Kuwait – Spring by the Persian Gulf
5 – 12 April 2010
- Price per person: £930
- Deposit per person: £250
- Suggested Flights: British Airways and Kuwait Airlines run daily direct flights from London Heathrow to Kuwait City. KLM run flights from Heathrow too but these go via Amsterdam.
Being positioned in the extreme south east corner of the Western Palearctic and on a migration crossroads the State of Kuwait has an enormous amount to offer the visiting birder. Like several of its near neighbours the country has a great infrastructure and welcoming people. Until recently the country has been off-limits to visitors without state sponsorship but all that has now changed and its true birding potential is starting to be realised. With assistance of the ever helpful resident birders we will gain access to several restricted sites which will help ensure we see all of what the country has to offer.
The birding can be spectacular with migrants literally pouring through the country in the right conditions and the possibility of real surprises turning up. The 4th Western Palearctic record of Lesser Frigatebird in April 2008 is an example. Other recent rarities have included Little Whimbrel, Long-tailed Shrike, Eversmann’s Redstart, Oriental Pratincole, Lappet-faced Vulture and Purple Sunbird.
The list of migrant and resident species includes Socotra Cormorant, Crab Plover, Red-wattled Lapwing, Greater Crested Tern, Bridled Tern, White-cheeked Tern, Egyptian Nightjar, Pallid Harrier, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Grey-headed Swamphen, Dunn's Lark, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Common Babbler, Rufous Bush Robin, White-throated Robin, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Grey Hypocolius, White-cheeked Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Basra Reed Warbler, Menetrie's Warbler, Upcher's Warbler, Daurian Shrike, Turkestan Shrike, Steppe Grey Shrike, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Bank Myna, Common Myna, Pale Rock Sparrow and Cinereous Bunting.
We would also hope that wintering species such as Shikra, Persian Wheatear and even Indian Roller may linger long enough for us to connect with them.
The tour will have a real pioneering edge to it as new discoveries are frequently being made in this under-watched corner of the region.
Day 1
Our tour will begin in Kuwait City where flights should have landed in the early morning. With no delay we will head straight to the Sulaibikhat Nature Reserve on the west side of Kuwait City to search for our first migrants. This small reserve by the coast was created by local birders and is already yielding good birds. Migrants are usually a plenty with Daurian, Turkestan Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes prominent together with Pied and Black-eared Wheatears, Siberian Stonechats, Red-throated Pipits, Graceful Prinias and numerous flava Wagtails. Grey Hypocolius is also a distinct possibility.
Any migrant could turn up and a thorough working of the area will ensure we miss little. On the edge of the bay we should also see Greater Flamingo, Slender-billed Gull, Western Reef Heron and a variety of waders. By now we should also have encountered our first Common Mynas and White-cheeked Bulbuls.
Next we will gain access to the nearby reedy lagoons at South Doha where the resident Grey-headed Swamphens of the race 'seistanus' should be easily located clambering around on the reedy margins. Wader passage can also be very good here with good chances of Collared Pratincole, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint alongside commoner species.
From here we'll proceed to an area of coastal saltmarsh and reedbeds known as the Jahra East Outfall where we'll see the nearest thing Kuwait has to an actual river. Despite its diminutive size the creek that flows out to sea here is a truly amazing place to bird. We'll hope to see Spotted and Little Crakes and with luck even a Baillon's. This is also probably the only reliable site in the whole of the Western Palearctic for the enigmatic Basra Reed Warbler and these should be picked out from the Clamorous and Great Reed Warblers that share the same habitat. Many pipits and wagtails constantly liven the grassy areas here with some interesting flava variant always present. The potential for the unexpected is high with 2 Oriental Skylarks having graced the marsh in April 2008. While we are here we will undoubtedly see a variety of waders and herons which may include Little Bittern and Squacco Heron.
Our final port of call of the day will be the nearby Jahra Farms. This is an area of cultivated small holdings which not only has a great attraction for migrants but also hosts the easiest Bank Mynas to see and also a resident pair of White-breasted Kingfishers. The experience of birding this area courtesy of the friendly owner Ali with a backdrop of the strangely atmospheric call to prayer will be a really memorable way to end our first day.
Day 2
We will make an early start today and meet our contact out in the desert to the southwest of the city. We will then be escorted into the area known as Kebd which is a large fenced area of pristine desert habitat which holds two exciting and much sought after desert species - Dunn’s Lark and Black-crowned Sparrow-lark. A small oasis could also hold any number of migrants in the right conditions whilst we will also be on the look out for other larks, wheatears and raptors as we explore the network of tracks.
