Life list now 221 species
Added to Aden colony list: 14 species
The chart in the previous post showed an increase in the number of species of wader on the Salt Pans from July to September 1946 even above that recorded at the height of the spring migration. In fact, during those three months, I saw nine species on the Salt Pans that I had not previously seen in Aden. Seven of these were new to Aden and five new to me.>>>
The first, and most unusual in appearance, was present the whole of July 1946 on the Salt Pans. Eventually I realized it was a male __________________ in breeding plumage. This species had not been included in the previous lists of birds of Aden so my observation was the first for the Colony. I thought I was quite familiar with this species in England, but the ones I had seen there were immature birds in the autumn, and they completely failed to prepare me for the creature I found on the Salt Pans on 1 July. This was my description: “My original impression was of an all-black wader not more than half Curlew size. Upon coming closer I found that (a) wings were lighter than breast and back, probably speckled brown, (b) legs dull dark red, © bill medium length and slightly down-curved. The shape was puzzling and, I thought, resembled rather that of a Ruff. It flew up when I was c. 40 yards off and I saw that rump was white (end of tail probably dark) and that wings seemed even lighter, particularly on trailing edge (contrast of this with black head and breast noticeable). The only puzzling feature by now was an apparent light (white?) spot on the forehead. It did not call.”
On 10 July I noted: “Rather stout body, white rump was partly interrupted by a dark wedge down from the back,” as in accompanying sketch. On 22 and 28 July: “Much whiter on neck, head and vent region.” On three days during September (1, 19 & 29) I saw single immature birds of this species in their more familiar plumage.
QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (1 July 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.
Next was the Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus: one on the Salt Pans on 17 August and two on 22 September. This was another bird I knew well, both plumage and call, from England and, on the first date, I noted the black under wing and white rump in flight. On the second appearance I also saw the black under wing and heard the diagnostic call. This is the first time that the species was identified in the Colony. Lieut. Barnes in 1893 wrote:
He was obviously mistaken as the Green Sandpiper never occurs in immense flocks anywhere. Since he did not mention seeing the Curlew Sandpiper, he was probably referring to that species as it does also have a white rump and was in Aden harbour in winter 1946-8 in flocks of several hundred.
On 25 August I was surprised by a party of about 10 ______________* on the Salt Pans, a new bird to me and to Aden colony. My description of one on a flat sandy spit: “They were long, low birds on the ground with a body about equal to that of a Redshank (or just less). Head was noticeably blunt and bill very short and angled above. Upperparts appeared dark sandy or medium brown, lighter and more chestnut on the upper neck. Head and breast were the same colour but underparts shaded to white on belly and under tail. Wing tips showed black above both in flight and on the ground. When one got up from fairly close quarters, very prominent features were white (rump?) upper tail-coverts and base of tail with a black projecting fork. Under wing coverts flashed chestnut. The call, repeated fairly often, was a harsh and rather nasal “chek”. They were fairly tame and allowed me within c 40 yards.”
QUIZ: If you think you know what species these birds were, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (25 August 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.
My first Dunlin Erolia alpina for Aden was on 1 September and another on 29 September. This was a species I knew well from England and had been noticed by previous observers (Yerbury 1886, Barnes 1893, Meinertzhagen 1924) in Aden.
A ___________________________* on 8 September on the Salt Pans was a lifer and new species for Aden. “I had seen it previously when flushed from the dyke beside the roadway but now saw it fairly plainly. Generally its shape reminded me of a Little Stint though head and bill seemed finer. Colour of upper parts was fairly olive, reminiscent of a Common Sandpiper. In flight, apparently completely white outer tail feathers showed. Call: a dull short twitter - ‘t-r-r-r-r’ or ‘tututututrrr’. It was shyer than most other waders there.”
QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (8 September 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.
On 14 September I saw a snipe on Salt Pans. It was probably Capella gallinago as it zig-zagged in flight and probably called harshly, but there seemed to be white visible in the tail (indicating C. media). My view was too distant and brief to be sure. Previous observers had reported occasional snipe also.
19 September 1946 on the Salt Pans brought two lifers and new birds for Aden colony, both plovers. By coincidence, I saw the same two species there again on 29 September.
The first was the ___________________________* of which I saw one on the first day and 2 or 3 on the second. The latter were in a muddy backwater. "The diagnostic feature was the lack of white in the wing, clearly seen in flight, but also the bill was dark and the head pattern seemed different from that of the Ringed Plover C. hiaticula. Call was also different, lacking a lift at the end of the note: ‘tchuu-tchuu-tchuu’, rather like that of a Redshank Tringa totanus only softer, more flutey and wheezier."
QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (19 September 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.
The second new plover seen on those days was the ______________________*, perhaps the same bird on both occasions. It was markedly smaller than Grey Plovers in the area (estimated 10" long) but of the same shape. The most detailed description was obtained on 19 Sep from 25 yards range. “Upperparts were dark brown densely peppered with fairly small pale buffish or yellowish spots, giving a rather different affect than with the Golden Plover P. apricarius. These spots extended up the neck to the crown and apparently back to the tail. Underparts: pale brown or grey-brown, thickly and heavily mottled with chocolate(?) brown. This seemed to form 3-4 main bars across the breast and belly, covering 3/4 of the area. Part of the upper breast and throat were clear of this darker colour and were, consequently, quite light. This colour extended up to the bill, eye and lower cheek (from bill extended a darker patch to the eye?). [On 29 Sep, underparts were noted as whitish, clear on chin and throat, mottled grey and dark on breast and blotched dark (brown or black) on belly.] White or very pale buff supercilliary stripes were present over each eye and met over bill on forehead. (This was perhaps the most noticeable feature on the ground.) They went back to about end of ear coverts. Legs seemed grey or grey-green, medium shade, bill dark blue-grey(?). There was no white shown in flight, though perhaps an almost inappreciable wing bar above. [Underwing on 29 Sep was seen to be not white but darker.] The general effect both on the ground and in the air was of a very dark bird. Call when flushed was a short lower note followed by a longer higher note transcribed as ‘tu-wee’ or ‘ki-wee” on 19 Sep and ‘wu-deew’ or ‘ku-deee’ on 29 Sep. Both Yerbury and Barnes reported that they were told that “Golden Plovers” had been shot in Aden though they never saw a specimen.
QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (19 September 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.
The last new species was not a wader but a _____________________*, on 17 August 1946. I only saw it in flight as it flew right away after being flushed on the Salt Pans.
QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (17 August 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.
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