Oliva beach. Spain

I have been in Spain for the past week at my winter home. It has not really been a birding week. However I did manage to squeeze some light birding in.

My house is in Oliva and a visit to the beach revealed some activity though mid-winter is a weak time for many waders and terns.

Audouin's gull (left) and sandwich tern (right)

Luckily on a set of rocks were several Audouin's gull. This species has a relatively small geographic distribution across parts of the Mediterranean.

Audouin's gull with sandwich terns

The only tern which stays in the Mediterranean in the winter in any numbers is sandwich tern. There were also several of these.

Audouin's gull

Audouin's gull is medium-large and is distinctive. It's essentially dark red bill and grey legs rule out anything else in an adult bird. I have only ever seen this bird at Farwa on the Libyan border with Tunisia before. It is a rare visitor there in winter.

yellow-legged gull

The same set of rocks held a single adult yellow-legged gull.

Black-headed gull

I had hoped to find a Mediterranean gull but the related black-headed gull was as close as I could get.

Waders were few.

sanderling probing

Four sanderling were feeding at the water's edge. 

sanderling taking off

Sanderling's upper wing pattern is quite distinctive. It has wide white wing bar bordered almost black.

great cormorant

On my return to the rocks on my way home, great cormorant  another species sharing the rocks with the gulls and terns.

It is always interesting to bird in a different area to where you are used to. This was pleasant. However my birding on land in the Oliva area was more varied. I will blog about that next. 

Two vagrants still at Khawr Rori

I visited Khawr Rori on Tuesday afternoon for the first time in two weeks. There are two distinct birding areas and I went to both. 

One is the north west off-shoot of the main Khawr and which contains a large reed bed. It is approached from the main road.

On arrival there I immediately came across the vagrant Malachite kingfisher in the very first (and very small isolated clump) of reeds. I didn't notice it until I had nearly walked into it. I managed one quick photo before it flew off.

However I met it again about 100 metres away and I wasn't even looking for it. Again I was only about 3 metres away but this time it didn't fly off. I felt very lucky and privileged to not only get a second change but a good one too.

Malachite kingfisher 1

Tommy Pedersen and I saw one here in June. The same one or another was seen in October and it is presumed this is the latter bird as it has been seen continually since. Our record was the eighth record and this one is recorded as the ninth as there were no sightings in the summer.

One pair of birders say they recently saw two together and I believe I may have glimpsed that too (but not on Tuesday). 

Malachite kingfisher 2

Although the bird is very attractive it is difficult to get good pictures primarily because it is considerably smaller even than a house sparrow.

Malachite kingfisher 3

Elsewhere in the reeds I observed several bluethroat, citrine wagtail, clamorous reed warbler and a Namaqua dove alongside the more common Ruppells weaver and white spectacled bulbul.

Bluethroat

I also observed two common snipe. 

common snipe

This is a good place to see crakes especially after five in the evening.

spotted crake

I had excellent views of two spotted crake and one Baillon's crake but little crake has still evaded me in Oman.

lesser flamingo

Earlier I had been in the main section of the Khawr. Seven lesser flamingo had been there on December 28th but that had diminished to two on Tuesday. This still meant that along with the Malachite kingfisher there were two vagrant species present.

lesser flamingo with black-tailed godwit

The collection of ducks and waders was similar to the late December visit too although  I didn't see a marsh sandpiper that time.

marsh sandpiper (foreground)

'
This time last year, 25 greater white fronted goose were present. This year only one has been seen. Diving ducks are far fewer too. The weather has been warmer to the north and this may well be the main reason.

greater white fronted goose

Larger numbers of great cormorant are no real compensation.

great cormorant

It was however overall a very rewarding afternoon.

In other news, on Sunday I had hosted some a non-birding friend and his family around one or two nature sites. I was not birding and yet I saw an Arabian golden winged grosbeck and masked shrike at Ain Razat in passing. We also visited Al Balid. This time I did get the camera out and found three spotted thick-knee while they visited the frankincense museum.

young spotted thick-knee

One of the birds was a juvenile while the other two were adults.

first adult spotted thick-knee

Along with the Crowne plaza golfing range and surrounding area, this is one of the better bets to see this bird.

second adult spotted thick-knee

Next week I am taking a winter break in Spain. It is not a birding break but I hope to do a little. I will report on this.

Dowkah farm in January

Dowkah farm was my only stop in the desert on the way back to Salalah on Saturday. I gave it three hours there.

The birding was satisfactory but not great. As I said in the last blog, birding in the desert can be hit or miss in winter and I had already had two hits on the previous days. Nevertheless it gave me a better feel for mid-winter desert birding in Oman.

brown-necked raven

I believe I have seen brown-necked raven at the site on every visit no matter what time of year.

hoopoe lark

Hoopoe lark is another ever present if you look at the edges of the far fields away from the farm house.

steppe grey shrike 1

A grey shrike was problematic. It appeared to have no white patch on its wing though the primary patch could have been hidden. Either way the white on other parts of the wing and adjacent areas was under-developed.

steppe grey shrike 2

The overall pale colouration and the lack of any black loral stripe (a full mask to the eye in adults) ruled out a first winter aucheri (Arabian grey shrike).

steppe grey shrike 3

By elimination it must be a poorly marked pallidirostris, steppe grey shrike.

I spent a particularly difficult time on foot out on the middle fields. Both chestnut-bellied sandgrouse and spotted sandgrouse were present but both were very wary and I struggled this time to get good views. When I have come earlier in the morning they are often in flight or drinking at one or two of the make-shift pools. Then they are more visible.

