December tree

Some last 2010 shots for The Tree Year from my favorite tree and his surroundings.

The tree thinks it’s Spring time.  It sprouts some new branches. Many trees did blossom right after the summer heat, one day it smelled like a big meadow of flowers 

The leaves are still dusty from the last storm. No rain in sight.

From Kuwait

The tree in the afternoon sunshine. A bit tricky to catch with my 50mm, oh well 

And sadly a bunch of trash, the most common sight in Kuwait. I will clean it up some some time this week.

From Kuwait

Nearby: Merry Christmas 

From Kuwait

And a happier sight, tree unrelated: The poochies waiting for me to finish and a sunset visitor on our balcony 

From Kuwait

The Tree Year 2011

Natalie aka Dreamfalcon has started a beautiful project for 2011.

The Tree Year / Das Baumjahr

You pick one tree (in you garden, park, neighbourhood; small, big, wild, whatever) and you take photos of him around the year.

I said: I love this idea, but mine will look pretty much the same all year around.

She said: it doesn’t matter. Take close ups, show the bark, show the animals that live in it.

OK, can do that 

So, here you go with a dusty version of one of my favorite trees in Kuwait (not that there are so many,… the little one to the right is a sibling, I think  )

From Kuwait

There is another big one left of my favorite, much loved by Sparrows, Laughing Doves and BulBuls

From Kuwait

And since we have soooo many trees in Kuwait, they just recently cut the small trees (versions of my favorite big one) along the hedges. It only took them around 4 years to grow to that hight 

From Kuwait

And along the beach side, they cut down a bunch of real nice, big trees. It’s part of the ‘cleaning up Mangaf beach project’, I guess. But I don’t have to understand why they have to cut down healthy trees that give gave shelter to many birds during migration and during the blistering summer heat. 

From Kuwait

Yesterdays birds

Great Cormorant, Kormoran, Phalacrocorax carbo

From Birds Kuwait 2010

The weather is absolutely great right now, not too hot during the day and cool, almost chilly in the mornings.

I have spent 3 hours each day for the last 3 days at the beach, collecting sea glass.

Great Cormorant, Kormoran, Phalacrocorax carbo

From Birds Kuwait 2010

I didn’t carry my camera with me and 2 days ago, I paid for it 

My friend, the Parakeet flew around in front of my nose and sat down on a powerline in plain sight. Right. Thanks 

Grey Plover (Black-bellied Plover), Kiebitzregenpfeifer, Pluvialis squatarola

From Birds Kuwait 2010

So, yesterday, I took the cam with me and got some shots, nothing great and no Parakeet, of course.

Common Sandpiper, Flussuferläufer, Actitis hypoleucos

From Birds Kuwait 2010

The loss of my data, including the gallery irks me in ways that just now surface. Birds I take photos of and can’t find in the Collins, but I know I have seen & shot them before…. I can’t go to my gallery and look them up. 

Like this fellow, he looks familiar, but I can’t place him (thanks to the Birdforum guys I know now it’s a Redshank, sigh  My first for Kuwait, but I’ve seen him in Egypt).

Common Redshank, Rotschenkel, Tringa totanus - seen in Abu Halifa

From Birds Kuwait 2010

The task of adding all the posts, Infos and photos back here is huge. It will take me a long while, I guess.

Black-headed Gull, Lachmöwe, Larus ridibundus

From Birds Kuwait 2010

I am sad that I lost all the Infos I collected, about parks and birds and also the Infos I had for birders that want to go to Sharm el Sheikh or come here. Maybe I’ll manage to get it all back together, but it’s a daunting task.

Ringed Plover, Sandregenpfeifer, Charadrius dubius

From Birds Kuwait 2010