Michael's Ninth Year

[michael-ibk]

113/O81) Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) / Isabellsteinschmätzer

 

Ayn Hamran Southern Plains, Oman, 29/2/2024. The default Wheatear in Oman, so I really should have managed a better photo.

 

[michael-ibk]

114/O82) Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) / Isabellwürger

 

Ayn Hamran, Oman, 29/2/2024. I must admit I always thought "Isabelline" was some weird name of a historic explorer but just found out via Google it's actually a colour.

Never 100 % sure about this one and Red-tailed Shrike.

 

[michael-ibk]

115/O83) Arabian Warbler (Curruca leucomelaena) / Akaziengrasmücke.

 

Ayn Hamran, Oman, 29/2/2024. A bit of work needed for this one - most Warblers are not easy. A bird of Southern Arabia and the other side of the Red Sea. Lifer.

 

[michael-ibk]

116/O84) Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus) / Senegaltschagra

 

Wadi Kheesh, Oman, 29/2/2024. A top target bird for many European birders. Since I've seen it many times in Africa not getting a good shot at this one did not sting that much.

 

[michael-ibk]

117/O85) Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) / Wüstensteinschmätzer

 

Wadi Kheesh, Oman, 29/2/2024. Lifer. A widespread Wheatear from West Africa all the way to Mongolia. Pops up in Europe occassionally and is always a big deal then. Male and female:

 

 

[xelas]

12 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

I really should have managed a better photo.

I see nothing wrong with this one!

[michael-ibk]

118/O86) African Silverbill (Euodice cantans) / Afrikasilberschnabel.

 

Wadi Kheesh, Oman, 29/2/2024. Indian Silverbill in North, African Silberbill in South Oman. A good example for the neatly divided bird fauna of the country. Very common. Lifer.

 

[TonyQ]

Beautiful and interesting selection.

And educational with Isabelline!

[michael-ibk]

3 minutes ago, xelas said:

I see nothing wrong with this one!

 

Nothing wrong, but we saw them often and much closer. Happens all the time, you think you already "have" a bird, ignore them later and then feel, hm, should not have done that.

Edited April 20 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

Just now, TonyQ said:

And educational with Isabelline!

 

Thanks Tony. I'm glad I'm not the only one who did not know that.

[michael-ibk]

119/O87) Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) / Seidenreiher

 

Khawr Rawri, Oman, 29/2/2024. Not particularly common, only a few sightings.

 

[xelas]

2 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

 

Nothing wrong, but we saw them often and much closer. Happens all the time, you think you already "have" a bird, ignore them later and then feel, hm, should not have done that.

Well, we got the bird, photo is of a (very) good quality, and we are not selling them so I am happy with our shot and you should be happy with yours. The Flying Egret is a perfect shot!

[michael-ibk]

120/O88) Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) / Schelladler

 

Khawr Rawri, Oman, 29/2/2024. Finally, a bird long on my target list. Oman is a good place for them. Not abundant but hard to miss.

 

 

A somewhat unusual appearance for Greater Spotted, this is the "fulvescens" morph. A more classic look here, a few days later:

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

121/O89) Tristram's Starling (Onychognathus tristramii) / Tristramstar.

 

Khawr Rawri, Oman, 29/2/2024. Lifer. A purely (mostly Southern) Arabian bird. Very common and bold, like so many Starlings.

 

[michael-ibk]

122/O90) Blackstart (Oenanthe melanura) / Schwarzschwanz-Steinschmätzer

 

Wadi Darbat, Oman, 29/2/2024. Another lifer. A bold Wheatear, found in the Sahel zone and the Arabian peninsula.

 

[michael-ibk]

123/O91) Palestine Sunbird (Cinnyris osea) /Jerichonektarvogel

 

Wadi Darbat, Oman, 29/2/2024. Lucky I have a photo. Thought I had taken a good one but then found out at home it was a Shining. Here I thought it was Shining and found out it was Palestine.

 

[michael-ibk]

124/O92) Bruce's Green Pigeon (Treron waalia) / Waaliagrüntaube.

 

Wadi Darbat, Oman, 29/2/2024. A gorgeous representative of the family. Have seen it once before in Ethiopia from a distance. Much better this time.

 

 

And one photo from two days later:

 

[Galana]

18 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

A species where I just cannot get used to the ebird (American) name.

That's fine by me. Just keep smiling when they translate the German. That'll teach 'em!

 

Some great photos there, whatever you may think. I really laughed at your story of the two reversed Sunbirds.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks Fred! I really miss your thread here in the Big Year btw, not the same without it! Will you come back if I say pretty please?

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

125/O93) Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) / Heringsmöwe

 

Mirbat Pelagic, Oman, 1/3/2024. About a million of them in Oman but I needed a Turtle to bother taking a photo.

 

[michael-ibk]

126/O94) Persian Shearwater (Puffinus persicus) / Arabiensturmtaucher

 

Mirbat Pelagic, Oman, 1/3/2024. Quite a small Shearwater - a lifer. The pelagic trip was nice but a bit underwhelming regarding the number of species. Especially bummed that we missed Jouanin's Petrel which is normally a given here.

 

[michael-ibk]

127/O95) Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii) / Abdimstorch

 

Mirbat, Oman, 1/3/2024. Apparently seen more and more in Southern Oman.

 

[michael-ibk]

128/O96) Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) / Weißbauchtölpel

 

Mirbat Pelagic, Oman, 1/3/2024. Lifer. Regarded as the most common and widespread Booby.

 

[michael-ibk]

129/O97) Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) / Maskentölpel

 

Mirbat Pelagic, Oman, 1/3/2024. Also a lifer. The largest Booby species.

 

[michael-ibk]

130/O98) Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus) / Braunbauch-Flughuhn

 

East of MIrbat, Oman, 1/3/2024. Very shy. Seen once before in Ethiopia.