Abu Dhabi - Page 2

ijwilki · #11 (**permalink**) 13-01-10, 03:48 PM

Merlin,

Thanks for your thoughts.

Managed to spend a little time watching the terns again today - this time with my bins. There were some slightly larger, heavier ones with red bills and others with slimmer orange/red bills. Looking in the Collins Bird Guide leads me to think I saw both common and Caspian terns. Again I coldn't get any pics - they were all airborne and diving.

With reference to the terns in the photo I uploaded, the legs were dark, I don't recall any significant colour. Couple of more tern pics taken at the same time as yesterdays pic are attached.

Ian

Merlin · #12 (**permalink**) 13-01-10, 05:14 PM

It would seem your pictures contain both Sandwich and Common Terns, Sandwich having dark legs and a crest that is just about visable, Common a little smaller with a broad carpal bar evident on closed wing.

ijwilki · #13 (**permalink**) 13-01-10, 05:24 PM

Paid another visit to the area near the site coastal works late this afternoon. There were about 40 cormorants having a good feed. I think the dredging and excavation works must be stirring up food for the fish, and the fish are attracting the cormorants and terns. Plenty of BH gulls also. It was interesting watching the constant diving - there seemed to be as many cormorants under water as above!

Ian

ijwilki · #14 (**permalink**) 05-02-10, 08:30 PM

A walk in one of Abu Dhabi's parks proved interesting today. Little green bee-eaters, wheatear and graceful prinia were great to see, but a male and female Sinai rosefinches were the highlight - lovely little birds.

Ian

Merlin · #15 (**permalink**) 06-02-10, 09:48 AM

Nice pics thanks for sharing.

ijwilki · #16 (**permalink**) 06-02-10, 02:16 PM

Thanks Merlin.

I've attached a couple of pics of a bird I can't ID. There were about 8 of them feeding on the seeds. They have finch like-bills but I can't identify them from my books.