27/12/2017 at Jahra Pools Reserve, Jal Al Zor and Sulaibikhat Bay

I started birding this morning with Guy Mirgain and Jean Schmitz. We searched for the martins from 6:50 am to 1:30 pm, but did not see the martins. Later we learnt that they were seen in the reserve at 2:30 pm!! At the end of the day, we went at the highest tide of the day for Sulaibikhat Bay, where we saw the Lesser Flamingo very easily, although the tide at its lowest but we managed to take photographs.

Tomorrow we will try for the Crested Honey Buzzard first then again for the martins.

Jahra Pools Reserve:

Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata 5, Eurasian Teal Anas crecca 10, Common Pochard Aythya ferina 8, Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 4, Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 5, Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 2, Continental Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax sinensis 4, Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus 1, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2, Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 1, Great White Egret Ardea alba 5, Little Egret Egretta garzetta 12, Western Reef-Heron Egretta gularis schistacea 1, Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 1, Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga 4, Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 3, Water Rail Rallus aquaticus 2, Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 2, Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 3, Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 5, Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica 1, Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 43, Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 8, White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 2, Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 5, Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1, Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 3, Moustached Warbler

Acrocephalus melanopogon 3, Indian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus (stentoreus) brunnescens 2, European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola 2, European Starling Sturnus vulgaris 50, White Wagtail Motacilla alba 7, Caucasian Water Pipit Anthus (spinoletta) coutelli 6.

Jal Al Zor:

Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis 1, Eastern Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens persicus 1, Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti 1.

Sulabikhat Bay:

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 17, Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor 1, Western Reef-Heron Egretta gularis 4, Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 1, Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 25, Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus 3, Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii 4, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 3, Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus 1, Common Redshank Tringa totanus 34, Crab-Plover Dromas ardeola 49, Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 28, Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans 1, Armenian Gull Larus armenicus 1, Steppe Gull Larus fuscus barabensis 1, Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis 80.