler 1, Marsh Warbler 2, Upcher’s Warbler 1, Short-toed Lark 60, Yellow Wagtail 20, Turtle Dove 1.

Steppe Eagle, juvenile (Aqila nipalensis)

Booted Eagle, dark morph (Hieraetus pennatus)

Pallid Harrier, juvenile (Circus macrourus)

Pallid Harrier, female (Circus macrourus)

Eastern Orphean Warbler (Sylvia crassirostris)

Tulha produced quite typical species of this time of the year. Isabelline Shrike embraced it’s notorius reputation to hit small birds around. This time one poor Yellow Wagtail lost it’s life. It looks like that Shrike is interested only of head and leaves rest unused.

Garganey 1, Purple Heron 1, Grey Heron 1, Eastern Orphean Warbler 1, Barred Warbler 1, Whitehroat 3, Masked Shrike 1, Isabelline Shrike 1, Southern Grey Shrike 3, European Roller 1, Hoopoe 4, Chestnut-shouldered Sparrow 1.

Garganey  (Anas querquedula)

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellina) preying on Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

Chestnut-shouldered Sparrow (Petronia xanthocollis)

First for this autumn were Spotted Eagle, Northern Lapwing and Tawny Pipit with which I didn’t have luck in photographingi them. Great Bittern n:o 2 had moved 1 km NW and was enjoying waterspray from irrigation system.  

Montagu’s Harrier 3, Marsh Harrier 1, Spotted Eagle 1,  Kestrel 2, Black Kite 2, Purple Heron 5, Great Bittern 1,  Noerthern Lapwing 1, Ruff 60, Temminck’s Stint 1, Little Stint 6, Collared Pratincole 10+, Reed Warbler 4, Gtreat Reed Warbler 1,  Tawny Pipit, Green Sandpiper 2, Wood Sandpiper 3, Redshank 1, Curlew 1, European Roller 2, Hoopoe 6, Crested Lark 6, Short-toed Lark 20+. 

 Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus)

Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactula)

Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckii) This bird was photographed on 30. August at same place.

Montagu’s Harrier 3, Temminck’s Stint 4, Black-winged Stilt 50, Collared Pratincole 3, Greater Short-toed Lark 3.

Temminck’s Stint.

Montagu’s Harrier.