Birding in NW Libya, December 2007

From November 30 to December 7, 2007, as a member of the team of researchers
of the Natural History Museum of Crete - University of Crete, I visited Libya as a
result of a collaboration with EGA (Environmental General Authority), which is the
Libyan Agency for the Protection of Enviroment. I did the ornithological surveys
at the few places visited south of Tripoli.

The areas visited were the coast of the city of Tripolis and a small part of the
mountainous area of Gharyan, a part of the Jebel Nefusah area. Most visited the
Protected Area of Abo-Ghydan and the springs/oasis of Ain Tagnet with few other
sites visited briefly (wadis, dams, plantations, towns).

All together 70/71 (+ 3 uncertain ones) bird species recorded in the area between
Tripolis and Gharyan, but only few habitats and sites visited in the whole area.

Species list and some photos, questions:

1. Teal, Anas crecca, 48+, dam near Ain Tagnet Springs, 7/12
2. Pintail, Anas acuta, 30+, dam near Ain Tagnet Springs, 7/12
3. Shoveler, Anas clypeata, 17, dam near Ain Tagnet Springs, 7/12
4. Barbary Partridge, Alectoris barbara, locally common, common on AboGhydan
5. Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus, present on Tripolis harbour and coast:

6. Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, several on Tripolis but also few on the dam
of Wadi Ghan dam in a remarkable distance from the coast. Here one on harbour:

7. Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, at least 5 on Tripolis coast, west of the harbour

8. Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, few seen on Tripolis coast, Ain Tagnet springs and dam and on Wadi Ghan dam. Cormorants and Heron species on Tripolis rocky coast:

9. Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus two birds recorded on Ain Tagnet springs

10. Long-legged Buzzard, Buteo rufinus cirtensis. One seen on Abu Ghydan protected area and one more on Ain Tagnet springs. 11. Lesser Kestrel, Falco naumanni on Tripolis at least 3 individuals with certain identification, the one in the photo was seen just out of the hotel, early morning on 30 November, and it was the first bird I recorded on that visit in Libya!:

12. Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, rather common, present also on Tripolis.

13. Morhern Gallinula chloropus, only one record, Ain Tagnet springs

14. Coot, Fulica atra, 29 were counted on the dam near Ain Tagnet springs, 7/12

15. Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus two recorded on the dam near Ain Tagnet springs, 7/12

16. Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius one seen, dam near Ain Tagnet 7/12

17. Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula 3+ on sandy cost of Tripolis, 1/12

18. Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus 30+ on sandy cost of Tripolis 1/12 The last two species together:

19. Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola 1 seen on the rocky cost of Tripolis 1/12

20. Snipe Gallinago gallinago, several, probably more than 20 on Ain Tagnet spings and dam

21. Great Snipe, Gallinago media 1 on Ain Tagnet springs, 5/12. Interesting season. The bird flew just few meters away and then lost on near by sedges.

22. Whimbler, Numenius phaeopus, one on the rocky cost of Tripolis, 1/12

23. Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis 1 located on Ain Tagnet springs, 5/12

24. Greenshank, Tringa nebularia 1 on Ain Tagnet dam, 7/12

25. Green Sandpiper, Tringa ochropus, 1 on Ain Tagnet springs, 7/12

26. Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos 2 seen on the rocky / sandy coast of Tripolis, 1/12

27. Turnstone, Arenaria interpres a group of 6 on coast of Tripoli, 1/12:

28. Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus, several seen on Tripoli coast, harbour

29. Slender-billed Gull, Larus genei, one, Tripoli sea, near the sandy cost, 1/12

30. Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus 2+ on Tripolis harbour, all most probably graellsii, unlikelly to be heuglini, a well known form to me.

31. Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis Common on Tripolis, not seen in other areas

32. Caspian Tern, Sterna caspia 1 present on Tripolis sea-coast-harbour on 1/12

33. Sandwich Tern, Sterna sandvicensis 3+ on Tripolis sea-coast-harbour on 1/12

-- Pterocles sp. one record of a flock of 10+ , but species identification failure due to the darkness on the Algwalish rocky area in the evening of the 5/12

34. Rock Pigeon, Columba livia, wild form common on Abo Ghydan protected area

35. Laughing Dove, Streptopelia senegalensis, present on settlements and oases, also on tree plantations far from human settlements

36. Scops Owl, Otus scops 1 heard on south Tripolis, 2/12

(37). Desert Eagle Owl, Bubo (bubo) ascalaphus, only pellets but still good evidence of its presence on gorges and rock faces on Abo Ghydan and Algwalish:

38. Hoopoe, Upupa epops often seen on Abo Ghydan and on Ain Tagnet springs

- Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens?? a probable flock of this species, heard briefly on a wadi north of Kiklah, on 6/12.

