Time to go home!

Well this will be my last entry on this blog as I travel back to UK tonight, although I have had a few new birds I cannot say I'm sad to be leaving.

A slow drive from the accomodation to Work past "Keptie Pond" for the last time produced

1 x Ruff
1 x Marsh Sandpiper
1 x Black Winged Stilt

I will produce a quick summary of highlights (and lowlights) on my return to lossie, in the meantime farewell to all, stay safe, and keep your eye peeled for a new blog "Lossiemouth Birding"

Regards fae the desert Dave Slater

Totals List so far.

1 Great Cormorant
2 Kestrel
3 Common Moorhen
4 Avocet
5 Black Winged Stilt
6 Ringed Plover
7 Kentish Plover
8 Red Wattled Plover
9 White Tailed Plover
10 Red Necked Stint
11 Little Stint
12 Temmincks Stint
13 Common Snipe
14 Ruff
15 Spotted Redshank
16 Common Redshank
17 Marsh Sandpiper
18 Greenshank
19 Common Sandpiper
20 Green Sandpiper
21 Collared Dove
22 Laughing Dove
23 Common Swift
24 European Bee-eater
25 Crested Lark
26 Barn Swallow
27 House Martin
28 Meadow Pipit
29 Water Pipit
30 Yellow Wagtail
31 Grey Wagtail
32 White Wagtail
33 Bluethroat
34 Stonechat
35 Cetti's Warbler
36 Chiffchaff
37 Great Reed Warbler
38 Graceful Prina
39 European Reed Warbler
40 Isabelline Shrike
41 Common Starling
42 House Sparrow
43Spanish Sparrow


Birds in Italics and Bold are lifers.

Surprise New Species!

With new rules and regs on camp my birding has taken a knock on the head and I dont think I will be out again prior to my departure on 01 April 07, however had a good sighting on the way to the laundry tent yesterday.

My attention was drawn to a "chrrup chrrup" call over head and on looking up two European Bee eaters flew past! A lifer for me, also a single House Martin was new for the tour list.

This morning whilst waiting for the transport noted the Swift numbers have increased vastly with around 40 hawking around the usual sites.

"Keptie Pond" is full again after the rcent rain storms and subsequently too deep, so all the Ruffs etc have moved on.

Disapointed at not being able to get a last round of the estate in, but safety comes first I suppose

Best Day yet

07:45 Keptie Pond Area.

The large flock of Ruff have moved on, however 56 Still remain in this location
A good showing of 11 Marsh Sandpiper in one flock.
2 Spotted Redshank (1 moulting into summer plumage)
1 Common Sandpiper
8 Common Swift
4 Kentish Plover
Numerous House Sparrows
2 Kentish Plover chicks, no more than two days old.

08:00 Spynie

2 Black Winged Stilt
2 Ruff
1 Spotted Redshank
1 Common Redshank
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper, giving good comparisons with nearby Green Sandpiper.
3 Kentish Plover
1 Laughing Dove
2 Collard Dove
1 Male Grey Wagtail (full plumage)

08:25

3 Red Wattled Plover all calling and flying around.
7 Ruff
1 Marsh Sandpiper
2 Black Winged Stilt
1 Snipe
1 Chiffchaff seen and heard from reed bed
1 Great Reed Warbler, huge bird, really strange seeing something you know should be Reed Warbler sized but actually the size of a Starling!!
1 Female Stonechat
1 Male White Spotted Bluethroat, full song and full plumage. Stunning views
Brilliant views of an Isabelline Shrike, feeding on beetles on a sand bank, down to 10 ft. Lonf red/rufous tail.
1 Starling
1 Crested Lark
2 Swallows

A really productive and enjoyable morning birding.

Good Morning!

A quick walk to work to count the wader flock on "Keptie Pond" was a nice way to start the day.

110 Ruff with continual drips of 1 and 2 birds dropping in every few minutes.
3 Marsh Sandpiper
2 Black Winged Stilts
30+ Redshank
1 Spotted Redshank
5 Kentish Plover
Collard Dove
House Sparrow
1 Green Sandpiper.

Bird numbers increasing daily

07:30 Chilly, strong Northerly wind. Very Dusty.

60+ Ruff feeding on the MT Pool (Keptie Pond) Amazed at the size and colour variation from bird to bird
1 Green Sandpiper
3 Marsh Sandpiper
15 Redshank
2 Kentish Plover

07:50 "Loch Spynie"
1 Spotted Redshank
1 White Wagtail
1 Water Pipit
1 Laughing Dove
10 Common Swift
House Sparrows

08:00 Had to abort birding due to severe dust storm!! visibility down to 200 mts.

Brilliant day

Brilliant days birding over here. Although all the stilts had moved on. Did have one very strange wader left, slightly larger than nearby Ruff, shortish bill medium legs (pink/yellow) dark brown back, pale flanks with vertical stripes, but the most oustanding feature was the pure white head, throat and upper breast. Possibly an aberrant Ruff but not shown in any of my field guides.

New species for today, Cettis warbler, brilliant views as it sat on the mud beside a reed after being flushed by a House Sparrow. Graceful Prina perched on top of the reeds, Green Sandpiper at the same location and Reed Warblers by the bucket load.

