Bahrain : Nature Reports

1. INTRODUCTION

1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 THE ISLANDS
1.3 TOPOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT
1.4 OUTLINE
1.5 THE STUDY

2. METHODS

2.1 THE SURVEY
2.2 OBSERVATION AND RECORDING
2.3 OBSERVATION OF SPECIES ABUNDANCE – CENSUS
2.4 OTHER INFORMATION
2.5 WEATHER – 1998 THE HOTTEST YEAR SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1902

3. RESULTS

3.1. HAWAR, IDENTIFIED AS A MAJOR BREEDING AREA FOR TERNS
3.1.1 WHITE-CHEEKED TERN STERNA REPRESSA MOST NUMEROUS BREEDING TERN
SPECIES
3.1.2 BRIDLED TERNS STERNA ANAETHUS A MAJOR BREEDING SPECIES
3.1.3 UNUSUAL NEST AND EGG
3.1.4 NEW BREEDING SPECIES FOR BAHRAIN: LESSER CRESTED TERN STERNA
BENGALENSIS
3.1.5 POSSIBLE FIRST FOR ARABIA: A COLONY OF CASPIAN TERNS STERNA CASPIA
3.2 BREEDING SITE OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR WESTERN REEF HERON
EGRETTA GULARIS SCHISTACEA
3.3 SOCOTRA CORMORANT PHALACROCORAX NIGROGULARIS NUMBERS IN DECLINE
3.4 SOOTY FALCONS FALCON CONCOLOR THE MOST ENDANGERED OF HAWAR&Mac226;S
BREEDING SPECIES
3.5 OSPREY NEST LOCATED AND BREEDING PAIRS COUNTED
3.6 THE ISLANDS OF THE RUBUD AL GHARBIYAH AND RUBUD ASH SHARQIYAH
OUTSTANDING SITES
3.6.1 1000 GREATER FLAMINGOS PHOENICOPTERUS RUBER WINTERING ON THE RUBUDS
3.6.2 THE RUBUDS A MAJOR WINTERING SITE FOR OVER 7500 SLENDER-BILLED
GULL LARUS GENEI
3.6.3 THE RUBUDS A MAJOR STAGING POST AND WINTERING SITE FOR
THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT WADERS

4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5. REFERENCES

List of Tables

Elevations and Characteristics of Major Island excluding Jazirat Hawar
Surface Area of Islands
Summary of Old Reference Material
Candidates as Potential Breeding Species
Calculation Method of Abundance of Breeding Pairs by Species
Study Results by Island Groups for Breeding Terns Sterna colonies on the Islands of Hawar
Egg Measurements taken during the Study showing the range in axis calculated mean and standard deviation
1994 Numerical estimate of Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis numbers
Numbers of eggs or chicks found in sample nests of Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
Calculated areas (m2) for the Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis Colony
Results of Regression analysis – Area against Nests counted for Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
Contents of Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Caches
Prey remains as found at three Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Nesting Sites –
prey items found in caches and at Pre-breeding feeding stations
Study Results, Breeding Numbers by Island Location – Pairs (P) –
Number of Nests (N)
List of other Breeding Species Recorded

List of Figures

Map of the Hawar Archipelago
Geomorphology Superficial Surface Materials
The Intertidal and Shallow Marine Environment about Hawar
Map of the Middle East indicating major migration routes
A Graph of Breeding Pair Counts from Aerial Assessments against Nest Counts for the White-Cheeked Tern
Location and sizes of main White-Cheeked Tern Sterna repressa
Colonies
Location and size of main Bridled Terns Sterna anaethus Colonies
Location of Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis Colony
The Islands of Bu Sa’adsh a haven for Terns
Location of Caspian Tern Sterna caspia Colony and Isolated nesting Sites
Location of Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis schistacea colonies
Changes in nest Abundance between 1994 &1998 for the Socotra Cormorant
Sketch Map outlining the Survey Data for the Socotra Cormorant colony on Suwad Al Janubiyah
Outline sketch map showing the location, progressive movement and the relative size of colony
Ornithological Chart of Breeding Sensitivity and Feeding Activity
Distribution Map of Osprey Pandion haliaetus Nests
Main Breeding Areas on the Rubuds with tidal feeding areas highlighted

List of Photographic plates by section

Week old Western Reef Heron Chicks
The Coastal scene on Rubud Ash Sharquiyah from the sea and the land
The Island Of Ajirah

