Birding the Jubail area in June gave a few surprising migrants including Whinchat, European Bee-eater, Red-backed Shrike, Barn Swallow and Sand Martin. A Western Cattle Egret was also a surprise as they are a winter species that has normally departed by this time of year. A few summer plumage Squacco Herons were also present showing […]
Tag: Little Bittern
Little bittern
Ixobrychus minutus – Ardeidae – It is the smallest ardeidae weighing between 60 and 150g. Lives in bedreeds and highly vegetated shores. If it is still listed LC (minor concern) in the status of UICN preservation, it is in severe decline in Europe due to the reduction of the swampy areas: the national population in […]
Nice surprise – Arrocampo
On our last full day in Iberia (19 May) we spent the morning birding in a few sites around Arrocampo reservoir, north of Trujillo. It’s a large reservoir with some birding infrastructure in the northern arms. I haven’t heard about this site until a few days before, and it was surprisingly good there. There is […]
Waders and Herons – Jubail
Whilst in the Jubail area recently we saw plenty of species of waders and many kinds of herons. There were hundreds of Grey Herons present as well as the largest number of Little Egrets I have seen at the site, well over 200 birds. A few Little Bitterns and Squacco Herons were also present along […]
Last of the Egyptian Nightjars – Jubail
The last few Egyptian Nightjars are still present in Jubail although I suspect this will be last time I see them this year. I saw five birds in different locations during the day, but they normally leave in early September. Wader numbers continue to build with large numbers of Common Ringed Plovers seen and smaller […]
Malta approves public referendum of bird hunt that kills over 15,000
Malta’s Constitutional Court has upheld a public referendum to decide the fate of the country’s controversial spring bird hunt, which kills over ten thousand migrating birds every year. The Constitutional Court threw out objections by Malta’s powerful hunting lobby, and instead sided with the 11 conservation groups who organized the referendum, known as the Coalition […]
Malta – Massacre on Migration (Episode 7)
Chris Packham takes a trip to the island of Camino, Malta to see the conservation work done by the BirdLife Malta Ringing Station. Birds just ringed and ready for release include Golden Oriole, Hoopoe and Nightjar. Chris sadly recalls that during the week his hands have been covered in the blood of illegally shot birds […]