Westward walk in September

Last Friday afternoon I walked out to the fish market on the coast. As usual I chose a route which took me past Central Nouakchott Lake. This is not to be confused with F-Nord lake which is purely freshwater. Central Nouakchott Lake is brakish though not totally saline.

It is also in an embassy area and discrete birding is recommended or else the authorities will take an interest in you.

I tend not to linger in the area but try to pick out anything unusual quickly.

Sadly as a result of landscaping it is more saline than in the past and reed beds have died. Nevertheless it still has diversity.

pied avocet (right)

The water level is very attractive to black-winged stilt and this time there were over 30 present. A much less common bird was a pied avocet which is a related bird.

mostly black-winged stilt

All waders can swim but nearly all the ruff there were swimming last Friday. 

northern shoveller (behind)

Again while searching for the exceptional bird on site, a lone northern shoveller was an obvious one.

Mediterranean gull

There were five black-headed gull present. However there was also an exception among the gulls. It was a Mediterranean gull.

little stint

No rare waders were observed though one little stint was still not approaching winter plumage and it stood out from the others.

spur-winged lapwing

The more I watch spur-winged lapwing the more I appreciate that they are thuggish. They don't just mob larger birds but they harass small waders too.

ruff

There is a dried out section next to the main water body which held some interest. Ruff were easier to see than the long distance swimmers on the lake.

common redshank

A small number of common redshank were in the same area.

dunlin

Most dunlin seen in Nouakchott at this time of year are the short billed sub-species arctica. However a few have longer bills. The one above has a bill long enough to be alpina. Though they aren't supposed to winter as far south as West Africa. Only this sub-species gives me difficulty in separation from the similar curlew sandpiper.

curlew sandpiper

Two obvious curlew sandpiper were seen a few metres away.

blue-cheeked bee-eater

Blue-cheeked bee-eater don't need water but there always seems to be a higher concentration of them near water in Nouakchott while they are here (July-December).

Just over half an hour's further walk west, provided one isn't distracted by birds, is the fishing port.

I bird watch just south of it as it is quieter than the port itself and has a couple of good birding spots.

mostly Audouin's gull

Audouin's gull have arrived in umbers.

A few lesser black-backed gull have arrived too though a few less healthy ones stay all summer.

lesser black-backed gull (left)

I will admit, I don't get the greatest enjoyment out of gulls. However, over the past year, I have taken pleasure at seeing both Franklin's gull and kelp gull here. Given my lack of general enthusiasm, I find it difficult to understand why people go to so much effort to ring gulls. 

first year Audouin's gull

Noteably, a significant proportion of Audouin's gull that I see here are ringed. Surely we now know many of them winter in southern Mauritania. I wish more attention was paid to ringing birds like Iberian chiffchaff which nobody really knows where it goes. 

Iberian chiffchaff is supposed to pass through here and then to winter in Senegal and Western Mali. Ringing them in siginifcant numbers would help me separate them from willow warbler too.

another ringed Audouin's gull

Down at the man-made lagoon by the beach, there was some interesting activity. However constant walk-bys of the fishermen made birding tough.

little tern

As always, I look for the single birds. I saw my first little tern since returning from my summer break.

dunlin and sanderling

Dunlin and sanderling were far from singles. Large numbers are here at present.

Given the disturbance at the lagoons and my lack of time before sunset I chose to move on to the rubbish dump. This is where poor quality fish are discarded. It smells really bad but always has a good variety of birds.

black tern

This time I was rewarded with excellent and prolonged views of a flock of around 18 black tern. They were so busy eating flies over the dump or resting that they virtually ignored me.

whimbrel and common sandpiper

Other birds around the dump included the expected yellow wagtail and common sandpiper. However whimbrel was more surprising.

ruddy turnstone

Ruddy turnstone weren't so much turning over stones as small items of rubbish.

black tern (l) and dunlin (r)

As at the lagoon, there was another mixed flcok of sanderling and dunlin. It was worth holding my nose at the dump for the close views of all these species.

Central Lake on Friday 17th September

Northern Shoveller  

Black-winged Stilt  

Pied Avocet  

Spur-winged Lapwing  

Kentish Plover  

Common Ringed Plover  

Black-tailed Godwit  

Ruff  

Dunlin  

Little Stint  

Common Greenshank  

Marsh Sandpiper  

Wood Sandpiper  

Common Redshank  

Black-headed Gull  

Mediterranean Gull  

Laughing Dove  

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater  

House Sparrow  

South of fish market on Friday 15th September

Cattle Egret (Western)  

Common Ringed Plover  

Whimbrel  

Ruddy Turnstone  

Curlew Sandpiper  

Sanderling  

Dunlin  

Little Stint  

Audouin's Gull  

Yellow-legged Gull  

Lesser Black-backed Gull  

Little Tern  

Caspian Tern  

Black Tern  

Royal Tern  

Laughing Dove  

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater  

Southern Grey Shrike  

Crested Lark  

Willow Warbler  

Cricket Longtail  

Common Redstart  

Western Yellow Wagtail  

House Sparrow  

Most species seen yet at the waste water site

On yesterday's visit to the waste water site, I recorded 40 species which is the most I have ever seen there. Of course, most were passage birds and a sign that passage is full-on at the moment.