Introduction

The stark white cliffs of Umm Hazwarah as seen from Suwad Al Janubiyah
The headland of Ras Suwad
The Low Cliff of One of the Smaller Islands In The Al Hajiyat Group Viewed From The South
The Three Sea Stacks of Wakur Viewed from the North East
The algal flats separating Rubud Ash Sharqiyah and Rubud Al Gharbiyah
In many areas the algal flats form a thin black veneer over the underlying bedrock
Sedimentation in the lee of Ras Suwad The line of cliff marking the old coastline stand proud in the distance
White-Cheeked Sterna repressa Tern in flight
The “Old man of Hawar” the result of wind erosion on Hawar’s’ solitary Jebel
The interior rim rock on the Island of Umm Hazwarah

Methods

The Island of Noon a haven for breeding White-Cheeked Tern Sterna
Repressa
Areas of Beach Rock interspersed with narrow Beaches of blown
sand and shell accumulations
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor identified as breeding on Hawar
Generalised Guide to the Breeding Terns of Hawar

White-Cheeked Terns Sterna Repressa

Adult White-Cheeked Tern
Day Old Chick slightly spotted lies panting in the sun
Typical nesting pattern as found on a hard rocky substrate
Typical nests illustrating the most commonly seen methods of construction and decoration
Typical Nest construction in areas of weed detritus
Adult White-cheeked Tern In flight
Nest constructed in area of weed detritus
Tending the nest
Unidentified Nest and Egg

Bridled Tern Sterna anaethus

Typical example of a Nest inside a small hole in a rock face
Adult Bridled Tern
The discarded shell from a recently hatched egg the only clue to the existence of the nearby nest entrance
Bridled Terns In Flight
Egg of Bridled Tern
One example of the stranger nesting places utilised by Bridled Tern
Head to Wind Adult Bridled Terns roost on an Osprey Nest
Bridled Terns soaring in the thermals above the cliff top of Al Hajiyat
Bridled Terns
Prey and Pedator – Sooty Falcon and Bridled Tern

Lesser Crested Tern Sterna Bengalensis

Lesser Crested Tern gregarious and vocal in a typical calling posture
A small section of the colony standing astride their nests
A small section of the nesting area illustrating the chaotic and rather haphazard approach to nest building
Chicks of varying ages collect in a beachfront crèche Note the leg colour and bill shape on the younger chicks
A crèche of chicks waits patiently on the beach for returning feeding adults. Sentinels stand guard
The well formed guano cusp builds with time The open side indicating the windward side
Head of an Adult

Caspian Terns Sterna caspia

Adult Caspian Terns
Caspian Tern Eggs
Typical nest scrape with newly laid darker egg
Coarsely outlined and decorated nest scrape
Caspian Tern calls out harshly as it passes close overhead
The costal dune on the northern shore of the Lesser Crested Tern breeding island in the Bu Sa’adsh group

Reef Heron Egretta gularis schistacea

Nest of Western Reef Heron
Adult Dark morph Western Reef Heron
Two chicks one recently hatched occupy the shallow cupped nest
Adult Western Reef heron returns to the nest to tend its eggs
Two eggs bluer than this photograph would indicates were the average clutch size observed

Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis

Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis waits for its returning mate
Socotra Cormorant Colony on Suwad Al Janubiyah Viewed from the South Circa 1997
The terrace formed by a low raised beach that traverses the site of the main breeding Colony “A”.
Skeletal remains litter the breeding site
Zooming in on Colony “B” circa 1997
Enlargement taken from a section of Colony „A‰ circa 1997 Note the number of large predatory Gulls visible
Typical nest structures of Socotra Cormorant
Dust covered eggs

Sooty Falcon Falco concolor

Sooty Falcon
Sooty Falcon nesting area on the northern headland of Hazwarah topped by an Osprey Nest
The Sea Stacks oOf Wakur
The locally breeding Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes a major source of food for breeding Sooty Falcons
The northern aspect of one Island in the Al Hajiyat group

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

An osprey nest dominates the evening skyline on Rubud Al Gharbiyah
Not all nests found were immediately obviousan old little used nest on Suwad Ash Shamaliyah
A new Osprey nest takes shape on Suwad Ash Shamaliyah.
Osprey and chicks
Substantial Osprey nest on Rubud Al Gharbiyah
Cliff top nest on Hajiyat
A new Osprey Nest on Suwad Al Shamaliyah
Unusual and large the double Osprey Nest on Suwad Ash Shamaliyah

The Rubuds