The afternoon will then be spent at another desert area to the north known as SAANR. After gaining access with local help we will then be able to return to this area as often as we like in the following days. And it is a rich area that will certainly tempt us back! A wadi on the reserve holds reasonable numbers of wintering Persian Wheatears and an inspection will soon reveal if we’re lucky enough for one or two to still be present. Hoopoe Lark, Desert Lark and Pale Rock Sparrow are all distinctly possible in the desert areas but it will be at the lush Tulha Oasis that we will seek some shade and search for migrants around the bushes and pond. On a good day this area can be crawling with migrants that could include Basra Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Upcher’s Warbler, Menetries’s Warbler, Barred Warbler, White-throated Robin, Scop’s Owl, Pale Rock Sparrow and maybe even a Shikra.
Day 3
To beat the crowds we will venture out at dawn to the man-made Green Island on the Kuwait City seafront. This is where we should find both Red-vented Bulbul and Grey Hypocolius amongst a variety of migrants which could include species such as Eastern Orphean Warbler, Rock Thrush, Lesser Kestrel and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater.
After returning for a quick breakfast we will venture to Doha Spit on the west side of Kuwait Bay for some wader watching as the tide rises. The undoubted star bird here is Crab Plover at its only reliable Western Palearctic site. We should see several of this unique species alongside good numbers of Terek Sandpipers, Marsh Sandpipers, Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers, Kentish Plovers and a host of more common passage waders. For the gull enthusiast both Heuglins and Steppe Gull should be present amongst the Caspian and Lesser Crested Terns.
We will then make our way south towards the sensitive Chevron Oil owned site at Zour Port close to the Saudi Arabian border to meet with our guide who is the only person able to arrange us access to this heavily guarded site. If time permits we will visit the nearby rather unattractively named Sewer Plant Reeds to search for migrants but our main aim will be the seabirds of Zour Port. Socotra Cormorant is our main quarry and we’ll hope that this summer visitor has started to arrive by the time of our visit. The other attractions here are Bridled Tern, White-cheeked Tern and Greater Crested Tern, all of which we stand a good chance of seeing.
Day 4
After breakfast we’ll make our way to the wonderfully green and irrigated Pivot Fields to spend the morning exploring what this extensive site has to offer. It is an obvious migrant trap as well as being a magnet for raptors. Both Pallid and Montagu’s Harrier should be easily seen with aquila eagles often represented by Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle and Eastern Imperial Eagle. A flooded flash amongst the alfalfa fields often holds waders which can include Collared Pratincole and with luck Caspian Plover.
After breakfast we’ll make our way to the wonderfully green and irrigated Pivot Fields to spend the morning exploring what this extensive site has to offer. It is an obvious migrant trap as well as being a magnet for raptors. Both Pallid and Montagu’s Harrier should be easily seen with aquila eagles often represented by Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle and Eastern Imperial Eagle. A flooded flash amongst the alfalfa fields often holds waders which can include Collared Pratincole and with luck Caspian Plover.
As access to Pivot Fields is not possible after midday we will spend the afternoon re-visiting some other local sites such as the Tulha Oasis or Jahra East Outfall as these places have an ever-changing variety of migrants.
Day 5
Today we’ll head into the western desert to the isolated area of farms at Al-Abraq to search for migrants which are attracted to this irrigated patch of green in large numbers. This exciting area will be given a thorough working for the morning ensuring we miss little. In previous springs the farms have yielded Red-breasted Flycatcher, Menetries’s Warbler, Upcher’s Warbler, Syke’s Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Masked Shrike, White-throated Robin and megas such as Forest Wagtail and African Collared Dove.
The afternoon has been left flexible to allow us to return to Zour Port if our previous visit failed to yield any of our targets.
Day 6
Our first port of call this morning will be in the north of the country close to the Iraq border. This area, know as Abdali Farms is the only Western Palearctic breeding site for the much sought after Common Babbler and we’ll primarily be searching for this species and the other speciality here – Red-wattled Lapwing. As ever migrants are a big draw to these lush green fields and we should see a good variety. This is also one of the best spots for finding a migrant Egyptian Nightjar.
On our drive back south we’ll stop at another small farm to search for migrants and with time permitting we’ll re-visit one or two of the sites close to Kuwait City in case we need to mop up on any species.
Day 7
Transport will be provided to the airport for early morning flights back to London.
Additional Information
- Please note that the above itinerary is subject to some change depending on the availability of local guides and the times of tides.
- Migration will be in full swing during our visit so the itinerary has been designed to be as flexible as possible to allow for surprises!
- All nights will be spent at the same apartment accommodation in Kuwait City.
- Transport will be in 4-wheel drive vehicles which are essential to reach some of the sites.
 |
 |
 |
