Michael's Ninth Year

[michael-ibk]

56/O24) White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis) / Weißohrbülbül

 

Al Ghubrah Bowl, Oman, 25/2/2024. Lifer. Quite handsome for a Bulbul. An introduced species here but a very succesful one.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

57/O25) Menetries's Warbler (Curruca mystacea) / Tamariskengrasmücke

 

Al Ghubrah Bowl, Oman, 25/2/2024. I thought this was a Lesser Whitethroat on site and don't really know why i took the photo. Too far away for a little guy like that. But good thing I did, turned out to be a lifer. An Arabian and Central Asian species. Female here.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

58/O26) Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis) / Wüstenrabe

 

Wakan Village, Oman, 25/2/2024. A widespread Corvic, from West Africa across the Sahara and Sahel zone via Arabia all the way to Kyrgyzstan. Lifer.

 

[michael-ibk]

59/O27) Plain Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus neglectus) / Eichenlaubsänger

 

Wakan Village, Oman, 25/2/2024. Extremely similar to Chiffchaff but even browner and duller. And heard it sing. Breeding in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan mainly.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

60/O28) Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitarius) / Blaumerle

 

Wakan Village, Oman, 25/2/2024. One of my nemesis birds. The female showed ok here, but I want the blue male of course! Occurring from West Africa to Japan!

 

 

[michael-ibk]

61/O29) Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) / Steppenmöwe

 

Wadi al-Udhaiba, 25/2/2024. Oman is a paradise for Gull watchers. Thousands and thousands of them on the beach. Some birders can spend hours looking at every single one of them, trying to find a rare Armenian one or trying to decipher which subspecies of Lesser Black-backed Gull they have there. One aspect of birding madness I will never get, or get into. 

 

But this one looks good for Caspian. Very clean head, very dark eyes, legs. All good pointers for this species IMO, and they are not uncommon in Oman I'm told.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

62/O30) Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus) / Fahlsegler

 

Al Mutaqa Waste Site, Oman, 26/2/2024. Many Egyptian Vultures and Steppe Eagles here, but distant and flying straight against the light. But we would see them later under better conditions. So just a Swift photo from this location.

 

[michael-ibk]

63/O31) Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) / Rotlappenkiebitz

 

Wadi Majlas, Oman, 26/2/2024. A familiar species from India. Very common in Northern Oman especially.

 

 

And one photo from Al Qurm park.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

64/O32) Desert Lark (Ammomanes deserti) / Steinlerche

 

Wadi Majlas, Oman, 26/2/2024

 

 

Mudday, Oman, 2/3/2024

 

 

Hard to believe but apparently these photos show the same species. Desert Lark seems to be a very variable species, with its look changing with the area it lives in.

[michael-ibk]

65/O33) Hume's Wheatear (Oenanthe albonigra) / Schwarzkopf-Steinschmätzer

 

Wadi Majlas, Oman, 26/2/2024. They really liked this gorge. About six individulals seen here, and then nowhere else. Lifer. Home is Northern Arabia, Iran and Pakistan.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

66/O34) Eurasian aka Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) / Teichhuhn

 

Flamingo Lake, Oman, 26/2/2024. I just had to get to Oman for this one. 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

67/O35) Delicate Prinia (Prinia lepida) / Orientprinie

 

Qurayyat Lake Park, Oman, 26/2/2024. 

 

 

68/O36) Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis) / Streifenprinie

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024.

 

 

Two extremely similar species (both lifers) but they don't overlap in range. Graceful is found in Southern arabia and the Nile Valley mainly, Delicate in Northern Oman, Southern Iran and Northern India.

[michael-ibk]

69/O37) Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) / Bengalenracke

 

Quarrayat Lake Park, Oman, 26/2/2024. Delightfully common in the North, none in the South. Catching these two "in the act" was one of my favourite sightings.

 

 

[pedro maia]

Nice birds Michael, and a very cool roller porn shot.

[Peter Connan]

When the photography is this good, it is definitely not a punishment to see the same birds twice.

I am surprised by the number of lifers you discovered in this unassuming area!

[xelas]

10 hours ago, Tdgraves said:

How come the sun is shiny brighter in your photos compared with Alex’s @xelas @michael-ibk?!?

Different camera, different lens, different post-processing? 

[BRACQUENE]

I’m impressed Michael not in the least by that Indian Roller shot that will go in the history books of the Big Year 

[Zim Girl]

The mating rollers is a fantastic shot!

[Tdgraves]

Great rollers

[TonyQ]

Good that you are posting from Oman also.

Great Rollers, and I like the Delicate and Graceful Prinia - delightful names

Excellent photos throughout!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks @pedro maia, @Peter Connan, @BRACQUENE, @Zim Girl, @Tdgravesand @TonyQ!

 

18 hours ago, pedro maia said:

and a very cool roller porn shot

 

Don't tell anybody about the kind of photography I'm getting into now!

 

10 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

I am surprised by the number of lifers you discovered in this unassuming area!

 

It's not as unassuming as one might think. Yes, most of Oman is dry, rocky and barren, but there are many lush spots, parks, wetlands, farms, and you get birds concentrating there. And the South actually has monsoon in summer (the only part of Arabia that does), with drizzling rain every day.

 

3 hours ago, TonyQ said:

I like the Delicate and Graceful Prinia - delightful names

 

I thought so too Tony. Debatable if the names are fully deserved though.

[michael-ibk]

70/O38) Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) / Seeregenpfeifer

 

Quriat Salt Pans, Oman, 26/2/2024. Quite common in suitable habitats in Oman.

 

[michael-ibk]

71/O39) Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) / Odinshühnchen

 

Quriat Salt Pans, Oman, 26/2/2024. A special bird to see, only my third sighting. Unexpected to find it inland (if just a bit), but it makes sense, the salines here are very salty, and that's what they like.

 

 

And a photo from our pelagic a few days later:

 

[michael-ibk]

72/O40) Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) / Waldwasserläufer

 

Quriat Salt Pans, Oman, 26/2/2024. Another familiar wader. A few scattered sightings.

 

[michael-ibk]

73/O41) (Western) Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) / Fischadler

 

Khawr Al Mahadin, Oman, 26/2/2024. The best of a few sightings.