fredag 16 oktober 2015

1/11-14 Zakher lake

This peculiar lake, in the middle of the desert (and I literally mean the middle of the desert, large dunes close by), is a fantastic birding spot. Of course, water in UAE draws wildlife like bees to honey and there were a lot of birds in this large lake. Due to its size, its a bit difficult to completely cover the entire lake but still, a lot could be seen. 

We first drove on a sandy road betweed a couple of dunes to reach one side of the lake. We stopped to check the lake but from this side, the distances were to big for any photos to be taken and we didn't really see anythin worth mentioning except for, perhaps, the trip's only Greater Flamingo (större flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber).

We drove around the lake to a spotting place just beside the road. From here we could see a lot of waders and other birds close by.
Glossy Ibis (bronsibis, Plegadis falcinellus)
First nice bird from the second stop by the Zakher lake was this Glossy Ibis (bronsibis, Plegadis falcinellus)
Soon Mark got excited... He had found a Jack Snipe (dvärgbeckasin, Lymnocryptes minimus). We drove closer to try to get some photos. So, I started shooting photos. In the end we managed to get really close to the Snipe, which was not at all bothered by us.
Red-wattled Lapwing (rödflikvipa, Vanellus indicus)
Snipe (enkelbeckasin, Gallinago gallinago)
First photo of the Snipe... At first I just started to shoot photos. Then I realised that something was wrong...
Red-wattled Lapwing (rödflikvipa, Vanellus indicus)
Snipe (enkelbeckasin, Gallinago gallinago)
It turned out to be a Common Snipe (enkelbeckasin, Gallinago gallinago)... But Mark was, of course, not wrong in seeing a Jack Snipe. It was just a little bit to the right and quite a bit smaller.
This was the first time for me seeing a Jack Snipe like this. If I remember correctly, I have once in my youth heard a Jack Snipe during a visit to Store mosse in Småland (Sweden) but that might be a false memory...
Jack Snipe (dvärgbeckasin, Lymnocryptes minimus)
Here it is, the Jack Snipe. There will be quite a few photos now picturing this bird.
Jack Snipe (dvärgbeckasin, Lymnocryptes minimus)
As with so many places in UAE, there is trash everywhere. Really sad to see...
Jack Snipe (dvärgbeckasin, Lymnocryptes minimus)
Jack Snipe (dvärgbeckasin, Lymnocryptes minimus)
Jack Snipe (dvärgbeckasin, Lymnocryptes minimus)
Other birds were of course present.
Little Stint (småsnäppa, Calidris minuta)
Just beside the lake, the desert is everywhere. And also the deser birds. The red dunes can be seen behind this nice male Desert Wheatear (ökenstenskvätta, Oenanthe deserti). 
Desert Wheatear (ökenstenskvätta, Oenanthe deserti)
Immediately on the other side of the road, still close to the lake, we went looking for another elusive bird. I did not manage to see it during my previous trip to UEA but this time I was luckier. It didn't take five minutes before no less than three Asian Desert Warbler (ökensångare, Sylvia nana) could be found. 
Asian Desert Warbler (ökensångare, Sylvia nana)
Not a good photo but the Deser Warbler tried to stay as far away from me as possible...
Before driving down to Al Qua'a fodder field, which was the last main stop during this trip, we visited one of the parks in Al Ain called Al Jimi Oasis, where we hoped to find a Pallid Scops Owl (blek dvärguv, Otus brucei). Now, Mark knew which tree the owl was supposed to roost in so we went to the tree and started looking. No owl... We checked all the other trees close by but no owl. I must have checked the same tree at least ten times beford Mark suddenly said that he had found it. In the same tree as we had checked so many times. But there it was and I cannot understand how we managed to miss it. 
What a beauty though...
Pallid Scops Owl (blek dvärguv, Otus brucei)
So, new species for me here at Zakher lake and Al Jimi oasis were Asian Deser Lark and Pallid Scops Owl. Below there is a list of some of the birds seen in these two locations

Little Grebe (smådopping, Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Glossy Ibis (bronsibis, Plegadis falcinellus)
Cormorant (storskarv, Phalacrocorax carbo)
Grey Heron (gråhäger, Ardea cinerea)
Greater Flamingo (större flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber)
Egyptian Goose (nilgås, Alopochen aegyptiacus)
Shoveler (skedand, Anas clypeata)
Garganey (årta, Anas querquedula)
Pochard (brunand, Aythya ferina)
Marsh Harrier (brun kärrhök, Circus aeruginosus)
Coot (sothöna, Fulica atra)
Black-winged Stilt (styltlöpare, Himantopus himantopus)
Ringed Plover (större strandpipare, Charadrius hiaticula)
Kentish Plover (svartbent strandpipare, Charadrius alexandrinus)
Red-wattled Lapwing (rödflikvipa, Vanellus indicus)
White-tailed Lapwing (sumpvipa, Vanellus leucurus)
Snipe (enkelbeckasin, Gallinago gallinago)
Jack Snipe (dvärgbeckasin, Lymnocryptes minimus)
Little Stint (småsnäppa, Calidris minuta)
Temminck's Stint (mosnäppa, Calidris temminckii)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (silltrut, Larus fuscus heuglini)
Caspian Gull (kaspisk trut, Larus cachinnans barabensis)
White-winged Tern (vitvingad tärna, Chlidonias leucopterus)
Sand Martin (backsvala, Riparia riparia)
Pale Crag-Martin (blek klippseglare, Hirundo obsoleta)
Citrine Wagtail (citronärla, Motacilla citreola)
Desert Wheatear (ökenstenskvätta, Oenanthe deserti)
Asian Desert Warbler (ökensångare, Sylvia nana)
Pallid Scops Owl (blek dvärguv, Otus brucei)

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