For the volunteer watchers scanning southern Israel’s wheatfields, protecting migratory falcons from poachers is a highly coordinated security operation. The raptors may top the food chain in the wild, but here the predators can themselves become the prey. Many protected species of migratory birds spend their winters in this agricultural area close to the Gaza […]
Tag: United Arab Emirates
Arabian Green Bee-eater – A new Arabian endemic?
The Handbook of Birds of the world have just split Arabian Green Bee-eater from Green Bee-eater. Philothrus cyanophrys Cabanis and Heine, 1860, Arabia = mountains of Al Qunfudhah, southwestern Saudi Arabia. Usually treated as conspecific with M. viridissimus and M. orientalis, but differs from both in its very short stub-ended central tail feathers; bright blue […]
Highest ever count of Pied Kingfishers in Saudi Arabia – Sabkhat Al Fasl
As mentioned in a previous post there appears to have been a significant influx of Pied Kingfishers into the eastern part of Arabia in late October and early November 2015 with birds seen in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait as well as Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia there was a single female at […]
Forest Wagtail – UAE Record No 10
This Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) is a recent vistor to Abu Dhabi, I believe, according to the Emirates Bird Recorder, it is the 10th Record for the UAE, the first being Nov 1989 and the last Dec 2012. It is only my second sighting, the last being in 2009, so I enjoyed my hour or […]
Well travelled Youngster
Whilst out guiding for the day in the West of the UAE last Saturday, I had the good fortune to cross paths with a rather beautiful young Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca). Imperial Eagles are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Listing primarily due to habitat loss and degradation, adult mortality through persecution and collision with […]
In search of Sooty Falcon
The Sooty Falcon has undergone a major decline in Arabia. Current status as per the EBRC (Emirates Bird Recording Committee) – “Highly endangered declining breeding visitor (5 nesting pairs in 2008, per EAD) to offshore Arabian Gulf islands. Rare migrant onshore”.So it was a pleasant surprise when an Emirati friend of mine reported a sighting […]
UAE Pelagic Summary
Been a while since I posted, to be honest I have travelled a lot recently, taken a lot of pictures, been working hard and just not had time for the blog. However I find myself with 5 minutes to put together a small blog on a summary of some recent Pelagics I have been on […]
A few bits and pieces in the UAE Part II
Ajban farms is a favorite site of mine , located between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is a desert scrub area with large water lakes. Unfortunately the water is constantly being pumped into tankers for nearby constructions sites. Not sure how much longer there will be water there, once gone I am sure there will […]