Having said this, I rate Dowkah farm as the most reliable place to see sandgrouse in Oman. For me it beats Muntasar Oasis. Crowned sandgrouse are relatively rare at Dowkah but they are relatively rare at Muntasar too.

part hidden greater short toed lark

This was a difficult period because the predominant lark on the farm on Saturday was wintering greater short toed lark. It is the most wary of all the larks. Being in a car is almost essential for close views of this species. 

tawny pipit

There is no such problems with pipits and wagtails if you are cautious. The tawny pipit in the same fields were much more approachable.

I also picked out a skylark and flushed a common quail here.

cattle egret

The wooded area is often excellent for migrants and much more occasionally for wintering birds. While I was there farm workers were giving it its annual prune and tidy up. This disturbance was not helpful for me on the day but it means that the area will be in good shape for the forthcoming spring migration. The only birds of note were cattle egret by the near-by reservoir and a black redstart in the most shaded area.

several white wagtail

White wagtail were common in patches. Some apparently similar fields had none.

white wagtail

The very last field I visited on the way out turned out to be different and it wasn't apparent from the side. As I walked towards the middle I could see that it had been over-watered. This sometimes happens when the equipment is optimal.

water-logged field

A pallid harrier was flying overhead but it was the birds on the pivot bar and on the ground that were a little different. 

two water pipit

There were several water pipit there.

water pipit (summer plumage)

Some were in breeding plumage and others not. Indeed they almost looked like two different species.

water pipit (winter plumage)

The winter plumaged birds have heavily streaked breasts while those in breeding plumage have a unstreaked pinkish buff breasts. 

red-throated pipit

At least two red-throated pipit were in the same field.

Overall this was satisfactory birding but nowhere near as exciting as on the previous two days. I will be back in the desert in few weeks for the early main passage.


List of species seen at Dowkah farm
Common Quail  1
Cattle Egret  12
Pallid Harrier  1
Green Sandpiper  1
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse  15
Spotted Sandgrouse  24
Eurasian Collared-Dove  80
Common Kestrel  4
Southern Grey/Steppe Grey Shrike  1
Brown-necked Raven  6
Greater Hoopoe-Lark  3
Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark  10
Greater Short-toed Lark  160
Crested Lark  6
Skylark  1
Bluethroat  1
Black Redstart  1
Desert Wheatear  13
White Wagtail  55
Tawny Pipit  12
Red-throated Pipit  2
Water Pipit  10
House Sparrow  16

Desert stops around Ghaftain

On Friday I was based at Ghaftayn in the desert and visited Muntasar oasis, Qatbeet motel gardens to the west. Then on return I overshot Ghaftayn to the east (to collect some supplies) for a short stop at Haima which is the only town for 150 kilometres in any direction.

Ghaftayn is my preferred hotel over Qatbeet motel as the rooms are better and less expensive and, there is good food available. The staff are really friendly too.

Muntasar Oasis is often visited by birders for the sandgrouse that often come to drink in the early to mid morning. However I find Dowkah farm more reliable. I arrived at Muntasar a little too late for this potential spectacle.

Nevertheless I was more than compensated by finding a wintering whinchat. 

whinchat at Muntasar

Whinchat is an uncommon bird in Oman and seeing one in winter is ever more uncommon though not unheard of.

whinchat

Whinchat became species 321 on my Oman list.

Muntasar Oasis

Muntasar Oasis appears to be a better habitat once again. It is heavily grazed and there is water pumped away but it looks like the water table is higher than it has been. I suspect there have been winter rains. Also the camels have arguably helped in some ways by chomping back some of the thickest reeds.

mallard drake

A mallard seems to find the habitat satisfactory.

Asian desert warbler from the rear

There were at least three desert wheatear around the site. As is fairly typical at this time of year, one of them had an Asian desert warbler associating with it.

Asian desert warbler on the move

I failed to get good pictures as this one was so flighty.

flock of house sparrow

Earlier I had birded the grounds of Ghaftayn guesthouse where I was staying. It can be excellent in the passage seasons but can be thin in winter. I resorted to inspecting every house sparrow and collared dove on site for rarities.

desert wheatear

There was very little diversity. Only desert wheatear and brown-necked raven added to the mix.

After Muntasar I headed further west to Qatbeet.

male crowned sandgrouse

As I was speeding down the road, I passed a pair of sandgrouse and the roadside. A quick stop and turn and I discovered they were crowned sandgrouse. 

Although you can't see the characteristic black stripe at the front of the face from this angle, the brown crown surrounded by a blue-grey edge is obvious.

female crowned sandgrouse

A female crowned sandgrouse is actually more spotted than a spotted sandgrouse and some of the spots merge into blotches.

This is the species of desert sandgrouse that many visiting birders struggle to find. 

black redstart

Qatbeet was nearly very good. I came across an eastern leaf warbler. It had at least one yellow wing bar, was low-lying and not making a sound. I suspect it wasn't a Hume's warbler because of the latter two aspects. It is the one leaf warbler which I have seen at Qatbeet before. 

Unfortunately it moved away into another part of the heavily shaded area and just at the same time, a large group of men decided to have a picnic near-by. The disturbance made my chances too low to continue. This was one bird that got away.

Otherwise Qatbeet was not very fruitful this time though a black redstart had some interest.

After Qatbeet I retraced my route eastward back to Ghaftayn but had to overshoot to Haima to get some provisions. 

I took the opportunity to bird the small public garden and saw nothing but laughing dove and house sparrow.

hobby at Haima

As I moved on towards the shops, I looked up at a wire and a hobby was sitting undisturbed. 

facing hobby 

The desert stops can be very hit or miss in mid-winter. Haima was typical of how this can sometimes turn on a single bird.