KUWAIT
30 April – 4 May 2005

BIRDWATCHING TRIP TO KUWAIT
30 April – 4 May 2005

After a first trip to Kuwait in January the objective of this trip was to observe some breeding birds and especially the search for Basra Reed Warbler. The weather was fine for two days. On the last day there was a heavy sand storm in the morning. Special observation: a White-headed Yellow Wagtail.

Thanks to Pekka Fågel and Brian Foster for their help.

1. Itinerary
30 April 2005
Flight from Zurich via Frankfurt to Kuwait. Night in Oasis Hotel.

1st May 2005
Start at 04.00 to Sewer Plant Reeds (search of Basra Reed Warbler) – coast of Azor – Sabah Al-
Salem – along the coast to Sulaibikhat Bay – Jahra East Outfall – Jahra Farm.

2 May 2005
Sulaibikhat Bay – Doha South Reeds – Sulaibikhat Nature Reserve – Jahra East Outfall – Desert
(on road 50, after 41 km turn right then another 35 km and turn left to farms) – Doha South
Reeds.

3 May 2005
Doha South Reeds – Entrance of National Nature Reserve (no visit, sand storm) – Jahra Farms –
Sabah Al-Salem – Al Zour – Falaheel – Sewer Plant Reeds.

4 May 2005
After midnight flight to Frankfurt and Zürich.

2. Birds seen

Ruddy Shelduck
2 May two at coast Jahra East Outfall.

Common Shelduck
1st May one Sulaibikhat Bay.

Eurasian Wigeon
2 May one pair at coast Jahra East Outfall.
Kuwait May 2005 2

Northern Pintail
2 May one male at coast Jahra East Outfall

Little Bittern
2 May one male and one female Doha South Reeds (former fishponds).

Night Heron
3 May one adult Doha South Reeds.

Squacco Heron
1st May one Sabah Al-Salem. two Jahra East Outfall.
2 May one Doha South Reeds.
3 May one Sewer Plant Reeds.

Cattle Egret
1st May eight flying over Sewer Plant Reeds, one Sabah Al-Salem.
1st and 2 May one Jahra East Outfall.

Western Reef Heron
1st and 2 May one dark morph Sulaibikhat Bay.

Little Egret
1st May four Jahra East Outfall. 3 May two Sabah Al-Salem.

Grey Heron
1st May one Sewer Plant Reeds, twelve Sulaibikhat Bay.
2 May at least five Jahra East Outfall.

Purple Heron
2 May one Doha South Reeds.

Greater Flamingo
1st May 22 Sulaibikhat Bay.

Western Marsh Harrier
1st May one female and one immature Jahra East Outfall.

Osprey
1st May one Sewer Plant Reeds and one Sulaibikhat Bay.

Peregrine Falcon
2 May one flying over Doha South Reed (former fishponds).

Hobby
3 May one flying over Sabah Al-Salem.

Water Rail
1st May one Sabah Al-Salem.

Spotted Crake
1st May two Sewer Plant Reeds.
2 May one calling once Jahra East Outfall.
3 May one Sabah Al-Salem, two Sewer Plant Reeds.
Kuwait May 2005 3

Common Moorhen
1st May one with two pulli Sabah Al-Salem, two calling Jahra East Outfall.
2 May two calling Jahra East Outfall.
3 May 2 larger young bird and 2 adults Sabah Al-Salem.

Black-winged Stilt
1st May one Sabah Al-Salem. 2 May at least 3 Jahra East Outfall.

Collared Pratincole
1st May two flying over Sewer Plant Reeds. 3 May 47 migrating North along over sea in front of Falaheel “oberservation” tower, 41 roosting in the evening at Sewer Plant Reeds.

Little Ringed Plover
1st May at least two Jahra East Outfall.

Common Ringed Plover
1st May at least two Sabah Al-Salem, four Jahra East Outfall.

Kentish Plover
1st May six Sewer Plant Reeds, ca. 10 Sabah Al-Salem, ca. 10 Sulaibikhat Bay. Later more or less the same.

Grey Plover
1st May twelve Sulaibikhat Bay. 2 May one Jahra East Outfall.

Sanderling
1st May at least five Sabah Al-Salem, ca. 20 Sulaibikhat Bay. 3 May two Sabah Al-Salem.

Little Stint
1st May ta least 20 Sabah Al-Salem. 2 May at least 50 Jahra East Outfall. 3 May ca. 30 Sewer Plant Reeds.

Curlew Sandpiper
1st May at least 22 Sabah Al-Salem, ca. 10 Jahra East Outfall. Later more or less the same.
3 May 18 Sewer Plant Reeds.

Dunlin
2 May at least 5 Jahra East Outfall.

Ruff
1st May at least 8 Sabah Al-Salem, ca. 20 Jahra East Outfall. Later more birds seen.

Common Snipe
3 May two Sabah Al-Salem.

Whimbrel
1st May one Sulaibikhat Bay.

Eurasian Curlew
1st May two Sulaibikhat Bay.

Marsh Sandpiper
1st May two Sabah Al-Salem. Later single birds.
Kuwait May 2005 4

Common Greenshank
1st May two at pond near Khiran resort. Later more single birds.

Wood Sandpiper
1st May at least 105 Sabah Al-Salem. Smaller flocks at other sites.

Green Sandpiper
3 May one flying/calling Doha East Outfall.

Terek Sandpiper
1st May two Sabah Al-Salem, at least 384 Sulaibikhat Bay. Later more single birds.

Common Sandpiper
Single birds at almost every wetland area.

Ruddy Turnstone
1st May three Sabah Al-Salem, ca. 20 Sulaibikhat Bay. Later more birds.

Red-necked Phalarope
2 May 14 Jahra East Outfall.

Slender-billed Gull
1st and 2 May ca. 50 Sulaibikhat Bay, 3 May ca. 30 migrating Falaheel.

Lesser Black-backed Gull
1st May one Sulaibikhat Bay.

Gull-billed Tern
1st May one Sulaibikhat Bay.

Caspian Tern
1st May one Sulaibikhat Bay.

Greater Crested Tern
1st May at least three Salwa Beach. 3 May one Falaheel.

Lesser Crested Tern
1st May at last four Salwa Beach.

Sandwich Tern
1st May at least five Salwa Beach. 3 May three Falaheel.

White-checked Tern
3 May at least nine Falaheel in harbour and out over the sea.

Little Tern
1st May one Sulaibikhat Bay. 3 May two Falaheel.

White-winged Tern
1st May at least 30 Jahra East Outfall. Later single birds.
Kuwait May 2005 5

Feral Pigeon
Very abundant

Eurasian Collared Dove
Very common

European Turtle Dove
2 May two Doha South,
3 May two Sewer Plant Reeds.

Laughing Dove
Abundant

Namaqua Dove
2 May one male and one female Sulaibikhat Nature Reserve.

Ring-necked Parakeet
1st and 3 May one Jahra Farms.

Common Cuckoo
1st May one Sewer Plant Reeds. 2 May one brown bird on the way to Jahra East Outfall.

Swift
3 May two flying over Sewer Plant Reeds.

Pallid Swift
Common.

Blue-checked Bee-eater
1st May two Sabah Al-Salem.
2 May single birds.
3 May nine Sewer Plant Reeds.

European Bee-eater
1st May five migrating over Sewer Plant Reeds. Later a few more birds.

European Roller
2 May one Doha South Reeds.

Crested Lark
Common

Sand Martin
Many birds, e.g. ca. 300 Sewer Plant Reeds on 3 May.

Barn Swallow
Many birds, e.g. ca. 300 Sewer Plant Reeds on 3 May.

Tawny Pipit
1st May three Jahra East Outfall. A few more single birds.

Tree Pipit
One or two birds at many places.

Red-throated Pipit
Single birds in flight. 1st and 2 May at least 20 Jahra East Outfall.
Kuwait May 2005 6

Yellow Wagtail
Single birds and small groups almost everywhere. Largest flock on 1st May Jahra East Outfall
ca. 30 birds with at least 3 lutea, 2 thunbergii, feldegg (most of the rest) and one male
leucocephala (in the evening in the reed, not found the day after).

Grey Wagtail
1st May one Jahra East Outfall.

White-eared Bulbul
Not seen very often.

Rufous-tailed Bush-Robin
A few birds in most bushy habitats.

Nightingale
3 May one Sewer Plant Reeds.

Bluethroat
3 May still one on path at Doha South Reeds.

Common Redstart
Very common, at most places with bushes and trees.

Whinchat
Common in bushy areas, highest count 1st May twelve Jahra East Outfall.

Northern Wheatear
Only Wheatear of the trip! A few single birds.

Graceful Warbler
Common.

Basra Reed Warbler
1st May one at small pond at Sewer Plant Reeds, well seen.
2 May in the morning and evening one singing Doiha South Reeds. Both not found anymore on 3 May.
Kuwait May 2005 7

Great Reed Warbler
2 May two (one singing) in bushes of Doha South area.

Clamorous Reed Warbler
1st May five Sewer Plant Reeds.
2 May three Doha South Reeds.

European Reed Warbler
1st May five Sewer Plant reeds. Single birds in other reedbeds.

Sedge Warbler
1st May two Sewer Plant Reeds.

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
1st May one singing Sabah Al-Salem.

Upcher´s Warbler
2 May three Doha South bushes, two Doha East.

Common Whitethroat
Very common.

Common Chiffchaff
Common.

Willow Warbler
Common.

Spotted Flycatcher
Common.

Golden Oriole
1st May one male Sabah Al-Salem.

Isabelline Shrike
1st May one phoenicuroides Sabah Al-Salem, two isabellinus Jahra East Outfall. Later a few
more single birds.

Red-backed Shrike
Very common. Everywhere. 2 May three in Desert in shade of a small part of a car.

Lesser Grey Shrike
Common.

Woodchat Shrike
1st May one Sewer Plant Reeds.
2 May at least five birds, one in Desert.
3 May one singing Jahra Farms.

Common Starling
1st May one Sabah Al-Salem.

Common Mynah
Common
Kuwait May 2005 8

Bank Mynah
3 May two Jahra Farms.

House Sparrow
Abundant

Red Avadavat
2 May one male Doha South Reeds.

Ortolan Bunting
2 May one male Sulaibikhat Nature Reserve.

Werner Müller
c/o SVS/BirdLife Switzerland
Wiedingstr. 78, PO Box, CH-8036 Zürich, Switzerland
Tel +41 44 457 70 20, Fax +41 44 457 70 30

Werner.muellerATbirdlife.ch