Oman Day Nine

Today we explored various sites around Salalah targeting the local specialities. First stop was Wadi Kheesh HERE where we got Arabian Warbler, Abysinnian White-eye, Black-crowned Tchagra, Palestine and Arabian Sunbirds, Ruppell's Weaver and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Next up was Ayn Hamran HERE followed by a visit to Al Saadan Park HERE where the highlights included Grey-headed Kingfisher and Crested Honey Buzzard. We then spent the late afteroon and evening at East Khwar HERE with highlights including a cracking first-winter Pallas's Gull, Wattled Starling and a few trip ticks. In the evening we went back to Ayn Hamran owling (will post seperately on the night birding later).

Live trip report HERE

 

Grey-headed Kingfisher

African Paradise Flycatcher

Ruppell's Weaver

Arabian Warbler

Adult female (or possibly hybrid male) Crested Honey Buzzard (above and below) 030125- got some feedback on this bird from Dick Forsman: It is clearly a moulting adult male based on grey head and upperwing and the type of underwing and tail barring. It has a yellow iris, which excludes a proper Crested (dark in males) but it does show a hint of a gorget and the underwing barring is also more similar to Crested, while the tail banding is not. Also the feet and bill look heavy as in Crested but it clearly also shows a darker carpal area, another feature indicating European heritage. To me a bird showing so many mixed and/or intermediate features indicates a hybrid, and this is what I think the bird is, an adult male hybrid European x Crested.  (Thanks Dick!). 

Bonelli's Eagle 

Juvenile Sooty Gull 

Sooty Gull 

First-winter Pallas's Gull