My patch 2007 (1 Viewer)

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My local patch is known as the Dubai Pivot Fields and it's about 15 minutes drive from home. It's about half a square mile of irrigated field in the desert but the grass is short (for turf) and long (for camel fodder). It also has a ditch with reeds running through it, a tree line around the fenced perimeter and there is a lake about half a mile away so there can be a few fly overs. Sometimes after rain the fields get waterlogged with large areas of standing water.

Guaranteed birds on any day of the year are house sparrow, laughing dove, eurasian collared dove, white-tailed plover, red-wattled plover, hoopoe, bank mynah, common mynah, indian roller, grey francolin, cattle egret, white-cheeked bulbul and crested lark.

 

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January

1st - New years day and the highlight was 2 over-wintering sociable plover. They've been annual visitors to my patch for the last few years. A couple of northern lapwing were present too, now almost rarer than the sociables. A single marsh sandpiper on a small pool plus 5 wood sandpiper, little stint and temmincks stint were enjoying the wetter areas with a single whiskered tern. 2 citrine wagtail were amongst decent numbers of white wagtail and yellow wagtail plus wintering water pipit and a couple of tawny pipit.

12th - Early enough to see chestnut-bellied sandgrouse come in to drink plus an escaped pin-tailed sandgrouse. A flock of 11 glossy ibis were feeding in the longer grass and a common teal was on the marsh sand pool but highlights were the raptors. Marsh harrier are common wintering birds and a couple (including an adult male) quartered the field, a juvenile pallid harrier was hunting the tree line but bird of the day (and a new bird for the site) was a european honey buzzard which soared over and was mobbed by the pallid harrier. Richards pipit and red-throated pipit were feeding amongst the wagtails and a single bluethroat was picking its way along the reed bed. A single female common stonechat was a change to the commoner siberian stonechat.

13th - The first collared pratincole of the year and a flock of 7 starling (not too common here) were the best birds.

19th - A single (and very approachable) purple heron was walking in the open field. Raptors included a fly-over booted eagle and pallid harrier. Only one sociable plover but one european golden plover (much rarer in the UAE than the common pacifics) was a decent record.

Month total = 56
Running total = 56

1. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
2. Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
3. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
4. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
5. Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)
6. European Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
7. Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
8. Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)
9. Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
10. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
11. Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus)
12. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
13. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
14. Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)
15. European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
16. Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
17. Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
18. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
19. Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)
20. White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)
21. Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
22. Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
23. Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
24. Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
25. Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii)
26. Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
27. Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus)
28. Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus)
29. Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
30. Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
31. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
32. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
33. Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)
34. Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)
35. Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
36. Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
37. Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
38. Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
39. Eurasian Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
40. Richard's Pipit (Anthus richardi)
41. Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)
42. Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)
43. Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)
44. White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
45. Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)
46. Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
47. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
48. Common Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
49. Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maura)
50. Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)
51. Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)
52. Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
53. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
54. Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
55. Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus)
56. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

 

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February

16th - A spell of rain left large areas of standing water attracting a second European golden plover and a single Pacific golden plover. In all there were 12 species of wader including the long staying sociable plover and a flock of 400 black headed gull. The wet conditions attracted 5 citrine wagtail.

23rd - Still very wet underfoot. Amongst a good count of over 60 common snipe was a single pintail snipe. A single Blyths pipit was on the short grass with a few water pipit, red-throated pipit and a single Richards pipit.

24th - Fairly quiet with 3 bluethroat and a few streaked weaver starting to build nests in the reed bed.

Month total = 56
Running total = 69

57. Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva)
58. Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius)
59. Pintail snipe (Gallinago stenura)
60. Green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
61. Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
62. Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
63. Little green bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
64. Blyth's pipit (Anthus godlewskii)
65. White-cheeked bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenus)
66. Red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
67. Common chiffchaff (Phlloscopus collybita)
68. Purple sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica)
69. Streaked weaver (Ploceus manyar)

 

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March

Quiet month with the winter visitors moving on and the migrants yet to arrive.

3rd - Two marsh harrier, single pallid harrier and 3 isabelline shrike were the only birds of note.

16th - The collared pratincole flock had increased to a good count of 16. 3 wood sandpiper and 3 isabelline shrike were present. 241 cattle egret was a very high count.

24th - A single kentish plover was the first for the year. Water pipit had increased to about 40.

31st - A purple heron was the only bird of note.

