Arrived in the middle of the night to Kuwait, our second visit to the country. This time in search of migrating birds as well as rarities. Markus Craig called a couple of days ago and said that AbdulRahman had arranged a pelagic out into the gulf. We were invited. A few hours sleep and then off to a boat trip out into the Gulf. On the boat we met all our old friends from Kuwait, Markus Craig, Omar Alsaheen and AbdulRahman. A bunch of British birders were also on the boat – nice group.
Right off the coast we saw the first Bridled Terns perching.
Close to shore we also saw the first Lesser Crested Terns.
These two were most expected, the first good bird we saw a few miles off the coast. The Socotra Cormorant.
Kuwait was our only chance to see this bird in WP, and we now think it would have been hard to find the Cormorant off the coast. Thanks AbdulRahman!!
Off the coast of Kuwait, there are a few coral islands, we went ashore on two of them, both real rarity vagrant magnets. I we were resident Kuwait birders we’d own a boat 🙂
A bunch of Skuas were nice, Pomarine was called out, but as far as we could judge they were all Arctic.
Nice group of Phallaropes was found way out in the Gulf.
Wikipedia states – Kubbar is a sandy island of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf, covered with shrub. It is located roughly 30 kilometers off the southern coast of Kuwait and 29 kilometres off the coast of Failaka.
Lesser and Greater Crested Terns nest there in good numbers.
We went ashore on Kubbar and the small island was teeming with vagrants. The whole group scattered on the island and species were rapidly called out from all directions. A problematic female Pied Wheatear caused some headache – possibly a Variable. Very difficult – need a male (or exceptional footage) to determine for certain.
Soon MÃ¥rten found the good bird, a Sykes Warbler.
Here we see the core of the Kuwait birding community running towards the BYWP team and the Sykes Warbler.
The Kuwait Birding community is small, nice, friendly, competent and inclusive. It’s a privilege to hang out with you guys.
