Arab Butterflies

While out birding yesterday (see my previous post - http://goo.gl/XD0YO) we* managed to see a few butterflies outside the Al Badiyah mosque in Fujairah, UAE. 

Here's a few photos of the 4 species we saw:

1. Mediterranean Pierrot (Tarucus roseacus)

 

 

 

 

  

2. African Babul Blue (Azanus jesous)

 

 

 

3. Lesser Millet Skipper (Pelopidas mathias)

  

4. Blue Pansy (Precis orithya)

* - Nimeesh and myself.

Birding in Fujairah

Another short trip home to Dubai and another few hours of birding with Nimeesh earlier today, this time in the northern emirate of Fujairah in between the Hajar mountains and along the tiny coastal belt this country has facing the Gulf of Oman. 

A few more lifers (4 nos.) and slightly better photos because of the 170-500 Sigma lens that I've (indefinitely) borrowed for my cousin - Fawaz :-) 

We visited three sites in the emirate that covered different habitats, here some photos and a quick bird list from each site...

The first site was on the outskirts of Dibba -Fujairah National Dairy Farms- it was quite similar to the pivot fields in Dubai that I visited the last time I was here.

The most interesting bird here was the new species of Shrike that I saw, it had all the behavioral aspects of the other shrike but a more striking coloration.

Here's a full bird list from this site:

1. Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator (Lifer)

2. Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus

3. Crested Lark Galerida cristata

4. Yellow-vented or White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos

5. House Crow Corvus splendens

6. Feral Pigeon Columba livia

7. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis

8. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

9. House Sparrow Passer domesticus

10. Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus

11. Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis (?)

12. Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina (?)

13. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

14. Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis

15. Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica

16. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

17. Striolated Bunting Emberiza striolata striolata (Lifer)

Our next stop was around half an hour drive from the first site and was a patch of open beach very close to the tiny city of Kalba. Most of the beach along this stretch was manned by fisher folk returning from the sea with their catch which was attracting a lot of seabirds.

Here we didn't see too many species but they were present in impressive nos. These photos are from only one spot, but these birds were seen in many such groups along most of our drive along the coast.

Our list from the second site:

18. Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii

19. Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis sandvicensis

20. Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

21. Little Tern Sternula albifrons

22. Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis

23. Heuglin’s Gull Larus heuglini

24. Little Stint Calidris minuta (?)

Our last and probably the most unique stop of the day was at the mangrove forest to the South of Kalba known as Khor Kalba.

 This tiny protected habitat is the only confirmed breeding site for the highly endemic subspecies of the White-collared Kingfisher, this is only resident species of Kingfisher to the UAE and was recently renamed the Arabian Collared kingfisher. 

For over an hour this bird only gave us fleeting views flying above us and calling out from a distance, 

...then finally one of them came and sat very close to where we were and I managed to get great views and a few decent photos of this lifer!

Then another bird joined and then a third :-)   

 25. Arabian Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris kalbaensis (Lifer)

26. Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis schistacea

27. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

28. Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
29. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus

To top it off I got another lifer sort of at the edge of this mangrove as we headed back home :-)

30.Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus (Lifer)

 

 

Once again a big thanks to Nimeesh.... 
I think it’s time for you to visit me in India for some birding there now!