Here are a couple of B.I.F. shots taken this week. I still need to go to the gym a bit more and work out on my arms so I can swing my doorstop of a lens around with more ease!! Pallid Harrier female Flocking Sparrows on take-off Black-winged Stilt White-winged Tern
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There was something about this bird that made me think it was not one of the many resident breeding Indian Reed Warblers to be found out on the farm. Once again I sent the images off for another opinion and Gavin Farnell looked at them and also had them passed around for further input. The consensus is that it is a Reed Warbler which is another new tick for my Qatar list. The smaller size, flatter forehead and pale eye-ring distinguish it from its larger cousins the Great and Indian Reed Warblers Reed Warbler Reed Warbler Reed Warbler
Some movement must have caught my eye because I looked up to see a raptor flying overhead. I quickly let off a burst of shots from my camera as it flew past and away from me. My initial gut feeling was that it was a Honey Buzzard of some description given the jizz of the bird and the small hooked beak. I sent my images off for confirmation and the consensus is that it is indeed a dark plumage bird. This species is listed as a vagrant in Qatar with only 5 earlier records, so a good sighting all round. See postings of 23/11/2014, 23/03/2015, and 01/04/2015 for earlier entries of the crossbred Honey Buzzard I managed to photograph European Honey Buzzard European Honey Buzzard European Honey Buzzard
Some good birds were recorded this week. All in all a pleasant morning out in the field A smart looking European Bee-eater. A single bird was present, my first record of this species for the season I found three Common Ringed Plovers feeding at the grass nursery area At one of the small dams I flushed five juveniles and one adult Black-crowned Night-herons that were resting up in the shade of some reeds There was a single Little Grebe present on one of the dams. I am surprised that more of these birds do not visit this spot. A Spotted Flycatcher hawking insects from this metal fence post. One of two birds seen today. A ruff busy feeding in the shallows of this pond A Whimbrel keeps a close eye on me as I try and get closer for more images
As I was watching this Roller it swooped down and caught this locust on the road. It flicked it into the air to get a better grip of it and then flew back up to the overhead cable where it was quickly despatched European Roller with locust it has just caught Flicking locust into the air to get a better grip of it Finally it has it head first in the beak It takes off to fly back up to where it was perching on the overhead cable After making short work of that one it is on the look out for more
Another mornings birding on the farm produced some good results. The highlight was a sighting of four juvenile Rose-coloured Starlings. I had only previously recorded a single adult male bird of this species in May 2014 Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling Western Marsh Harrier Isabelline Wheatear Barn Swallow Female Pied Wheatear Purple Heron Arabian Grey shrike Female/Juvenile Daurian Shrike Indian Reed Warbler
A flock of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters was passing through. They were using the overhead lines to roost on and as a launch pad for feeding sorties. Here a bird lands on the wire having just caught a large grasshopper After despatching it attempts to turn around and face the other way After a bit of a struggle it finally gets it right Peter and Paul happily settled on the cable
I drove out to the farm this morning to see what I could find. The highlight of the trip was a Caspian Plover which I saw in the presence of a few Cream-coloured Coursers. These Plovers are listed as rare birds in Qatar and I have only previously seen one here before, a juvenile back in September 2013. Cream-coloured Courser Caspian Plover, a rare Autumn migrant Caspian Plover Female Montagu's Harrier Common Quail Yellow Wagtail Also seen was a large flock of Ruff feeding in one of the fields. They were at some distance so I could not get any worthwhile images. It was good to observe them in healthy numbers though.
After a bit of travelling we are back in Doha so I was keen to visit the local patch to see if there were any signs of migration activity. Little Stint Lesser Sand Plover Eurasian Hoopoe Spotted Flycatcher Garganey Black-winged Stilt
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