Wadi Darbat revisited

On Friday afternoon, I went to Wadi Darbat for only the second time since starting in Oman.

Though the monsoon season is over, it was still quite green and the river flows all year.

The birds hadn't changed much since my last visit. The grey headed kingfisher are still here. Indeed I counted five.

grey headed kingfisher

The temperatures are actually higher in October than in September or November. Birding is quite difficult in the day even up in the hills. More to the point birding activity will rise substantially as temperatures cool in about two weeks time.

wadi darbat

Not too many migrants are here yet. Tree pipit is one of them and can be seen in the wooded areas where there is some shade.

tree pipit

A grey heron alerted me to another migrant. I was walking along the river when I had a scream from a heron.

grey heron

I turned round to look in its direction to see a booted eagle flying right up the river. I don't think booted eagle is a threat to grey heron (unlike Bonelli's eagle) but I was grateful for the alarm anyway.

distant shot of a booted eagle

The booted eagle was a pale morph and the first of its species I had seen in Oman.

litte egret

Otherwise things were a little quite. A single little egret was in the western area by the picnickers and next to the floating vegetation. This is the place where jananas and rarer birds such as watercock are occasionally spotted in winter. I am sure this must be in early morning when there is less disturbance from people.

Common sandpiper can be readily seen all down the river.

citrine wagtail

The most common wagtail is citrine wagtail though a few yellow wagtail and the odd grey wagtail are around. I have yet to see a white wagtail in the country.

At first all the citrines were first years but over the past ten days more adults are among them.

My next blog is taken from Ayn Hamran where the highlight was some very interesting feeding behaviour.