Michael's Ninth Year

[michael-ibk]

74/O42) Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) / Schmutzgeier

 

Quriat Waste Disposal Site, Oman, 26/2/24. Plenty at those sites in the North, only a few sightings elsewhere.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

75/O43) Grey Francolin (Ortygornis pondicerianus) / Wachtelfrankolin

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. Surprisingly tough, the only sighting, and they really were in no mood for a photo. Have seen this one before in India's Ranthambore park.

 

 

And a bonus Little Grebe just because it was so close. And to polish up this ebc.

 

 

Notice the weather was as dull for me as for Alex this day.

[michael-ibk]

76/O44) Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) / Türkentaube

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. Well, it was there.

 

[michael-ibk]

77/O45) Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii) / Temminckstrandläufer

78/O46) Little Stint (Calidris minuta) / Zwergstrandläufer

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. Often a difficult pair, especially from a distance. It was good to see them lining up next to each other, much easier to see the difference like this.

 

 

Note the yellow legs, the very uniform plumage and the "Mini Common Sandpiper" look.

 

 

Dark legs, eyestripe and generally more contrast in plumage.

[michael-ibk]

79/O47) Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) / Kormoran

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. Quite common, especially here, more than a 100.

 

[michael-ibk]

80/O48) Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) / Chinadommel

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. I mistakenly though I had a Little Bittern here. Pleasant surprise to find out it was a lifer at home when looking at the few photos I managed.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

81/O49) Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) / Nachtreiher

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. The first of four sightings throughout the trip.

 

[michael-ibk]

82/O50) Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) / Eisvogel

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. Hoping for a better sighting but not counting on it.

 

[michael-ibk]

83/O51) Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus) / Stentorrohrsänger

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. Extremely similar to "our" Great Reed Warbler, but the default species here. Shorter primary projection, longer tail and bill. But all these differences are very subtle.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

84/O52) Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) / Zitronenstelze

 

Al Ansab Lagoons, Oman, 27/2/2024. Quite happy to finally get this one. Very rarely pops up in Austria but so far have always missed it.

 

 

Regularly seen in Oman, another photo from the South:

 

[michael-ibk]

85/O53) Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) / Brachvogel

 

Muscat Beachside, Oman, 27/2/2024. The only sighting.

 

[michael-ibk]

86/O54) Striated Heron (Butorides striata) / Mangrovereiher

 

Muscat Beachside, Oman, 27/2/2024. A familiar "safari" bird. Not terribly plentiful, a handful of sightings. Quite shy here.

 

[michael-ibk]

87/O55) Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) / Paddyreiher

88/O56) Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) / Rallenreiher

 

Muscat Beachside, Oman, 27/2/2024.

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024.

 

Another tricky pair (in their respective Winter plumage). Pond Heron is a bit darker with slightly more pronounced streaking among other features. Both species occur in good numbers.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

89/O57) Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) / Brandseeschwalbe

 

Muscat River Mouth, Oman, 27/2/2024. One of the more common Terns in Oman. I was not in the best mood at this place because I was dumb enough to drop my mobile into Muscat River. More like a trickle here but enough to destroy it.

 

[xelas]

@michael-ibk, my Like goes to the BIF shot of the Tern and not to the drowning of the mobile . Your new one is water-resistant up to 5 feet for up to 30 minutes!!

[michael-ibk]

90/O58) Cotton Pygmy Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus) / Koromandelzwergente

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. We've moved to the South of the country now, the Salalah area. A good bird to get here, less than 10 around in Winter. Seen once before in India's Kanha NP.

 

[michael-ibk]

2 minutes ago, xelas said:

Your new one is water-resistant up to 5 feet for up to 30 minutes!!

 

Not gonna try!

[xelas]

Just now, michael-ibk said:

 

Not gonna try!

Maybe you will try to get a photo of a kingfisher diving for the fish under the surface?! I know you are not shy to challenge yourself .

[michael-ibk]

91/O59) Garganey (Spatula querquedula) / Knäkente

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. Quite fond of this Duck species.

 

[michael-ibk]

92/O60) Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis) / Kaptäubchen

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. One of a good number of Afrotropical species found in Southern Oman. One of only two sightings.

 

[michael-ibk]

93/O61) Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) / Uferschnepfe

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. Quite common in Oman.

 

 

And a bird almost in breeding plumage from a few days later:

 

[michael-ibk]

94/O62) Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) / Flussuferläufer

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. Staying true to its name, very common in the country.

 

[michael-ibk]

95/O63) Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) / Raubseeschwalbe

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. Completely relaxed about people here. Very cool to get so close to this impressive Tern.

 

[michael-ibk]

96/O64) Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) / Weißbart-Seeschwalbe

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. Another very common Tern here. All still in Winter plumage, making Tern ID at home a bit of a headscratcher.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

97/O65) White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) / Weißflügel-Seeschwalbe

 

East Khawr, Oman, 28/2/2024. The "headphone" head is the good ID feature here. We did see one bird already in plumage in the North but could not get a decent photo there.