[ggregory71]

Kuwait is in the southeastern corner of the WP and hosts its share of WP rarities. A male and a female Eversmann's Redstarts, a very hard-to-get WP species, have been at Sabriya Farm since December 22. Attached are my record shots of the male;the female was too skulking even for a record shot.

[ggregory71]

Attached is another WP rarity - Kuwait's first Long-tailed Shrike, at Jahra Pool Reserve on 7 October 2004. This photograph, by Khaled Al-Ghanem, is published in The Kuwait Bird Report 2005 and on this thread with his permission.

[ggregory71]

Attached is a photograph of Kuwait's first Grey-necked Bunting, photographed by AbdulRahman Al-Sirhan at Tulha in the Sabah Al-Ahmed Natural Reserve on 14 September 2005. This appears in The Kuwait Bird Report 2005 and here with his permission. This species is also difficult to see in the WP.

[ggregory71]

Attached are photographs of the female Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse seen at Sabah Al-Salem by Pekka Fagel, Brian Foster, George Gregory and Andrew Bailey on 4 March 2005. This pictures have been published before in various media and are here with permission of Pekka Fagel. This species is an extreme WP rarity now, and this bird represented Kuwait's second record.

[ggregory71]

My photographs of Kuwait's first Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse are attached. One Friday in February 1999, Sami Al-Awadhi and other hunters shot 13 out of about 30 similar sandgrouse at Ratqa in Kuwait. Three birds survived their wounds, were caged at Sami's villa in Kuwait city, and were identified by George Gregory and Khalid Al-Nasrallah. A male and a female are shown here. Apologies for the poor quality but I used flash at night at close range using film, and the prints were then scanned. Some of these images have been published before in various media.

[ggregory71]

Further information about Kuwait Birding is available at http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=74081.
Increasing numbers of birders are visiting Kuwait in order to see the numerous WP speciality species here (see the above link for contact details etc), and it would be best for the arrangements to be made easier using these Birdforum threads.

[ggregory71]

Rook is a major rarity in Kuwait. The only records were of single birds in 1955 and 1963, i.e. it has been 43 years since the last one.
Today at Shuwaikh Port, Kuwait, AbdulRahman Al-Sirhan took the attached photos. As far as I can judge they show a juvenile Rook developing the bare patch at the base of its bill. However, it seems possible that there might be other exotic corvids from Asia or Africa that could be escapes or ship-assisted arrivals and show somewhat similar features.
I therefore ask for opinions about the ID of this bird, so that the record can be confirmed. Please reply.

[Steve Lister]

The black feathering extending over the top of the bill does not look right for a Rook.

steve

[JANJ]

Originally Posted by Steve Lister

The black feathering extending over the top of the bill does not look right for a Rook.

steve

It does on a juvenile Steve.

http://www.pbase.com/upupa/image/56402571

JanJ

[Steve Lister]

Originally Posted by JANJ

It does on a juvenile Steve.

http://www.pbase.com/upupa/image/56402571

JanJ

But would a bird still be in juvenile plumage yesterday?

Steve

[Hotspur]

Isnt the bare area at the base of the bill caused by wear and if this bird has just had its first post juv moult it would possibly still have feathering there, especially if it isnt probing muddy fields but has gone to Kuwait for the winter!

[ggregory71]

Attainment of the bare patch at the base of the bill in Rook is quite complex - if you have BWPi go to Rook, then Handbook, then Plumages, then First Adult. Essentially it starts appearing from November to January, depending on location and is attained by moult, but is not entirely complete for some long time.

[jurek]

You worry me.

Why didn't I see a single Rook with feathered "nose" in winter for 20+ years in Europe?

BTW, rarities are wonderful! I hope you get WP first soon!

[JANJ]

Black feathering is worn until Feb. - May 2cy year.

http://www.birds.kz/Corvus%20frugilegus/indexe.html

JanJ

[ggregory71]

Attached is a photo of one of three Common Babblers, taken at Tulha in the Sabah Al-Ahmed Natural Reserve in Kuwait by Khalid Al-Nasrallah on 3 August 2006. This was the 5th Kuwait record of a very hard-to-get WP species.

[ggregory71]

Attached are three photos, by Pekka Fagel, of the Forest Wagtail seen by Mike Pope, Brian Foster and Pekka Fagel at Al-Abraq Al-Khabari on 10 November 2006. This was the first record for the WP of this species.

[ggregory71]

This Long-tailed Shrike, Kuwait's second, is wintering at Sulaibikhat Nature Reserve now. The photos are by Hussain Al-Qallaf.

[James Eaton]

Hi George,

Just had the pleasure of telling your mate Brian about the Redstarts earlier today in Thailand, he seemed slightly gripped, especially as we were watching an empty fruiting tree on Doi Inthanon at the time! Fingers crossed they remain for 2 more weeks....

[ggregory71]

Merry Christmas James,
Please tell Brian that there is also a Rook (3rd Kuwait record) at Shuwaikh Port, and that AbdulRahman Al-Sirhan has been obtaining confirmatory photographs of Armenian Gulls (1st substantiated Kuwait records).
Good birding in the mountains.
George.

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi George,

Excellent updates, thanks.

I will be visiting Kuwait in early April, and am I right in saying that you are living there again for a temporary period?

We will be staying with Brian, and have your excellent book, so should see something good. Maybe you could pm me with any updates nearer the time (we arrive on 4th)?

Would it be possible to visit the offshore islands for the breeding seabirds? Or are there restrictions at that time?

Cheers

Sean

[ggregory71]

Dear Sean,
Please see the attached trip report for April 2006. I will indeed be present in Kuwait for your trip. Since I have flexible hours I can accompany you for your visit and gain access for you to all the good birding spots.
Early April is too early for the White-cheeked, Lesser Crested and Bridled Terns to be breeding on Kubbar Island. However, these may be seen offshore the mainland in small numbers. I will arrange a boat trip for you with the coastguard to Bubiyan Island to see the breeding Grey Herons, Western Reef Egrets, Spoonbiils, Crab Plovers, and Gull-billed, Caspian and Greater Crested Terns.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
George.

[markgrubb]

A nice thread-keep posting and a HNY

[ggregory71]

Shikra is annual in Kuwait and is no longer considered a vagrant. It is probably much 'overlooked' with fleeting glimpses of Accipiters assumed to be of Sparrowhawks. Attached is one of my photos of a bird found dead in Kuwait of this species, which is very difficult to see elsewhere in the WP.

[ggregory71]

Caspian Plovers regularly pass through Kuwait in fair numbers but mostly well inland, so are only occasionally encountered. A juvenile photographed by Hussain Al-Qallaf, actually on the coast, is attached. This is another WP species most likely to be seen in Kuwait and not easily elsewhere.

[Ghostly Vision]

Originally Posted by ggregory71

Dear Sean,
Please see the attached trip report for April 2006. I will indeed be present in Kuwait for your trip. Since I have flexible hours I can accompany you for your visit and gain access for you to all the good birding spots.
Early April is too early for the White-cheeked, Lesser Crested and Bridled Terns to be breeding on Kubbar Island. However, these may be seen offshore the mainland in small numbers. I will arrange a boat trip for you with the coastguard to Bubiyan Island to see the breeding Grey Herons, Western Reef Egrets, Spoonbiils, Crab Plovers, and Gull-billed, Caspian and Greater Crested Terns.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
George.

Thanks George; I will keep in touch either via Brian (but he's not the quickest to reply to Emails!!), or maybe you can Email me and we can correspond off-forum?

Looking forward to the off-islands.

All the best

Sean