07/09/2013 at Al Abraq and at Jahra Farms

Migration is in the full swing and new species emerges all the time. In Al Abraq I saw Black-shouldered Kite, Golden Oriole, White-throated Kingfisher, 4 Lesser Grey Shrikes, Woodchat Shrike, 10 Hoopoes, 50 Yellow Wagtails and 3 European Bee-eaters. In Jahra farms I had 2 Masked Shrikes, Isabelline Shrike, 2 Tree Pipits and Bluethroat. The latter one is interesting species. First Bluethroats turn up by early August and they are around in small numbers roughly till the end of September. In October it is hard to find any and finally in November starts arrival of wintering Bluethroats in good numbers. Very obviously we are having at least two different races. In the spring the last race is clearly magna which migrates from late April to mid-May. Therefore it is a sophisticated guess to think that first migrants in the autumn represent the same race. In the spring identification is relatively easy but this is not the case in autumn.