27-31/03/2008 at Sulaibiya Pivot Fields, Kabd and KISR West

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

Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni on desert ground
Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni حُمَّرَةٌ دَنِيَّةٌ

Squacco Heron

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides feeding on ground
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides بَلَشُونٌ أَذْهَبُ

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus on grass
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus جُشْنَةٌ حِنَائيَّةٌ

Steppe Eagle with Imperial Eagle at the Pivot Fields

Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis and Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca standing side by side
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis and Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca عُقَابٌ سَهْبِيَّةٌ وعُقَابٌ مَلَـكِيَّةٌ شَرْقِيَّةٌ

1 Response

  1. david lowe says:

    dont spoil your pics with that ugly watermark, let people download them to enjoy them, unless you make money from them of course,

    later

    Dave