Ringing at Alba Marsh - Bahrain

Apart from the Spotted Crake and Ortolan Bunting caught and mentioned in the previous post we also caught 29 other birds which included 13 House Sparrows, nine Willow Warblers, three tree Pipits, three Clamorous Reed Warblers and one Graceful Prinia. We only had two re-traps which were a Clamorous Reed Warbler and a Graceful Prinia both of which were ringed at the same site the week before. Bird numbers appeared to much lower than the previous week, although we caught almost the same number of birds, maybe because the conditions were less windy this weekend?

Clamorous Reed Warbler (juvenile)

Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit

A few of the Willow Warblers have very small sizes and approach Chiffchaff in their measurements but are still Willow Warblers on wing point and emarginations to the flight feathers and also have the typical pale leg colour of most Willow Warblers. The short wing gives you the idea they are shorter distance migrants maybe breeding somewhere nearer to us than the typical birds caught with longer wings and larger size?

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

A number of birds were caught with brood patches indicating they are breeding including Graceful Prinia and House Sparrow and young juvenile Clamorous Reed Warbler and House Sparrow were caught showing young of some species are already on the wing out here.

Clamorous Reed Warbler - juvenile

Clamorous Reed Warbler - juvenile

Ringing at Alba Marsh – Bahrain

A very early start to take advantage of the morning activity period was done on Friday morning and we arrived at Alba Marsh just after first light. We set up three 18 metre four panel nets and a 12 metre four panel net. Bird activity looked reasonable as we set up the nets and a large movement of Swifts, Swallows and Martins was progressing. The first bird caught was a new ringing species for me in the form of a Red-throated Pipit in summer plumage.

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit


We had quite a successful morning for us and caught 39 birds including five Red-throated Pipits, 11 Willow Warblers, 12 House Sparrows, six Clamorous Reed Warblers, one Graceful Prinia, one Yellow Wagtail, one Daurian Shrike, one Turkestan Shrike and one Barred Warbler. There were two re-traps, both of which were Clamorous Reed Warblers one of which was ringed at the same site and the other, with a BTO ring, from elsewhere which I will report on when we find out the data.


Barred Warbler (young male)



Barred Warbler (young male)

Clamorous Reed Warblers (two males)

Clamorous Reed Warbler (male)

Yellow Wagtail (female flave type)

 

Yellow Wagtail (female flave type)

Willow Warbler



Since the last visit to Alba Marsh three weeks ago the Bluethroats and Water Pipits have moved out but large numbers of Red-throated Pipits have moved in. Willow Warblers have now replaced Common Chiffchaffs which is normal for this time of year with Willow Warbler being a later migrant through the region. An adult male Little Bittern was flushed on three occasions from the wet areas but did not go into the net and a number of breeding Black-winged Stilts were present making a lot of noise protecting their nest and young.