39. Crested Lark, Galerida cristata very common:

40. Skylark, Alauda arvensis flocks were heard on a wadi north of Kiklah, 5/12

41. Crag Martin, Ptyonoprogne rupestris only 2 seen on the Wadi Ghan Dam, 4/12

42. Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis several seen on Tripolis coast and on wetlands and agricultural land

43. Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta at least one seen on Tripolis coast, 1/12

44. Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea , one recorded on Abo Ghydan, 4/12

45. White Wagtail, Motacilla alba present on Tripolis coast, on wetlands, on settlements, in agricultural areas and also in wadis

46. Robin, Erithacus rubecula large numbers almost everywhere, even in places with few bushes and trees, present on Tripolis.

47. Black Redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros fairly common on settlements, wadis, gorges, present in Tripolis

48. Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus. At least one male on 5/12 in Abo Ghydan and another male on 7/12 in Ain Tagnet, which see:

- Moussier's Redstart, Phoenicurus moussieri ?? probably not this one on Abo Ghydan as I thought in the first view, it seems that both Redstarts there on 5/12 were Common ones.

49. Stonechat, Saxicola torquata (Saxicola rubicola), present in several habitats, became very common after 5/12, most probably due to new arrivals from the north. 50. Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, very common even on settlements, but none seen on Tripoli city. Next photos: pairs in Gharyan area and on a wadi north of Kiklah:

51. Blue Rock Trhush, Monticola solitarius few seen in Abo Ghydan and in Algwalish

52. Blackbird, Turdus merula Only one seen, on olive grove in Algwalish area, 6/12

53. Zitting Cisticola, Cisticola juncidis, a few on the sedges of Ain Tagnet springs, also singing. 54. Scrub Warbler, Scotocerca inquieta saharae. If the subspecies is that one! The birds I saw were quite grey above with white supercillium, as the nominate form should not be in Libya! Are intermediate forms? 2 pairs were found on the wadi north of Algwalish, 6/12, see this lovely bird:

55. Marmora's Warbler, Sylvia sarda. Only one individual, probably a male on 5/12 in a small wadi site in Abo Ghydan, difficult to have a good picture:

56. Spectacled Warbler, Sylvia conspicillata a male on Ain Tagnet springs, 7/12

57. Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala great numbers almost everywhere apart very desert-types sites

58. Blackcup, Sylvia atricapilla One male was present out on an old, inhabited berberian house on the wadi north of Algwalish, 6/12

59. Chiffchaf, Phylloscopus collybita. Very common even on areas with few trees and bushes, many probably were still on their migration route.

60. Fulvous Babbler, Turdoides fulvus At least 3 families, with as many as 30 birds located on a small area of the Abo Ghydan:

61. Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius meridionalis Present everywhere, even on the center of the city of Tripolis. Birds where variable with some algeriensis and some elegans appearence, but not pure ones. This one from Abo Ghydan with white supercillium, like "desert" elegans: but the next one, from Gharyan town, looks more a "mediterranean"algeriensis :

62. Raven, Corvus corax quite a few were seen on gorges and other rocky sites.

63. Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, a massive flock, probably as many as 30000, on migration recorded on Ain Tagnet on 6/12, also a small flock on fields, east of Abo Ghydan, 4/12

64. House Sparrow, Passer domesticus Seen on Tripolis only.

65. Spanish Sparrow, Passer hispaniolensis Common on settlements, wetlands, palm groves, Tripolis. Some flocks on coast of Tripolis probably visitors from Europe.

66. Rock Sparrow, Petronia petronia 2 seen on the wadi north of Algwalish.

67. Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs africana the one of the photo located on an Eucalyptus grove, south of Algwalish:

68. Serin, Serinus serinus few seen, probably residents, Abo Ghydan, Ain Tagnet

69. Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis flocks seen on Abo Ghydan and Ain Tagnet

70. Linnet, Carduelis cannabina one flock on a rocky "phrygana type" area, above the gorges of the Algwalish, 5/12

71. House Bunting, Emberiza striolata sahari Only a male seen on an berberian house (troglodyte type) on Abo Ghydan

Finally Siskins, Carduelis spinus and Trumpeter Finches, Bucanetes githagineus
were between others cage birds on the Tripolis fish market on 30 November.
They most probably had trapped around the city: