29/01/2010 at Abraq Al Habari

by Pekka Fågel · Published 29 January, 2010 · Updated 27 May, 2022

Same group than yesterday added with Rick Saval and Brian Foster visited Al Abraq this morning. As it often happens in the beginning the place looked dead, like it had been last two weeks, then suddenly things started to emerge. First Rick found Great Spotted Cuckoo, strange time of the year I have to say, while we were still talking about this we spotted 120 Pin-tailed Sangrouses flying over. As a reference I can tell that Brian and myself, being in the country since 2004, haven’t seen a single bird before. Later on 40+160 birds more were observed totalling 320 flying South-East. Good rainfall and subsequently abundant vegetation must have something to do with this. Later I checked with Brian farm’s fields and we spotted Buff-bellied Pipit, which was seen eventually by everyone. This is a good example how things can change in a place like Al Abraq.

Juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)