More on Jens Hering's scientific trip

Tonight I am showing the second half of a set of pictures from Jens Hering about his recent trip to some of the more remote parts of  Libya. Once again I must remind you that I cant' tell you exact locations of birds because some of them are the subject of scientific papers in production. However his photography is so good I feel privileged to be able to show some of it to you.

winter female tristram's warbler by Jens Hering

Jens didn't tell me what the above bird was! I am pretty sure it's a female tristram's warbler which is known to winter in the mid west and south west of Libya. For a while, I had a nagging doubt that it could be a female sub alpine warbler which I found wintering in Jalu in very large numbers. It's very difficult to identify  other people's birds from one still when you haven't got a collection of other photos or didn't see its behaviour! 

cream coloured courser by Jens Hering

Jens can add to our collective knowledge about the distribution of this bird. Distribution is only really well known in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica but not the Fezzan (middle and southern Libya).  

bar tailed lark by Jens Hering

I am sure that Jens can also help with the distribution of some lark species outside Tripolitania too.

spanish sparrow by Jens Hering

Spanish sparrow has colonised much of southern Libya from its historic base in Tripolitania in recent decades but is finding stiff resistance in Cyrenaica from house sparrow which is still dominant. We almost certainly get an influx of migrants in winter and some local flocks roam. 

turtle doves by Jens Hering

Turtle dove disappears from northern Libya in winter but small numbers have been known to stay or winter in the south. Jens might be able to tell us what effect newly well watered areas in the south have had on this species and others.

White stork by Jens Hering

One species that Jens has previously reported on is the hundreds of white stork which now winter in the desert at government farms. I loved the above picture.

the back of a pharaoh eagle owl

Finally I can't resist showing you a second picture of a pharaoh eagle owl. It looks like a gremlin from behind.