Aden Spring 1946: Odds and Ends

>>March-June 1946: other observations

Life list now 214 species

Resident birds

22 March: according to the note below I visited No 2 M.I. room (Medical Inspection room). The reason is not mentioned but it may well have been because of prickly heat, from which I remember suffering and which could have come on in the 11 days since my arrival in Aden. It was a very common and uncomfortable condition among us airmen, coming from the cool climate of England, caused by excessive sweating and blocked sweat glands. No doubt the MOs (medical officers) were accustomed to treating it. I used to wonder if officers and WAAFs (members of Women's Auxiliary Air Force) also got prickly heat since it seemed that sweating was the cause and my grandmother had impressed upon me:

Horses sweat,
Gentlemen perspire,
Ladies glow.

There must have been a line up to get treatment for I had time to write down descriptions of several different songs of the Yellow-vented Bulbul in the trees nearby. >>>

Bulbuls are among the best known song birds in Africa and southern Asia because some species are found in settled areas and even in towns, as in Egypt. Nowadays, the species in Aden (and along much of the coast of Arabia) is called the White-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos since it has a white ring around the eye, but I knew it as the Yellow-vented Bulbul, from the yellow patch under the tail, which was the easiest distinction from the Egyptian Common Bulbul which is whitish beneath the tail. It probably evolved from this species after the split caused by the formation of the Great Rift Valley that isolated Arabia from Africa. Some races of the Common Bulbul in Africa have yellow under the tail.

Corvidae: during these months I fairly often saw large black birds near Sheikh Othman, sometimes as many as 15-20 together. I realized they were some species of crow or raven. On 9 May, near the APL Lines, I obtained a detailed description that proved they were Brown-necked Ravens Corvax ruficoliis: black plumage with dark sooty brown head and neck. "The note was a little peculiar, a rather duck-like 'kwaark' thrice repeated when standing on a telegraph post. When I flushed it from another position its note changed to 'kweerk'." Another species at Sheikh Othman, of which I saw single birds on 12 April and 16 May, was the _____________________*. This was "smaller, black plumage and bill with a grey patch on the back of the neck, most noticeable."


QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (12 April 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.

Doves: there were three species (two lifers), all seen more or less regularly at Settlement Gardens, Sheikh Othman. The one I recognized first was the Palm Dove as seen in Egypt. The name used for the same species in the tropics is Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis. The second was another Sahelian species: the ______________________________*. It seemed more numerous than the Laughing Dove. I noted details of display and plumage. "3 May: a pair displaying. They did so on the ground. Two principal positions were adopted. The first, apparently, was a preliminary with the bill well tucked into the extended crop and with the body crouched till almost horizontal. When in this posture the bird 'crept' towards the other (retreating) bird, then it changed its gait to a dignified strut, at the same time bringing the axis of the body to 70-80 degrees from the horizontal, but keeping the bill still pressed close to the crop. The note during this performance was 'cr-oooooo-cr-r-r-roo-r', a continuous phrase lasting perhaps 2 to 2.5 seconds and constantly repeated." "20 May: they seemed to keep in pairs and the common song was 'tooo-cr-o-o-o-o-ooo'. One showed nearly all its points of interest while lying in the sun on the ground at c 20 yards with the right wing partly spread and the body a little on the left side. My description was: size about as Turtle-Dove (S. turtur), which I knew from England; breast, neck and head pinkish, slightly greyer on the head; belly and under tail-coverts white; upper parts very similar to a Turtle-Dove (but greyer?); white end to tail; blue feathers around 'bastard' wing displayed well when right wing spread; neck spot black completely encircled by bright pale blue, particularly noticeable towards the back; very thin white line around eye; bill dark blue; legs and feet dark flesh colour or dark pink; eye dark red." 

QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (3 May 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post. 

The third species was the __________________________*. "20 May: shyer and less numerous than the preceding but two separate individuals seen. Feeding on the ground at 25 yards it resembled a large wagtail with the naked eye. One, probably female or juvenile, was about two-thirds size of Turtle-Dove; head, throat, neck, part of upper breast, back and closed wing (coverts) pinkish or greyish buff, tinged grey on wings and blue-grey on head; the greyish coverts contrasted with dark brown flight feathers, darker brown patches on back and, particularly towards the rump where, also, a whitish spot; upper tail coverts off-white tipped darker (also

some grey-brown and/or tinged blue-grey). No visible neck spot. Tail dark grey with bluish tinge above, black beneath; all underparts not previously mentioned white but under tail coverts black or dark tipped white (about 3 seen); bill green or blue-green; legs quite bright reddish-pink. The second individual was probably an adult male. It differed from the previous one in the following points: end of wing (primaries only?) apparently rufous; reddish-orange bill emphasized by black front of face (forehead, lores etc, chin), throat and parts of upper breast (black had irregular edge); otherwise apparently as the first bird even to white rump spot."

QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (20 May 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post. 

Blackstart description 22 April at "Steamer Point very close to the billet: forehead, crown, sides & nape of neck, ear-coverts, mantle, upper wing coverts, rump, flanks, upper tail coverts (?), uniform medium clear grey. Throat, breast, belly, under tail coverts, lighter grey with tinge of brown, particularly chin and lores. Tail feathers black above. Primaries & secondaries brown. Feet & legs medium grey or grey-brown. Bill darker grey than back, particularly at the tip. "

Sooty Gull 16 May composite description from birds "in or near Telegraph Bay:

White over eye, round neck, unshaded breast, belly, flanks, tail. This bird was apparently adult and was the only one among 14 gulls. The others (juvs?) had a very faint red tip to their more leaden beak, no white over eye, head, back, breast, neck, upper wings more or less uniform brown, somewhat lighter than on back of adult, streaked in some cases on head, neck &/or shoulders. Several with sub-terminal black band on tail. Legs duller than adult." 

Black Kite breeding 2 June Settlement Gardens, Sheikh Othman: at least two at nest.

Graceful Warbler description "20 May Settlement Gardens, Sheikh Othman. In various spots including among tall corn (maize?), in trees and on the ground, saw several examples. Size was small but with a long & graduated tail (thickest at end). Head and back greyish, some ashy brown on latter. Tail (beneath) brownish rufous with end three tail feathers tipped white & dark brown sub-terminal band giving barred effect. Legs strongly pink. Song 'slenk-aslenk-aslenk'"

Kentish Plover breeding "1 June Salt Pans. I was very fortunate on the bank to come across a Kentish Plover's nest with three eggs. I was suddenly attracted by the very violent injury feigning of one about 30 yards ahead and looking down saw I was standing not more than a yard from the nest. It was quite easy to spot, even from a distance, as the eggs were paler than the general surroundings and was located 12-18 inches from a fairly well-trodden path on a bank about 1 foot above the water, composed of mixed earth and gypsum or salt. The display which was, I afterwards found, by the female (the male did not show up at all) seemed entirely silent. The bird squatted in a slight hollow and spread the tail in the usual manner. The wings were used much more energetically than I have ever seen before, in fact they were quite literally flapped. The bird didn this facing me and the whole effort was quite realistic as if it was indeed injured. It did not keep entirely in one position but 'flopped around' a good deal. After a few minutes, while I examined the nest, it quietened down and did not repeat this performance though gave a little of the normal 'running away' type of behaviour when I left the nest site. It preceded me along the bank for about 120 yards from the nest, then flew across to another bank and finally to within c 20 yards of the nest. It finally rerurned to the spot in short very hesitant runs. The nest was merely a shallow (c. 0.5-0.75") scrape (or hollow?) on the flat upper surface of the bank, filled with small pieces of the usual compound found there, probably something akin to salt. One unusual feature was the fact that the eggs were half buried in this material. When I removed one to examine it, one or two pieces fell into the cavity thus formed. Two of the eggs had been arranged more or less radially, the other approximately normal [at right angles] to the radius. The 'nest' was c 3.5" across and the eggs placed some 0.5-1.0" off centre. I was unable to measure the eggs but would say they were definitly smaller than my recollection [from England] of eggs of the Ringed Plover. The ground colour was a rather pale greyish stone, speckled and having small scribbles of black, concentrated, if anywhere, near the 'large' end, but nowhere very thickly clustered. The surface was quite matt and fairly dirty. I tested one in the warm salt water nearby and it floated quite well." At another place on the Salt Pans were two pairs of Kentish Plovers. Though they performed considerable injury feigning, both on the ground and over the water, I was not able to find another nest despite careful search.     


Migrants

___________________________ 30 April Salt Pans: a flock of c. 40 with 1 Ringed Plover C. hiaticula and 6 Kentish Plovers C. alexandrinus. Most were in winter plumage but c 6 in breeding plumage, which enabled me to identify them. "They had a black mark from the dark bill to behind the eye, a sandy crown and gorget pr ring on throat (probably not as well defined as sketched) and white elsewhere on face, neck and underparts. The sandy colour extended down the back of the neck to the greyer mantle, back, upper wings, rump and upper tail. There was very little or no white on the sides of the tail. The size was c 1.5 times that of the Ringed Plover, the legs being comparatively longer and dark. From the flock in flight came two different notes, both a kind of twitter, but one much harsher than the other."

QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (30 April 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post. 

_______________________________*17 May, Salt Pans. A single bird in full breeding plumage seen in flight. I was already familiar with the Black Tern C. nigra in England. This is the first record of the species for Aden and therefore the seventh species I added to the Aden list. “The red feet were seen clearly but not the bill. The general impression was of the contrast of black head, neck, breast, belly and back with light wings and very white tail.”

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 May 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post. 

Hoopoe Upupa epops 1 May one seen at Sheikh Othman.

Swallow Hirundo rustica up to 20 on 5 occasions from 17 May to 1 June at various points in the Colony. Then about 5 at Sheikh Othman on 26 June.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava: 30 April 1946, Salt Pans “On the bare earth beside a ditch was a very smart example of some subspecies of Motacilla flava. He was feeding in the usual way, dashing about and occasionally calling like a Yellow Wagtail M. f. flavissima [the only subspecies with which I was familiar]. Most of the plumage was of the standard M. flava type. The crown (& nape?) was a rich grey-blue, the lores and approximately as shaded dark in the diagram ‘sooty blue or green’, not really black. The amount of white on the chin was very small, just a touch under the bill. Otherwise underparts bright yellow with a ‘broken’ dark blue- or greenish-black gorget as indicated.” At another location “were c.10 more Motacilla flava. Two males I examined were both different from the one previously described, one having an almost uniformly dark gorget, the other apparently none at all. The ♀ seemed as usual for this species. On 3 May at Settlement Gardens “one ♂ which resembled those previously seen except the black on the underparts, instead of forming a gorget, ran down the centre of the breast and belly in uneven marks.”

_____________________________*12 May, Salt Pans. A single bird that I was unable to identify at the time. “From its habit of standing in the open and constantly flicking its tail (body & tail as in sketch), and its size (about that of Whinchat), I thought it might be a chat. The colour was generally brown but the rump was chestnut. There was also a faint, thin whitish eye stripe and the tail feathers seemed tipped with about 0.1" of white. Under tail coverts and/or vent very white.”

QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (12 May 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.

_________________________________* 5 May Khormaksar, barbed wire fence to airfield. “Flushed 2 or 3 times from the wire and low bushes were two or three of this species. I noticed the general resemblance to the Nightingale L. megarhynchos (which I knew in England), particularly in shape and with its rufousy rump. However, it was definitely larger and, when examined, found to be much darker and browner beneath and with a less noticeable eye stripe. Another prominent feature was the faint blue-grey mottling or series of lines on the breast.”

QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (5 May 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post.

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra, a species I knew well in England, Single females in Settlement Gardens Sheikh Othman on 3 May (noted that “the eye stripe seemed brighter and the breast redder than in the species seen in England”) and along the perimeter fence at Khomaksar airfield on 5 May.

Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe. One only, species not 100% certain “ ..flitting along the ground. The general plumage was brownish with white rump, not pied” near Sheikh Othman, 24 April.

“25 April 1946, Steamer Point. While looking around from the billet, I saw the following bird in the valley to the south, resting and standing among the rocks. Size, between Wheatear and Song Thrush, general shape and appearance resembling Wheatear, particularly with its short tail. Upperparts (except rump) including whole head, neck and bill, blue-grey; rump and lower back, white or vivid blue-white; brownish flight feathers. Breast, belly, under tail coverts, whitish almost completely obscured by orange-chestnut spots or mottling, particularly bright beneath tail. There may have been another with it but this only seen from a distance with the naked eye. I think it was a ♂ ________________* “

QUIZ: If you think you know what species this bird was, please put its name, your name, how you identified it and the date (25 April 1946) in the comment box at the end of this post. 


 Warblers. I was unable to identify about 15 Phylloscopus warblers (a genus I did not know well) seen on 6 May along the perimeter fence at Khormaksar airfield though I noted the following: "generally greenish, smaller than the Common Whitethroat, with a thin pale eye stripe. One had a very noticeable patch of yellowish feathers in the position x on the sketch which showed up particularly in the closed wing". There was a Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis which I did know well in the same area on this date. On 12, 17 & 22 May I saw single Sedge Warblers Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (again knew well) on the Salt Pans.

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata. Two in Settlement Gardens on 3 May and one along the perimeter fence at Khormaksar on 6 May. I noted that they resembled this species as I knew it in England but seemed much greyer at close quarters.

Golden Oriole* Oriolus oriolus. On 3 May in Settlement Gardens “I had glimpses of 2 or 3 Golden Orioles. One at least was an adult male but the others passed too fast for me to be sure.”