Mission failed

Not that I really had a mission.

Went to the beach this morning to just have a stroll.
Took the 18-70mm lens, trying to give my back a break since there are no birds around yet
(migration still some time off).

Of course, besides the usual Gulls there was one this morning intriguing my interest.
I am 95% sure it was a Redshank. You can't see the red on the photos, but I could at the beach.

Well, I save you the trouble of posting the photo of the 4 UFOS flying by.
They were shorebirds, which, I dunno. No sounds have been made, silent UFOS.
Mpf........ :(

But at least we all had a bunch of fun ;)

From The kids

From The kids

Also a big thanks to you all for your well wishes.
Shoulder is much better, I just have to learn to watch it.

Beach clean-up Doha, Kuwait, January 27th 2012

My 3rd time at Doha beach.
I went a bit exploring this time, further up the northern stretch, where I surprisingly got access to the, from the outside, fenced off salt marshes.
I think they should be a protected area (which they maybe are?) without car wrecks, cupboards and whatever huge and small trash littering it.
Doha beach itself looks better, thanks to our efforts. If only the residents and campers would take care a little more.
The stretch at Doha entertainment city looks devastating.
More trash than ever and the mangroves seem to be finally dead.
That stretch, K's path got no permission to clean (yes, you need permission to clean beaches). The folks from entertainment city declared they take care of it themselves.



Birdcount:

1 Curlew
1 Lesser spotted Eagle
5 Reef Egret
3 Crested Lark
1 Desert Wheatear
1 Ringed Plover
1 Graceful Prinia
a bunch of Waders and Gulls, too far out to be ID-ed
(Gulls were most likely Black-headed Gulls and some Caspian Gulls)
+ 180 Flamingos
3 Barn Swallows


1 dead Shelduck
3 dead Juv. Cormorant


I am trying to ID the plants and AbdrulRahman Al-Sirhan's page was of great help again.
I still have quite a few to go :(


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Past clean-ups (that I've been to - K's path has been out every weekend):

• Beach Clean-up Sulaibikhat 3, Kuwait, January 13th 2012


• Qaru island, Kuwait - Beach clean-up Dec 23rd 2011

• Um Al Maradin, Island beach clean-up, Dec 9th 2011

• Beach clean-up Sulaibikhat, July 23rd 2011

• Beach clean-up Maternity Hospital, July 8th 2011

• Beach clean-up Sulaibikhat (2), June 11th 2011

• Beach clean-up, Doha, Kuwait, May 28th 2011

• Beach clean-up, Sulaibikhat, Kuwait, May 13th 2011

• Beach clean-up, Doha, July 16th

Beach morning at Mahboula, January 18th 2012

From Kuwait 2012

Didn't walk much this morning, just stayed at one spot,

let the dogs swim (High tide - yippieh)

From The kids

From The kids

From The kids

and enjoy the cool air with nice sunshine.

From Profile Photos

Hope you enjoy it too ;-)

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Some idiots did drive their car around and many more left their trash behind. But that's Kuwait,...

From Kuwait 2012

Some odd colours on the horizon, usually a sign for dust coming (so it was, just 3 days later and just a little bit. )

From Kuwait 2012

Some Barn Swallows made a brief appearance

Barn Swallow

From Birds Kuwait 2012

And the Black-headed Gulls seem to start a change of plumage

Black-headed Gull

From Birds Kuwait 2012

And some don't...

Black-headed Gull

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Black-headed Gull

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Caught one first winter Black-headed Gull too. I was a bit irritated at the black tail line and had to look it up :)

Black-headed Gull 1st winter

From Birds Kuwait 2012

And my favorite of the day - shot this way by accident though :)

Black-headed Gull and the moon

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Beach bird morning, Mahboula, January 14th 2012

Caspian or Heuglin's Gull maybe

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Black-headed or Slender-billed Gull

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Caspian or Heuglin's Gull maybe

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Caspian Tern

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Black-headed Gull

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Black-headed or Slender-billed Gull

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Western Reef Heron, white morph

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Western Reef Heron, white morph

From Birds Kuwait 2012

Birdcount:

8 Great Cormorant
45 Black-headed Gull
15 - maybe - Caspian Gull or Heuglin's
10 Slender-billed Gull
1 Caspian Tern
10 smaller Gull
7 Laughing Dove
17 House Sparrow
1 Kentish Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Western Reef Heron

From Kuwait

From Kuwait

From Kuwait

From Kuwait

The Dachsen later managed to get loose and chase her for a bit - noone got hurt ;-)

From Kuwait

A trash can,....

From Kuwait

From Kuwait

Nice Birdwatch-point!

From Kuwait

Mahboula

From Kuwait

Mahboula

From Kuwait

Boring!

From The kids

I enjoyed it :)

From Mother Nature

Beach Clean-up Sulaibikhat 3, Kuwait, January 13th 2012

Behind the Black mangroves on this stretch of Sulaibikhat beach years of dumped plastic has piled up, one layer on top of each other.
Currently we are cleaning up the top layer. Give the mangroves and plants a bit of breathing room.
It's tedious work since a lot of the styrofoam has broken up into tiny pieces and all we can do is shovel it into bags.

For approx. 10sqm it took 4 hours and we got 24 bags as a result.




(You can also check the single photos in the album)

Birdcount:

30 Black-headed Gull (most likely with some Slender-billed Gulls, Caspian and Heuglin's Gulls)
5 White Wagtail
4 Barn Swallow
5 Water Pipit
20 House Sparrow
25 Greater Flamingo
3 Grey Heron
20 Pallid Swift White-eared Bulbul

Thanks to K's path for organizing the clean-ups every week!


January schedule: Friday 20th - Sulaibikhat beach / Friday 27th - Doha beach
Clean-ups start at 8am
Email: angelique@k's path.org for maps

Past clean-ups (that I've been to - K's path has been out every weekend):

• Qaru island, Kuwait - Beach clean-up Dec 23rd 2011

• Um Al Maradin, Island beach clean-up, Dec 9th 2011

• Beach clean-up Sulaibikhat, July 23rd 2011

• Beach clean-up Maternity Hospital, July 8th 2011

• Beach clean-up Sulaibikhat (2), June 11th 2011

• Beach clean-up, Doha, Kuwait, May 28th 2011

• Beach clean-up, Sulaibikhat, Kuwait, May 13th 2011

• Beach clean-up, Doha, July 16th

A morning walk, Dec 21st 2011

December 21st I went out for some little adventure.

The day before I got brief access to one of the private beaches here at the Mahboula coastline.
There were at least 100 Black-headed and Slender-billed Gulls. It was beautiful (no camera though).
I was sitting at the edge of the beach for a while until the security guard told me, I eventually have to leave.

There was also the exit of one of the sewer drainages, where (correct me, if I'm wrong) raw waste water runs into the ocean.

All the construction around here on the streets is for new sewage pipes. But they still don't lead to a water treatment plant.

Abandoned vehicles are a normal sight in Kuwait, so is trash in the streets. Corners like the above get cleaned up every once in a while. The construction is for a new sewer system (which still leads to the ocean).

From Kuwait

They lead to this piece of (private) beach I found on the 21st.

One of the private beaches in Mahboula and some of the residences along the coast that are abandoned and some new ones built in front of them. That huge complex is empty since years, they are still building it...

From Kuwait

Big construction on new houses and the new pipes going on there, so I snuck my way in. Walked on the pier briefly, snapped some shots (not from the construction, I don't want to be marked as a terrorist or spy).

From Birds Kuwait 2011

It's another beautiful spot. This one was resting ground for only a few Black-headed Gulls,

From Birds Kuwait 2011

one that was maybe a Caspian or Heuglin's Gull

From Birds Kuwait 2011

From Birds Kuwait 2011

and a bunch of Great Cormorants

From Birds Kuwait 2011

From Birds Kuwait 2011

and one not so common Grey Heron. I've seen a Grey Heron around Mangaf and Mahboula since we got back in 2010. I wonder if he is just staying around or if it's various young fellows stopping by.

From Birds Kuwait 2011

They all got spooked by a fisherman, dropping his nests where the Cormorants had been resting.

I've seen over 100 Cormorants fly by the other day, one flock of 10-20 after another.
Sights like that always lift my spirits and make me sad at the same time, knowing what these birds have to deal with here in Kuwait.
Polluted beaches, polluted water and illegal hunting.

Here's hope that 2012 will be a year of progress and better education.

This is a video by K's path (made by John and Angelique). It sums up very nicely what we are up against here in Kuwait:


Marine Conservation 2012 from john peaveler on Vimeo.


Update:

I checked google maps and there actually is a huge water treatment plant in Kuwait.
Now, how comes that the stuff that comes out of there and floats into the ocean still smells raw?
Mind, you don't see toilet paper or other 'things' floating around, but still.

And one more closer to 'home'.

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Posted for World Bird Wednesday - check out the wonderful posts from around the Globe!