Month total = 42
Running total = 70

70. Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrius)

 

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April

Migration should be well under way this month.

7th - Single house martin and meadow pipit moving through.

14th - Starting to warm up, temperatures up to 36c today. Red-throated pipit now the commonest of the pipits as the wipits start to leave. An adult female Montagu's harrier was the first of the spring. A few eurasian swallow, pallid swift and a single willow warbler still on the move. Several streaked weaver were busy nest building in the reed bed.

27th - 2 Temminck's stint and 2 wood sandpiper.

28th - A well overdue patch tick today, 2 rock martin passing through and single tawny pipit and red-throated pipit. A single greater short-toed lark was only my second at the site. Several Temminck's stint.

Month total = 48
Running total = 76


71. Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus)
72. Greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla)
73. Rock martin (Hirundo fuligula)
74. House martin (Delichon urbica)
75. Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis)
76. Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

 

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May

Out of the country on holiday.

June

Weather starting to heat up and birding only really possible early morning.

9th - An early visit found the first black-tailed godwit of the year, a single bird feeding on the short grass. The first blue-cheeked bee-eater have now returned for the summer, 3 birds in total. Breeding is well under way with about 8 young white-tailed plover, several crested lark, graceful prinia and red-wattled plover too and at least 3 hoopoe were feeding young. The hot weather brings in black-crowned finch-lark from the desert and a single bird was seen in flight. A eurasian reed warbler was clambering through the reed bed.

77. Greater short-toed lark.
78. Rock martin.
79. Black-tailed godwit.
80. Blue-cheeked bee-eater.
81. Black-crowned finch-lark.
82. Eurasian reed warbler.

 

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July

13th - A single squacco heron was out in the open on some wet grass.

August

Far too hot...

83. Squacco heron.

 

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September
11th - 3 Purple herons was a high count. 1 common sandpiper was unusual and the first spotted flycatcher of the autumn was moving through.
23rd - A juvenile Montagu's harrier was with 3 marsh harrier over the fields. 5 Black-tailed godwit were feeding on the shorter turf.
26th - 4 Marsh harrier and a pallid harrier but bird of the month was a corncrake seen out in the open for 10 minutes on the short grass. A drive around with a lamp after dark revealed a european nightjar. Also a single caspian plover and several rosy starlings.
30th - 15 Species of wader including a curlew sandpiper.

84. Spotted flycatcher.
85. Clamorous reed warbler
86. Caspian plover.
87. Corncrake.
88. European nightjar.
89. Rosy starling.
90. Curlew sandpiper.

 

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October
15th - 1 Caspian plover and a marsh sand on a flooded area.
20th - 3 Collared pratincole and 25 blue-cheeked bee-eater. Richards, Blyths, Tawny and red-throated pipits. 2 Pied wheatear moving through. Bird of the month was a common rosefinch which was a first for the site.
27th - Marsh sand still present and a large flock (180) of chestnut-bellied sandgrouse coming in for their morning drink. A whinchat on migration and 7 citrine wagtails.

91. Pied wheatear.
92. Southern grey shrike.
93. Common rosefinch.
94. Mallard.
95. Whinchat.

 

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November

3rd - Greater spotted eagle, not common at the site.White-tailed plover numbers up to 70. 6 Black-tailed godwit and wood sands, curlew sands etc. 2 Whiskered tern fly overs.Citrine wag numbers up to a healthy 20. 2 Great egrets were unusual.

10th - A single squacco heron was a good find out in the open. Anotehr greater spotted eagle. Collared prats up to 4. Northern lapwing are yearly but uncommon, a single bird. Only two skylarks, one of which was a small/oriental. 2 Pied wheatear.

24th - The first sociable plover of the winter joined the northern lapwing. 2 Oriental skylark in a flock of about 50 Eurasian skylark. A possible brown throated martin fly over. Bluethroats, whinchat, siberian and european stonechats all present. The first starlings arrived (11) including one adult rosy.

30th - 1 Pallid harrier, 1 Montagu's harrier, 1 Eastern imperial eagle and a kestrel was a cracking raptor tally. The imp was only my 3rd ever. A european golden plover (rare here) joined the other plovers.

96. Great egret
97. Greater spotted eagle
98. Oriental skylark
99. Eastern imperial eagle
100. Caspian gull