• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Environmental news 2011 (1 Viewer)

NicoleB

Nature addict
Instead of adding the 'news' to the Oil spill thread, I'll add the tidbits of my own experience, web finds and newspaper clips from Kuwaits environment here.

January 30th:

We woke up to a nasty Petroleum smell in the air at 5.30am in Mnagf.
It's thick and nasty, the humidity doesn't help it either.
It might come from the Gas leak in Ahmadi. We had it this bad in October and November, but it was better the last two month.

Health effects: Dizziness, Headache, coughing ...

Since I don't know for sure if it comes from Ahmadi, here's some news about what's going on there:

The Gas leak, that 'story' is going on since months now, is getting to a dangerous level (health wise) and the government is asking the people that are still living there (many have already moved) to make use of the houses offered by the government.

Well, of course I can't find a link in the online newspaper to the newest articles, but if you are interested in this ongoing Drama, just use a search engine and the terms 'Ahmadi gas leak'.


An older piece of news from 21st of Jan:

The environmental protection Society (huh?!) seems to have a coastal monitoring group, counting migratory birds (article in arabic, but google translation is pretty decent)
 
Last edited:
March Saw an oiled black headed gull 2 days ago :(How usual are oiled birds in regions like this?

Not uncommon: they were known also from many decades ago from contamination from natural seepage, but nowadays, the chances of spills at any stage of the drilling and transportation process are pretty high.
MJB
 
Yep,... talked to a guy that was responsible for the clean up of the oil spill here in Mangaf and he told me how they watch oil 'carpets' via Satellite coming from Iraq, Iran and Saudi all the time :(
 
Yep,... talked to a guy that was responsible for the clean up of the oil spill here in Mangaf and he told me how they watch oil 'carpets' via Satellite coming from Iraq, Iran and Saudi all the time :(

The things you learn at 'dry' cocktail parties, Nicole! Seriously, it's good to know that they are mappng these events.
MJB
 
The things you learn at 'dry' cocktail parties, Nicole! Seriously, it's good to know that they are mappng these events.
MJB

Yep, but it's a few people that fight a Don Quichote fight it seems :(
Development & profit, like anywhere else, seem to be more important.
 
Migration seems to be in full swing.

In a recent newspaper article Abdul Rahman Al-Sirhan reported though that so far they have been less migrants than last year.

The bird shooters are def. happy enough and doing their thing wherever they can.

I have seen the first Steppe Buzzard, shot dead by some kids (yes, kids. confirmed by two sources) here in Mangaf.
:(
 
April 12th

The days are getting warmer and the time for Kuwaitis camping in the desert seems to be over.
All the big family tents are gone, the desert empty once again.
Or rather, it should be empty.
It isn't though.
Left behind is a bunch of trash, furniture and even toilets.
Why?
Why does it have to be this way?

The beaches are full of litter once again as well. :(
Yes, the tide brings in a lot of it, but piles of empty fast food plates and Leftovers speak for themselves.
 

Attachments

  • beach mangaf april 12-1.jpg
    beach mangaf april 12-1.jpg
    388.7 KB · Views: 81
April 17th


Oiled Ruff (at the Wafra Golf course
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=195522

some oiled Collared Praticoles (April 15th) at the Sahara Golf course
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=197592

Little Stint, oiled at the back (April 16th) at the Sahara Golf course

-----------

More big trees have been cut down in Mangaf at at least 2 locations.

Why does that have to happen in Spring time, after some birds already built their nests and even have chicks already?! :C

-----------

PS: Sorry that I can't report anything positive lately, I'll keep looking :/
 
More big trees have been cut down in Mangaf at at least 2 locations. Why does that have to happen in Spring time, after some birds already built their nests and even have chicks already?! :C

Nicole,
Despite all the publicity, books, TV programmes on natural history and the like, there are still people who cannot attune to the natural world, even in western Europe where generations of education and technology make it easy to find things out. I've met people who despise anything that doesn't make a profit, and who assign no importance to matters outside their immediate attention. It's made more difficult when there are cultural differences to take into account.

On that subject, my favourite story is of the old lady in Japan who had a little land on which cranes used to winter; she was revered for her reverence of the cranes, but when she died, her son sold the land to developers. Nobody complained, because that's what sons were entitled to do.
MJB
 
Last edited:
I know.
I also know that not everything is perfect neither in Europe, the US or in Asia.

I also know that there are people here working hard to bring along some education.

And many will never grasp the concept. That's the way it goes.

I am just trying to show a few things that go on in Kuwait & in 'my' area of Kuwait since there's currently nobody else in this 'part of town' (that I am aware of).


So, should I instead say 'Inshallah', that's the way things are in the world?
 
PS: In most places we go to for work i cannot do much more than 'just' point things out I see, because we don't stay long enough.
Many say that the fact that we never stay long doesn't entitle me to tell the local people that they are doing something wrong. It is their country after all. Really?! But it's our world, no?

*I better stop rambling now....*
;)
Stupid dust storm is clogging up my brain
 
May 6th 2011

Kuwait, KISR beach clean-up

This was the launch clean-up of Exxon Mobil's Migratory Birds Program, under Al Yaal: Kuwait's First Nationwide Marine Conservation Initiative developed by en.v (or on Facebook) in partnership with K'S PATH (on FB).

