Recently I have posted some images showing differing views from our patio across to the city. I have also posted some shots of European Nightjars. Well here we have a two in one shot. When my wife called me to say there was a Nightjar on the patio I did not believe what I was hearing. Amazingly though, there this bird was, perched quietly on the balustrade. I took some pics through our lounge window and am really pleased with the results. Thank goodness our maid had recently cleaned them!! Another image to add to my series of the "changing faces of the city" The bird perched lengthways on the balustrade as it does on a branch In the late afternoon sun it did a bit of gular fluttering to cool down. Note the open beak and extended throat area It also held its wings away from its body to allow the breeze to pass underneath and assist in cooling I sat and watched it until the sun set. As it got dark it did some wing stretching, a little bit of preening and shortly thereafter flew off into the night sky. An incredibly exciting sighting.
0 Comments
Over the last week I have come across several LBJ's all of a sudden. Often overlooked or ignored, they make for some interesting birding. My first Tawny Pipit of the Autumn. This one was seen at the local patch where I last recorded this species back in March 2014. So a very good record all round. My first sighting of a Greater Short-toed Lark at the local patch. I have normally always seen these birds out on the farm. There were two birds present this morning. A Common Chiffchaff. This bird was one of a few seen in the gardens of the apartment tower where we live on the Pearl A Common Whitethroat. Also seen when I was busy capturing images of the Nightjars An Eastern Olivacious Warbler.(tbc) It was seen in the same tree as one of the Nightjars. If confirmed, it will also be another lifer for me.
Whilst taking images of the Nightjar the other day I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. This bird had hopped out of the cover of a bush to hawk an insect out of the grass before quickly returning back into the cover. I waited patiently and was rewarded when it appeared again. Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) The mottled markings on the breast help differentiate this species from the very similar Common Nightingale
Gavin Farnell kindly showed me where he had found two nightjars. Interestingly the one bird was paler than the other. Referring to Birds of the Middle East (second edition) there is mention of a paler unwini race which breeds in Iran and Iraq. Could this be such a bird? European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus/unwini) The bird as seen from the other side The darker European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) The white spots in the wing and tail denote that this is a male bird The same dark bird seen from a different angle
The other day I posted an image of the city covered in a blanket of early morning mist. Since then I have taken two more images to show the changing faces of the city as seen from our apartment balcony. Tucked up under a blanket of mist early in the morning Shortly after sunrise on a clear morning Sunshine reflecting back down off some rare storm clouds in the late afternoon Shortly after sunset on a clear evening
My first Large White-headed Gulls and my first Masked Shrike of the Autumn LWHG adult LWHG juvenile Masked Shrike
Whilst checking out the Wadi area on the farm for migrants the other day I experienced the joy of capturing an image of a rare visitor to this part of the world. Sadly this was soon followed by the discovery of an audio playback system set up and ready for use in one of the nearby shrubs. This could only be intended to lure birds closer for trapping or shooting. Not seeing any netting I had to presume that it was therefore intended for hunting purposes. Not a good sign when this kind of activity is taking place in a recently declared nature area. Desert Whitethroat (Sylvia minula) or Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat ( Sylvia minula halimodendri ) Power supply Recorder/Playback device Speaker one Speaker two
I was out on the farm early this morning and the birding was good. A new wave of Wagtails had arrived, there were plenty of Namaqua doves to be seen, Wheatear numbers were up, as well as many Marsh Harriers quartering overhead. However at about nine o clock the wind started to blow and the dust began to be whipped up. This made the photography a bit challenging. After a while I realised this was a battle I could not win so decided to call it a day and headed back to town. Male Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis) Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) Male Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) Female Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis) Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) Greater Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
Looking out from our apartment balcony early on the morning of the 6th October I was presented with this unusual site of the City Centre shrouded in a blanket of mist. Whilst it is not a birding post I thought the image was worth sharing.
I last recorded this species in April during the Spring migration. This morning I saw two birds, one of which would not emerge from within the bush it was perched in. Luckily this one was more obliging and hopped out into the open to allow me to capture a few images. Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana)
|
Archives
April 2024
|