This morning I went out with Simon Price who is a new “Kid in the Block”.  Being South African birder most of our species are new to him as well as birding sites, of course. At Jahra East Outfall we encountered relatively tame Curlew offering good photographing opportunities. This bird must be female orientalis simply because of her impressive bill. Some visitors have even suggested Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) but Eurasian Curlew is readily told from it by having white vedge on rump and lower back.

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata ssp. orientalis)

Today’s target species were Dunn’s Lark and Black-crowned Sparrow-lark. The first one was relatively easy to find but Black-crowned Sparrow-lark was surprisingly difficult. Finally lark-specialist Dr. Gary Brown found one male for us.

Dunn’s Lark 25, Crested Lark 15, Bar-tailed Desert Lark 12, Skylark 35, Black-crowned Sparrow Lark 1, Corn Bunting 32, Isabelline Wheatear 3, Desert Wheatear 1, Finsch’s Wheatear 1, Desert Warbler 3, Spanish Sparrow 10.

Black-crowned Sparrow-lark (Eremopterix nigriceps)

After quick visit to Jahra Farms, where we managed to see Shikra and Bank Mynas, we headed to Abdaly. At our arrival all Red-wattled Lapwings were flying and we got a new Highest Daily Count of 32 birds. Common Babblers were obviously very quiet for a long time. Finally we heard them calling and then it was much easier to find the birds. While searching Babblers Domininic found White-tailed Lapwing.

Red-wattled Lapwing 32, White-tailed Lapwing 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Isabelline Shrike 1, Southern Grey Shrike 1, Tawny Pipit 4, Common Babbler 4, Crested Lark 20, Stone Chat 2, Bluethroat 1, Collared Dove 50, Laughing Dove 10.

White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)

Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

Visitors from England, Dominic Mitchell and  Royston Beddard  + myself, visited Green Island this morning for Hypocolius and Red-vented Bulbul which were present. Later short stop at Souq Sharq produced, thanks to Dominic, a Common Gull which is not common in Kuwait.  At Jahra Farms we had one more Grey Hypocolius, Indian Roller and Dark-throated Thrush.

Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)

1st. winter Common Gull (Larus canus)

Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)

Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus)

Short visit to Abdaly to check that Common Babblers and Red-wattled Lapwings are around. I saw at least three Common Babblers and 23 Red-wattled Lapwings. On my way back to Kuwait City I also checked former Purple Sunbird site at Subiya. No sunbirds but 1 Desert Warbler.

Common Babbler (Turtoides caudatus)

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

Desert Warbler (Sylvia nana)

Great Egret 2,  Little Egret 2, Night Heron 3, Cattle Egret 4, Grey Heron 15, Cormorant 10, Kestrel 3, Sparrowhawk 2, Shikra 1, Imperial Eagle 2, Greater Spotted  Eagle 2, Long-legged Buzzard 3, Common Buzzard 1, Black Kite 20, Lapwing 250, Sociable Plover 3, European Golden Plover 4, Pallid Swift 30, Water Pipit 25, Isabelline Shrike 1, Robin 1, Bluethroat 1, Isabelline Wheatear 2, Skylark 500, Starling 200, Chiffchaff 2.

Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)

Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)

Sociable Plover (Vanellus gregarius)

European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)

Pekka and AbdulRahman went to Al-Abraq today to reclocate the Hume’s Leaf Warbler (2nd record) after hearing the bird calls a number of time we finally managed to see the bird and Pekka managed to photograph it as well. Birds that were seen at Al-Abraq included:

Hume’s Leaf Warbler 1, Black Redstart 1, European Robin 1, Blackbird 1, Dark-throated Thrush 1, Song Thrush 5, Common Chiffchaff 1 (seen and heard calling), Mountain Chiffchaff 10, Cattle Egret 12.

Hume’s Leaf Warbler photographed by Pekka

At Jahra farms we  managed to photograph some White-cheeked Bubuls, the following photograph is by AbdulRahman

While chasing Hume’s Leaf  Warbler on New Year’s day Mike and myself independently saw a raptor approaching fields. We both photographed that bird from different positions. Later on we looked at our pictures just to see Honey Buzzard type of  hawk not noticing possibility of Crested Honey Buzzard. Only when Dirk Colin sent an e-mail to me pointing out 6 primaries I woke up. Now we are confident that the bird is indeed Crested Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) known also as Oriental Honey Buzzard. It has been seen since 2001  almost annually in Kuwait. Most probably this species is overlooked still today as our case clearly shows.

Crested Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) photographed by Pekka Fågel

Crested Honey Buzzard photographed by Mike Pope

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) attacks Sociable Plover (Vanellus gregarius)

Sociable Plover pays back.

The following is by Abdulrahman

At Al-Abraq AbdulRahman has photographed the Dark-throated Thrush Turdus [ruficollis] atrogularis, his photograph is shown below:

Brief visit to Jahra Farms with AbdulRahman in late afternoon produced some nice records.

Indian Roller 1, Dark-throated Thrush 1, Blackbird 1, Song Thrush 5, Grey Hypocolius 1, Robin 1, Bluethroat 1, Isabelline Shrike 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Cattle Egret 6, Rose-ringed Parakeet 5, White-throated Kingfisher 1, White-cheeked Bulbul 15, Spanish Sparrow 30, Laughing Dove 10.

Grey Hypocolius (Hypocoilius ampelinus)

I have added Kris De Rouck’s photographs regarding 31/12/2008.

Today I had just relaxed photographing of birds at JEO.

Little Crake (Porzana parva)

Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus)

Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon)

Jahra Farms provided a good opportunity to photograph an immature Rose-coloured Starling.

Rose-coloured Starling (Sturnus roseus)

Our main goal this morning was to photograph Sociable Plovers but mist and skittish birds were too big obstacle. However, AbdulRahman and Mike managed to see young Barbary Falcon and I was lucky to find Stock Dove which is just fifth record for Kuwait if accepted.

Northern Lapwing 383 (New highest daily count), Sociable Plover 3, European Golden Plover 5, Wood Pigeon 20, Stock Dove 1, White-throated Kingfisher 1, Imperial Eagle 1, Corn Bunting 1, Long-legged Buzzard 2, Black Kite 30, Starling 50, Great White Egret 1, Crested Lark 4, Isabelline Wheatear 1.

Stock Dove (Columba oenas)

Stock Dove

At Al Abraq Al Khabari we (Mike and myself) found Hume’s Leaf Warbler immediately but once again photographing of it was very much different story. Dark-throated Thursh and Robin gave some comfort.

Dark-throated Thrush (Turdus ruficollis)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

A final trip to Kebd during 2008 was not very productive. The Black-crowned Sparrow-larks, very much in evidence just a few weeks earlier, had all vanished, no doubt foraging in other parts of the area than usual. Several wheatears (mainly Isabelline, one Desert) were around, and good views a single Dunn’s Lark were obtained. Several Corn Buntings were also noted, one of which was surprisingly tame.