There were around 18 Volunteers and we collected around 90Kilos of trash (plastic bottles, bags and many disgusting things.

Bird count of the day (it was a bit hard, since all the waders were so far out):

Slender-billed Gull (40+), Black-headed Gull (5+), Caspian Gull (4+), European Bee-eater (9+), Common Myna (2), White-eared Bulbul (3), Wood Sanpiper (1), Curlew (1), Grey Heron (1), Barn Swallow (15+), Sand Martin (5+), Cattle Egret (1), Red-backed Shrike (1), Ruddy Turnstone (7+), Greater Sandplover (2), Curlew Sandpiper (48+), Caspian Tern (1), Dunlin (3), Gull-billed Tern (1), Heuglin's Gull (1 2nd yr), Black-tailed Godwit (1), Kentish Plover (2), Dunlin (4)

Photos on my Blog
 
May 9th
Article from Arab Times online:

Kuwait’s Wildlife Facing Extinction
Individuals Urged To Protect Environment
KUWAIT, May 8, (KUNA): Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) said Saturday that everyone in Kuwait ought to protect the environment and wildlife in the country that is experiencing extinction and disappearance of various types of plants because of the risks caused to the environment due to unfair practices.
Secretary-General of the Society Wejdan Al-Oqab said in a press statement that the response of the Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar to the appeals of the Society not to approve the extension of the camping season for another month until the end of May of each year is one of the positive trends that aim to protect the Kuwaiti environment.
She added that it is necessary to support specialists in environmental matters to contribute to the development of environment-related decisions within accurate scientific frameworks, emphasizing the need that everyone in charge of protecting the wildlife bear their responsibilities to protect the environment.
Shge stressed that camping is the most prominent causes of degradation.

I should have taken photos of the deserted camping areas to give you an idea of what destruction looks like. :(
 
About the Whale Shark. The bu**er who threw it should not only have been sacked ( as he was ) but they should have 'given' him his harpoon back. As Corporal Jones, in 'Dad's Army', was prone to say " They don't like it up 'em". :eek!:

Chris
 
About the Whale Shark. The bu**er who threw it should not only have been sacked ( as he was ) but they should have 'given' him his harpoon back. As Corporal Jones, in 'Dad's Army', was prone to say " They don't like it up 'em". :eek!:

Chris

I know. I was surprised though that they went that far.

And all those morons throwing bottles... that's exactly what I would like to do with them!
Grrrr....... :C
 
May 28th 2011

After a break of one week (due to the weather our island trip had to be cancelled - twice), we were ready for another adventure. This week we went to Doha beach (one of them) near Entertainment city. 'We' is a group of Volunteers (12 this time) with two employees from K's Path. This was the second clean-up at this beach. The first one was approx. 2 months ago. At first glance the beach looked fairly clean, except for a few corners where the plastic gathers from the wind. But as soon as we started the cleaning, we saw that a lot of plastic had been collected underneath the bushes. Right next to this beach is a beach that belongs to 'Entertainment city'. Angelique told me that they offered them to clean up that stretch of beach, but the company refused. Nobody is allowed to enter there. Well, it was low tide and I had a peek. They should take up that offer, or clean it up themselves. In the photos it's the stretch with the beautiful, small mangroves and the pics before and after show the trash gathered there. Some morons did drive their vehicles around at the beach, not realizing how much damage they are doing to the plant Life and the structure of the beach. :( One one of the photos you see a factory that's close by. It's blowing something nasty in the air. We actually saw that haze all the way from Mangaf and I thought it's dust rolling in. Nah, the wind was blowing that pollution all the way (almost 45min drive) down south. Today I saw my first Lizard (not sure which type), a Grasshopper (my first around here), some sort of desert rodent, a bunch of varied coloured Dragonflies and a dead beetle that looked almost like the ones I usually see, but this one had hooks all around his 'armor'. As far as the birds go, migration is pretty much over. Here's what I found: Bulbul (4), House sparrow (13), Dunlin (7), Basra Reed Warbler (1), (possible) Graceful Prinia (2), House Martin (12), Kentish Plover (8), Collared Dove (2), European Bee-eater (2), Little Egret (1), Namaqua Dove (1) 11 species Sadly enough I saw a lot of empty shells from 'hunters' too :( Overall it was a great day and a successful one (exact count will come when we get the numbers from the recycling company). It was hot of course (around 100F/40c - today it will be around 110f/43C), but unlike the last time it wasn't humid and we had some nice wind that was cool for a change and not the hot furnace we usually get. Dates for the next clean-ups: Fri, 03/06/2011: Shuwaikh Free Trade Zone beach
Sat, 04/06/2011: Um Almaradim island
Sat, 11/06/2011: Sulaibikhat beach 2
Sat, 25/06/2011: Doha beach

To sign up for any/all of the above, please email [email protected] mentioning your mobile number. Now, enjoy :)

Photos

PS: If anyone knows the name of any of the plants, Dragonflies, Grasshopper or dead beetle, let me know :)
 
Last edited:
Warning! This thread is more than 12 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top