In this blog I will go through various categories of bird seen rather than recount chronologically. 

I will start with the doves.  Large numbers of speckled pigeon were present in spring but not since I returned after the summer break. Yesterday they were back.

speckled pigeon

There was the largest group of European turtle dove I have ever seen. I counted 18. However they were extraordinarily shy. If one saw me, the flock would move on at least 50 metres.

turtle dove and laughing dove

One exception was a very young turtle dove, though well hidden it did allow reasonable approach.

turtle dove

Both laughing dove and Namaqua dove have been present on every single visit to the site.

three Namaqua dove and a laughing dove

Warblers were collectively the largest group of birds yesterday. The big majority were willow warbler.

willow warbler from the rear

Many were obviously first year birds.

same willow warbler from the front

I am still looking intently for Iberian chiffchaff for the simple reason that there are over 1,000,000 according to Birdlife International and most must fly through Mauritaina to reach their wintering grounds in Senegal and Western Mali.

problematic warbler 1

The identification of Iberian chiffchaff outside their breeding grounds is problematic. There should actually be more of them than willow warbler in this region. Yet they are rarely identified except from a mist net.

problematic warbler 2

Something must be happening. The most likely scenario is they are being over looked for willow warbler. The problematic bird (see photos) was chosen from all the phylloscopus at the site as having the most characteristics in common with Iberian chiffchaff as seen in the breeding area. There is a lemon underside with a white belly. The supercilium appears to have a lemon tinge. The bill fits the orange tinges of Iberian chiffchaff. The legs are a bit dark for a typical willow warbler and are the amber colour which is the commonest leg colour of the Iberian chiffchaff.

problematic warbler 3

And yet three people from Iberia on BirdForum say this bird is a willow warbler. The main reasons they cite are a supercilium that is too long and a primary projection that is too long. 

It may be too early to see Iberian chiffchaff here but it must happen soon. I can't believe they all fly over Mauritania and go directly without pause to near-by Senegal and Western Mali. It is a zero sum game, they can't dematerialise and reappear in spring in their breeding grounds.

I rarely resort to sound tracks. They are for bird tours and used much more by obsessive people. My main aversion is to the use of songs, which can be particularly harmful in the breeding season. Yet I have developed an particular obsession here to know where the Iberian chiffchaff are and what they look like after leaving their breeding grounds. I have downloaded the call of the Iberian chiffchaff. Let's see what next weekend brings.

blurred garden warbler

I had more success additing to my list with a different warbler. I found my first garden warbler in Mauritania. The warbler is otfen over-looked simply because it is non-descript.

Garden warbler from below

Western olivaceous warbler were still to be found. Most were next to a small sheltered pond surrounded by over-hanging bushes.

sedge warbler

Sedge warbler has an even greater affinity for water. Two were observed in the same bush at the main water's edge.

Before looking at the water birds themselves, I will finish off the rest of the land birds. 

golden oriole 1

Three golden oriole were observed. They were shy as usual.This is still the only place I have seen them in Mauritania.

golden oriole 2

Hoopoe like ground with earth insects and grubs. It is no surprise I regularly see them at this site in passage seasons.

hoopoe

Plenty of European pied flycatcher and spotted flycatcher were scattered around the site. On average the European pied flycatcher was in less exposed positions.

spotted flycatcher

In the wooded areas were the first common redstart of the season.

whinchat

Likewise, a whinchat was also the first of the season.

tree pipit

I have yet to see a red-throated pipit in Mauritania. Although there was pipit close to the mobile flock of yellow wagtail, it was a tree pipit.

cattle egret

Turning to the "water birds", the glossy ibis are down to one though four grey heron made an appearance. Two cattle egret flew over but were only seen once.

Similarly, two gull-billed tern hestitated over the water for a couple of minutes before continuing their flight south. A single black tern did the same.

little stint

There were almost as many dunlin as little stint for once. Less common redshank this week meant less alarm among the waders when I got close.

first year dunlin

I have found no evidence of breeding among the spur-winged lapwing. Nor have I anywhere in the city despite their numbers.

spur-winged lapwing

Provided majorly contimated water isn't added, the greenery at the edges of the water will continue to grow. If the cover increases, breeding of 
the watervarious species becomes a possibility. As ever this is dependent on man.

the water

Species seen on Spetember 9th at the waste water site

Grey Heron (Grey)  

Cattle Egret (Western)  

Glossy Ibis  

harrier sp.  

