The 1st of the month started
well, with a quick drop in at Khor al Beidae producing a stunning 100 Crab Plovers.
I then carried on
across the Hajar Mountains to Fujairah
National Dairy Farm which had a scattering of migrants, the best being a
Pin-tailed Snipe; 2 newly arrived Variable Wheatears; 2 Lesser Grey Shrikes and
five Pale Rockfinch. The pelagic off Kalba in the afternoon was quiet,
with just 7 Brown Noddies and 83 Red-necked Phalaropes being noteworthy.
A flock of mainly European Oystercatchers
Crab Plover - one of the special birds
of the Middle East
The 14th saw me again back at
FNDF where a flock of 31 Purple Herons were flying about aimlessly, no
doubt looking for non-existant water. 4 Montagu’s and a Pallid Harrier were
quartering the fields. 2 Long-billed Pipits were on the gravel plain and the
best of the rest were 10 Rose-coloured Starlings and 7 Pale Rockfinch.
Part of the flock of Purple Herons,
very distant & heavily cropped.
very distant & heavily cropped.
Montagu's Harrier
A work trip to Dabbiyah on 19th
was very productive with a Eurasian Scops Owl being new for the year
list. Other notables included an early Eurasian Sparrowhawk; a Stone Curlew; a
rare (here) Masked Wagtail; 2 Great Reed Warblers; 7 Golden Orioles and a fine
Ortolan Bunting. Not bad for a work day!
The 21st saw me back at FNDF and finding an
early Rufous Turtle Dove, which was a welcome addition to my year list!
2 Richard’s and a Tawny Pipit were fresh arrivals, while the Rose-coloured
Starlings had risen to 16 birds and 2 Ortolan Buntings were nearby.
I was working back at Dabbiyah on 23rd,
quite a few migrants were around including a Steppe Buzzard, a Wood
Warbler; 2 Golden Orioles and a Masked Shrike. I was feeling pretty pleased
with myself with the addition of two year birds and so I decided to walk around
the fire station area which has produced good birds in the past. As I walked
through some longer grass I flushed up a locustella which flew like a
bullet straight into the fire station window! I ran & picked it up, it had
a spot of blood on the bill, but was stunned and not dead! Then it was my turn
to be stunned as I realised I was holding a River Warbler and not one of
its commoner cousins! What a bonus for the year list! Whow! I held it for a
couple of minutes and as it grew in strength I let it go and it flew back to
the exact same patch of long grass which I had originally flushed it from! But
not before it perched briefly on a twig just above the ground enabling me to
get a good, albeit brief view, through my binoculars. The find of the year?
Back in AD, Simon was busy finding his own rare bird, a superb Little Crake at AD Racecourse. After sitting in the hot, sweaty reed bed for quite sometime it decided to show itself, but it was so close I couldn't focus my binoculars on it! Eventually I got great views through the bins, but by this time the light was fading.
Back in AD, Simon was busy finding his own rare bird, a superb Little Crake at AD Racecourse. After sitting in the hot, sweaty reed bed for quite sometime it decided to show itself, but it was so close I couldn't focus my binoculars on it! Eventually I got great views through the bins, but by this time the light was fading.
Back at FNDF on 28th saw me
looking at a European Golden Plover with 2 Pacific Goldens.
In Abu Dhabi the next day a phone call from
Oscar saw me twitching his Thrush Nightingale at the AD Golf
& Equestrian Club. It was surprisingly easy to see, as once you flushed
it from the hedge, it landed on the pavement allowing great views.
Flushed with my success! I decide to work the Emirates Palace Hotel
the next day and it was full of migrants, best being: Crested Honey Buzzard; 2
European Nightjars; Wryneck; Bluethroat; 3 Red backed Shrikes and a welcome
addition to my year list, a rather drab Common Rosefinch! I am on a roll!
Some great year birds here!
Wryneck
Bluethroat
Common Rosefinch
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