08/05/2021 Gadwall a possible First breeding record for Kuwait and Arabia

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Today I started counting coastal birds (Global Big Day 8th May) and ended the day at Jahra Reserve. When I started counting birds at the place of the big tower (now replaced by a standard height tower) inside Jahra Pools Reserve, I noticed a duck with chicks, we do have chicks of Ferruginous Ducks everywhere these days, but these looked different through the scope. They were 300m away, I was expecting mallards as they did breed once before about 7 years ago. After trying to identify the birds, I was baffled they do look like Gadwalls. I couldn’t believe what I see, Gadwalls usually breed further north around the Caspian Sea and in Turkey. They were probably 8 chicks accompanied by their mother, the female seemed featureless apart from the greyish head and neck, I needed to check the wing-bar as it could be a Garganey. These days Garganeys are here in the reserve, as usual, they leave late during their spring migration.
Then suddenly a male joined, it was clear that it is a Gadwall, with blackish rear part, greyish head and white wing bar. The female turned to show its right-wing, there the white wing bar shows well. The family then started to leave together as a group to disappear into the reed.
As far as I know, this is the first breeding record for the Middle East apart from Iran and Turkey.

Doha Spur:

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus  2, Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus  6, Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei  158, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia  1, Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis  12, Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis  408.

Doha Spur (under the bridge):

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus  62, Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii  2, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus  4, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata  1, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres  3, Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus  85, Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei  300, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia  4, Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis  1.

Sulaibikhat Sports Club Promontory:

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus  13, Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula  5, Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus  3, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata  5, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica  1, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres  1, Dunlin Calidris alpina  1, Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus  4, Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei  265, Little Tern Sternula albifrons  3, Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica  25, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia  7, Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis  3, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea  3, Little Egret Egretta garzetta  1, Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides  1.

Traditional Sulaibikhat Café:

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus  15, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres  32, Ruff Calidris pugnax  1, Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus  3, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea  90, Sanderling Calidris alba  1, Dunlin Calidris alpina  2, Little Stint Calidris minuta  33, Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus  46, Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei  210, Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica  4, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia  1, White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus  1, Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida  1, Common Tern Sterna hirundo  2, Great Egret Ardea alba  1, Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis  8, House Sparrow Passer domesticus  18.

Sulaibikhat Bay (next to KISR):

Feral Pigeon Columba livia  35, Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto  23, Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis  1, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres  65, Little Stint Calidris minuta  3, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos  1, Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola  1, Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei  100, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus  1, Little Tern Sternula albifrons  2, Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica  5, White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus  2, Common Tern Sterna hirundo  7, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea  2, Little Egret Egretta garzetta  1, Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis  5, White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis  1, Common Myna Acridotheres tristis  4.

Jahra Pool Reserve:

Garganey Spatula querquedula  4, Gadwall Mareca strepera  10 , Mallard Anas platyrhynchos  8, Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca  78 (including 17 chicks), Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis  20, Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto  10, Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis  2, Namaqua Dove Oena capensis  1, Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus  1, Pallid Swift Apus pallidus  2, Spotted Crake Porzana porzana  1, Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus  36, Eurasian Coot Fulica atra  16, Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus  6, Little Crake Zapornia parva  1, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus  25, Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus  5, Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola  18, White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus  8, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus  46, Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula  44, Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus  1, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata  2, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica  4, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa  1, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres  11, Ruff Calidris pugnax  2, Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus  4, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea  178, Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii  1, Sanderling Calidris alba  3, Dunlin Calidris alpina  2, Little Stint Calidris minuta  19, Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago  4, Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus  4, Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus  126, Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola  5, Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei  370, Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus  1, Little Tern Sternula albifrons  2, Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica  3, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia  22, White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus  14, Little Egret Egretta garzetta  11, Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides  3, Black Kite Milvus migrans  1, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus  2, Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio  19, Turkestan Shrike Lanius phoenicuroides  2, Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor  1, Crested Lark Galerida cristata  3, Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis  4, Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon  1, Sand Martin Riparia riparia  3, Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica  35, Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus  3, Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata  18, Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus  9, Whinchat Saxicola rubetra  9, House Sparrow Passer domesticus  15, Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava  1, Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis  2, Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus  2, Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana  1.