Spur-winged Lapwing  

Kentish Plover  

Common Ringed Plover  

Whimbrel  

Ruff  

Dunlin  

Little Stint  

Common Sandpiper  

Green Sandpiper  

Common Greenshank  

Wood Sandpiper  

Common Redshank  

Gull-billed Tern  

Black Tern  

Speckled Pigeon  

European Turtle Dove 

Laughing Dove  

Namaqua Dove  

Eurasian Hoopoe (Eurasian)  

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater  

Southern Grey Shrike  

Woodchat Shrike  

Eurasian Golden Oriole  

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark  

Crested Lark  

Willow Warbler  

Western Olivaceous Warbler  

Sedge Warbler  

Garden Warbler  

Spectacled Warbler  

Spotted Flycatcher  

European Pied Flycatcher  

Common Redstart  

Whinchat  

Western Yellow Wagtail  

Tree Pipit  

House Sparrow  

F-Nord lake: not dead yet

So F-Nord lake isn't completely pumped out. I went there on Friday to see what remained of the best and only fresh water birding site in the city.

The authorities had started pumping it out. The level had reduced and I had assumed it would all be gone as part of the drive to remove standing water throughout the city.

Whether the heavy rain last week (when 40% of a year's rain fell in one day) has topped the water up or the authorities have decided to allow the lake to remain at the new lower level, I still don't know. I can see that the three low lying houses have already repainted their walls suggesting they believe levels will never rise again.

Either way, I enjoyed the birding while I could.

squacco heron

Large birds are generally the most easily seen and there was some variety of heron family members. Three squacco heron may not sound many but it is the largest number I have observed at this site.

little egret

There are often a reef heron or two on site but rarely do I see its close cousin, little egret.

glossy ibis

Two glossy ibis and a single grey heron were the other members of the extended heron family present.

coot chicks

This may be the only place south of the Sahara in West Africa where coot are present all year round and where they regularly breed. There doesn't seem to be a set breeding season. I have seen young chicks in February, other spring months and now again at the beginning of September. 

It is not the only place in sub-Saharan Africa where they have bred. I am told that they have bred in Northern Senegal though I don't know the scale or regularity. I wonder if sub-Saharan breeding is actually wider spread. It would be interesting to know whether any of the pools off the Niger river in Mali support them too. It is a known wintering ground and I would imagine the conditions are similar.

several coot

There is a high probability that the coot seen at this time of year where born here.

little grebe (left)

Little grebe prefer water at least one metre in depth. I predict they will be the first of the four breeding water birds to leave here if the water goes lower.

African swamphen

None have left yet. African swamphen can still be seen in or close to the reeds.

garganey (left) and moorhen (right)

Moorhen are still present in seemingly their usual numbers too. The one above was swimming next to a garganey. Indeed the garganey was not the only duck on site.

northern pintail

There was also a northern pintail. Before I left for the summer in June, one of each of these species had been seen during that month and I speculated whether they would over-summer. I don't know whether this were the same two birds or not. However, I saw neither species on my first visit back after the summer.

marbled duck

One duck that is definitely new was a marbled duck. The lake had up to six in the early winter last year so this species wasn't a surprise though the timing was. There again no two years are the same.

mostly little stint

Given the lower levels of the lake, a larger number of waders was expected this cycle. There were certainly larger numbers of little stint and even wood sandpiper than I have seen before.

common ringed plover

Several common ringed plover and the odd common sandpiper added to the mix.

common greenshank (left)

Common greenshank and ruff are not observed so commonly at the lake. This is particularly true of ruff.

ruff

Woodchat shrike was expected and seen. Southern grey shrike was much less expected. This one looked like the sub-species algeriensis. As I observed last winter, a few seem to migrate across the Sahara to here. 

southern grey shrike

There were a small number of terns and gulls present. Three black tern were hawking over the water. This is by far the most common marsh tern to migrate along the coast near Nouakchott.

black tern

I was most surprised to see two juvenile black-headed gull.

black-headed gull 1

Last year it was four weeks later until I noticed the first one.

black-headed gull 2

I spotted four types of warbler. More than half were willow warbler. These were mostly out in the open.

first year willow warbler

Deep in one of the few trees that overhang the water I found a western olivaceous warbler. In some reeds I fleetingly saw a European reed warbler.

sedge warbler

I got prolonged views of two sedge warbler albeit from distance and in two quite different parts of the lake. Last winter I saw one or two all winter long. I study them all for aquatic warbler but I have always drawn a blank. I think I deserve one for the effort especially as thier main wintering ground worldwide is only 200 kilometres way on the Senegal River delta.

In birding, everything comes in the end if you are patient and persistent enough.

Species seen at F-Nord lake on September 2nd

Garganey  

Northern Pintail  

Marbled Duck  

Little Grebe  

Grey Heron 

Little Egret  

Squacco Heron  

Glossy Ibis  

African Swamphen  

Common Moorhen  

Eurasian Coot  

Spur-winged Lapwing  

Common Ringed Plover  

Ruff  

Little Stint  

Common Sandpiper  

Common Greenshank  

Wood Sandpiper  

Black-headed Gull  

Black Tern  

Speckled Pigeon  

Laughing Dove  

Little Swift  

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater  

Southern Grey Shrike  

Woodchat Shrike  

Willow Warbler  

Western Olivaceous Warbler  

Sedge Warbler  

Eurasian Reed Warbler  

Western Yellow Wagtail  

House Sparrow