Mushrif Park-24/04/2010

[ajmal]

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<st1:PlaceName>Mushrif</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>Park</st1:PlaceType></ST1:p from <st1:time Minute="0" Hour="8">8 – 11 am</st1:time> this morning yielded my first shrike and a Turkestan</ST1:p at that methinks (see pic 1 below) J; Could somebody pls. confirm. Also saw:

- 4 young ring-necked Parakeets
- 15 to 20 white-eared Bulbuls
- A pair of red-vented Bulbuls
- 1 Little green bee eater
- 3 Eurasian hoopoe
- loads of common mynahs and house sparrows
- 1 purple sunbird
- 2 unid’d birds (pics attached)-IDs will be much appreciated.
<O:p
Others included:
<O:p
- Hordes of newly hatched salmon arab butterflies
- Many plain Tiger butterflies (and caterpillars on practically every Calotropis I saw)
- 1 Cape</ST1:p hare (my third sighting this year w/o a pic L; 4-5 seconds sighting before I could turn my camera on by which time it was GONE…..

Regards,

[Mike Barth]

Ajmal , Red-Wattled Lapwing methinks !

[ajmal]

Thanks, Mike-much appreciated....

Regards,

[Huw]

Hi Ajmal

After finding my first Salmon Arab in Al Ain this year, and seeing your record, I was wondering about their movements.

After reading this nice article (http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197505/the.salmon.arab.htm) and some other stuff, I'm wondering if the ones you’ve seen hatching out in numbers is Salmon Arab or Small Salmon Arab. Interesting either way..

The foodplant of Small Salmon Arab Colotis Calais. (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/7093147_ozfGG), is Salvadora. Me and Dave are familiar with Small Salmon Arabs from Ain Al Fayda where they are quite common this time of year, although nowhere near as common as Blue Spotted Arab, which are found on the same plant.

From what I’ve read, Salmon Arab Colotis fausta (http://www.uaebirding.com/forum/showthread.php?2379-Butterflies-in-Al-Ain/page2), is a mountain specialist. It's quite a bit a bit bigger than Small Salmon Arab, and attracted to various caper plants. I’m wondering what would bring it to Mushrif Park. Any capers there?

Described as an eternal nomad in Larsen (1980), it ranges from Lebanon to Sri Lanka/India, occasionally to north-eastern Africa. but can’t survive in the Gulf full-time. In Oman it is “ normally found in rough mountain wadis where its rapid, dancing flight makes capture difficult.” (Tell me about it..)

“The normal foodplant in the Middle East is Capparis spinosa, the plant from which edible capers are harvested. Places where it has been captured in Oman so far were characterised by the presence of Capparis mucronifolia” (Larsen). The caper bush that’s all over Jebel Hafeet is Capparis cartilaginea, which is probably what they’re after. I’m not sure the flower bud of our caper bushes could be had with scrambled egg (see article) though!

Huw

[ajmal]

Hi Huw,

Sorry, I did not prefix "Small" before Salmon Arab. There were dozens of these fluttering about and I did see a toothbrush tree close by, so I presume them to be small salmon arabs.... I did manage a few pics, only one of which is any worthy of a look. Let me know and I can send it across to you if you wish. Thanks for the article link and the dearth of information from your post, made a very interesting read. No capers in Mushrif park, I assure you ;)

Talking of caper buds with scrambled eggs & local delicacies, I had a few slices of "red thumb stems" earlier this month - lovely taste of green apples.... :)

Regards,

Ajmal

[Sandman]

Very interesting read Huw!
Just what this Forum is made for. Great!

[daveclark]

yeah I agree - nicely written Huw some new info for me also -- I did see a Salmon Arab - down the back wadi on Saturday along with an African Emigrant and a desert white -- capers are blooming again up the wadi - dave - and well done with the bird sightings Ajmal