5/1/2008 a first record for Kuwait and WP found by Rashed at Subiya Power Station

The Purple Sunbird was found and photographed by Rashed Al-Hajji

Today Rashed Al-Hajji has found and photographed a new record for Kuwait and the Western Palearctic as defined by BWP by Cramp & Simmons 1977. The record involved 2 Purple Sunbirds at Subiya feeding on Ausaj, Lycium shawii shrubs. Later at the day I met Rashed and had seen them through my 10X42 binoculars, they were difficult to approach and photograph as once approached they fly high in the sky to drop then into another bush. Purple Sunbirds are breeding residents in northern Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and there is one record from Bahrain. This record constitute a range extension from either eastern province of Saudi Arabia or Iran probably Iran as there is no record from Saudi Arabia.