SAANR – Sand turns to gold

Birding SAANR

We gained access into this protected reserve with help from the local birdwatchers in Kuwait. A massive steppe-area of 320 square km’s to cover in one day. Hmmm... A stop about 100 metres after the gate for a roadside Mourning Wheatear produced a Persian Wheatear, the target species of the day, after only a few minutes.

Persian Wheatear

Mourning Wheatear

Spent the following hours along the gorges of the eastern ridge. Desert Warblers and Mourning Wheatears were common and a male Finsch’s Wheatear was showing well. Some sort of wild goat was chilling in the sand and another male Finsch’s Wheatear, the third for our trip made a brief appearance so we wondered if there really are any females of this species as depicted in our bird-guide...

Male Finsch's Wheatear

Pass the steppe towards the hot oasis of Tuhla we noted Bar-tailed Desert lark, Hoopoe Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Short-toed Lark, Skylark and Crested lark. The oasis itself was a bit disappointing, but a very fine place to dive into the very fine remains from pizza-hut last evening.

Hoopoe Lark

First-year male phoenicuroides Eastern Black Redstart

Drive into the gorge of Wadi Um Ar-Riman and find the second Red-tailed Wheatear just at the entrance (and the third just at it’s exit). A skulking Menetrie’s Warbler and a - way out of range looking – male Grey Hypocolius flying over the wadi.

Olof spots a large bird on wings low over the wadi and after a moment we find ourselves with five huge Maqueen’s Bustards in the air!

Maqueen's Bustards

Steppe Grey Shrike

In the evening we closed the fast-food triangle by visiting KFC.