Other things to note, only picked up two Black Winged Stilts and no Avocets, total of 5 Red Wattled Plovers was the record count so far and 9 Snipe flushed from the White Tailed Plover pool was also the most recorded to date.

Hopefully back out on Friday Morning.

Lots of Stilts!

Beautiful morning so decideed to walk to work, passing the pool I call Keptie Pond noticed at least 38 Black Winged Stilts and 1 Red Wattled Plover, the biggest flock of birds I have had this tour. Looking forward to getting out for a proper look around the camp tomorrow.

Migrants

Possible Citrine Wagtail of calcarata race. Completely Yellow head and black back. However as I was on duty I didn't have my optics! However did get a Stonechat sitting on the fence post nearby. Spring has arrived!

1st Migrant!

Waiting for transport down to work got my 1st Migrant of the tour. 1 Swallow.
That brings total list to 30.

Saturday 06 Jan 07 Basrah Iraq

08:15 Recent Thunderstorms but now Sunny and Mild

Good start to the day with 11 Cormorants flying over.
Many Common Swifts hawking around Air Traffic Control.
1 Collard Dove
1 Un Id Warbler in Reed Bed
1 White Tailed Plover

08:50
1 Kentish Plover
Brilliant views of a Laughing Dove, down to ten feet, beautiful little Bird, the bronze breast band showing very well in the sunlight.
2 Further Laughing Doves on the path to Div HQ
1 Flock of what looked like Starlings flew over, but no positive ID

Got stopped by roving patrol after they had had a report of a suspicious character in the Reed Bed!! After explaining to a very bemused Army Captain he took the time to check out the White Tailed and Red Wattled Plovers.

09:10 EFI Coffee shop (Nice coffe for $1:00!)

House Sparrow sonce again very numerous.
2 Collard Dove
Feral Pigeons

The main pool in front of Div HQ only held a White Wagtail today
2 Crested Larks on the way up to the EFI.

Pool by BFI

1 R ed Wattled Plover
2 Red Necked Stint
2 Black Winged Stilt
1 Kentish Plover

Pool by MT, completely devoid of all birds.

Wednesday 24 January 2007 Basrah Loop

13:10 Hot and Sunny!!

Good start on Div HQ Pool with Moorhen plus a Bluethroat feding on the path.
House Sparrow Flock 40+ in tree.
2 Common Snipe feeding out in the open showing very well. Bill length twice the lenght of head, two very prominant pale stripes on the back and a very obvious eyestripe.
1 Collared Dove
2 Red Wattled Plover (calling to each other on the cricket pitch area)

13:30 Beautiful day with plenty of birds. Finding it is better to leave birding later in the day when it has heated up and the insects are moving.

1 White Tailed Plover far pool (not the usual pool)
2 Black Winged Stilt
1 Kentish Plover

14:00 Still nice and hot.

BFI Pool

2 Black Winged Stilt
2 Red Necked Stint
1 Little Stint
2 Kentish Plover
1 White Wagtail
House Sparrows
Another 1 Common Snipe

Saturday 20 January 2007 Basarh "Loop"

07:50 Sunny, slight chill, nice day!
Pools in front of Div HQ.
Numerous House Sparrows.
1 White Tailed PLover
2 Small Warblers in Reeds, Similar if not slightly larger than Willow Warbler, olive above, paler below, obvious eyestripe, dark legs, very active feeders constant flicking of wings and tail, thin "tseeep" contact call. Not a clue what species!!

Another White Tailed Plover
2 Black Winged Stilt
1 Red Wattled Plover

Large flock of Starlings over far side near Civilian Airport Terminal, New Secies for tour!

09:00 Coffee stop!

Had more Starling in the location above, ended up about 200 individuals

Not a bad day weather wise, supposed to be raining later so is probably best i came out early.

1 Red wattled Plover flew into the cricket pitch area in front of Div HQ, giving loud call. However the rest of the area fairly quiet.

09:20 Welcome to Basrah!! Just finished my coffee left the EFI and the camp was hit by a rocket, however as I lay in the mud two white wagtails started breeding display.

09:50

BFI Pool

Very quiet today;
1 Red Wattled Plover
2 Kentish Plover
1 Little Stint

Wednesday 10 January 2007 Basrah Iraq

07:45 Chilly Bright
Brilliant views of White Tailed Plover at the pools in front of Div HQ
1 Commin Snipe Flushed form reed fringed pool

08:05
1 Ruff feeding in main pool in front of Div HQ. Feeding alongside 2 Black Winged Stilts 1 Avocet and Common Redshank
1 Snipe roosting on pool edge
Numerous House Sparrows
1 White Wagtail

10:20
BFI Pools after Coffee and Haircut!

1 Crested Lark
3 White Wagtail
2 Black Winged Stilts
1 Avocet
5 Kentish Plover
2 Little Stint
1 Red Necked Stint, bit of confusion over the identification between winter plumaged Red Necked Stint and Little Stint, but got very good comparisons on them both today,so happy that both species are present.
1 Red wattled Plover

Happy New Year 2007

Okay not a very inspiring start to the year, but being on shift meant i can only scrape a walk to work to get my list for 2007 started.

Pool by MT:
06:30
1 Little Stint

12:00
2 Black Winged Stilt
Numerous House Sparrows

Pretty poor way to start the year, but things can only get better suppose!