My main aim today was to try and locate the Short-toed Snake Eagle that had been seen over the weekend. Unfortunately I could not track it down despite criss-crossing the farm a few times. I did not come away empty handed though and managed to get some good B.I.F shots of a GSE as well as images of both the Common and Lesser Kestrels, an Osprey and one of the resident Owls Greater Spotted Eagle Osprey Common Kestrel Common Kestrel Lesser Kestrel Lilith Owl
0 Comments
There has been a lot of excitement recently about the raptors in our neck of the woods, and rightly so. There is also a lot of joy to be had in spending time on some of the smaller birds as well though Here a splendid male European Stonechat perches on top of this succulent bush allowing me to get close for a crisp image My first image of a Water Pipit this Autumn. I found this one enjoying a temporary stream of water which had flowed over the lip of one of the night storage dams and was draining off down the road For comparison a Tawny Pipit seen here in early morning light Here a Yellow Wagtail probably of the lutea race stops chasing insects for a moment to give me the beady eye
Lets put it to the vote. Which of these species makes more noise? Whenever you come close to them they burst into flight amidst a cacophony of noise. The sad part is that they scare everything else off at the same time. My vote is for the BWS as there are also so many of them around at the moment. Noise plus numbers, double trouble Black-winged Stilt Red-wattled Lapwing
An interesting visit in many ways. My total for the morning was 28, up from the recent weekly scores of the lower twenties. Two species, one last seen in February, and one in March were back. And also a new tick brings my total species count here up to 109. Corn Bunting. A new tick, bringing my count to 109 species for the patch. A bird more associated with arable farmlands or open grasslands, so unusual to record it here. A pair of Egyptian Geese are back. I last some here in Week 6 (9/02/2015) Note how this one has a wound at the point of the wing/base of the neck. I wonder if the resident fox has tried to catch it? There were two Great Cormorants in one of the ponds. I last saw Cormorants here in Week 11 (6/03/2015) They are back in Qatar so keep your eyes out for their V flight formations in the skies A Western Reef Heron seems a bit out of place in the middle of this lawn A large White-headed Gull gives me the eye as it flies past on its way to the coast. They often swoop down for a drink of fresh water before continuing on
A Greater Spotted Eagle has been seen and photographed by several of the birders recently. Simon Tull then posted some images of an Eastern Imperial Eagle, one of them showed it in the company of the GSE. This was exciting stuff. Seeing the two eagles together, and also in that there are only 4 previous sightings of the Eastern Imperial Eagle in the records of QBRC. I decided that I had to try and find this bird and add it to my list of raptors for Qatar. I thought that the plan had come together beautifully when I also saw two eagles together, and from a distance one appeared lighter than the other. On approaching, the lighter bird flew off first, whilst the darker bird seemed more relaxed. On asking the experts to deliberate on my images they both turned out to be GSEs. Will just have to keep on looking. Greater Spotted Eagle in soft early morning light (1) Greater Spotted Eagle (1) Greater Spotted Eagle flying low over the deck (2) It lands on this rocky mound (2) On the look out from the mound (2) If being able to see and photograph the two eagles was not enough, I was able to record another new tick for my Qatar list. My first sighting of a Long-legged Buzzard. Thanks to Gavin Farnell for correcting me on my ID of this raptor. I initially thought it was a Steppe Buzzard. Long-leggted Buzzard Shortly after lift off showing the under-wing pattern By way of comparison here is an image of the recently recorded Steppe Buzzard
A Grey Plover in Winter plumage A Dunlin resting up A Common Sandpiper working the beach A male Kentish Plover still showing breeding plumage Kentish Plover Wood Sandpiper
In January of this year I saw and photographed this bird which was later confirmed as a rare dark morph Marsh Harrier. It was a first sighting of this form of the bird for me. At the time I noticed it had a piece of red cloth tied to its left tarsus so I suspected that it may have been an escapee. The other day I took more images of a dark morph individual that has been seen back at the farm. Looking closely at the left tarsus I see a piece of red cloth still present so must presume that it is the same bird from earlier this year. I wonder where it migrated to for the summer? Dark morph Marsh Harrier as seen in January 2015 Dark morph Marsh Harrier as seen in November 2015 Take off after having had a drink of water
Here is the selection Black Redstart. Another new tick for my Qatar list A Common Kingfisher. Only my second image of this species here Pied Avocet. There were about 30 - 40 present at the new ponds. Hopefully they will hang around European Stonechat. Also my first sighting of the Autumn A juvenile Menetries's Warbler. Another first for the Autumn Whiskered Tern. I watched as several of these birds fed on something on the water surface
Here are some images of birds as seen at Al Wakrah beach and out at the new ponds adjacent to the farm Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) Filter feeding in a shallow pool of sea water Strolling along the beach There was a regiment of about fifty birds at the farm Showing the long trailing legs and bright orange under-wing panel in flight Circling overhead the farm ponds before settling back down into a quiet corner
This is only my second sighting of this species. In January I came across a single bird on the Northern coastline near Al Ruwais. Today there were two birds busy working this bush over for insects near the mangroves at Al Wakra beach Asian Desert Warbler ( Sylvia nana) The bright orange/yellow eye and rufous tail make it easy to identify
|
Archives
April 2024
|