Bahrain birds and oppression

Today, from Bahrain not just, again, bad news on human rights violations.

This is a bluethroat video.

Also good news about birds mixed mith bad news about pollution; from Birds of Saudi Arabia (with bird photos there):

9 Jan 2012

Bahrain – Ringing at Alba Marsh

I went ringing again last Friday in Bahrain with Brendan and Nicole. This was our first ringing trip for three weeks but unfortunately the marsh is still in a polluted state with even more of the reed beds dead than when we last visited in early December 2011. Brendan has reported the pollution to the relevant authorities who will, hopefully, sort the matter out.

We set three 18 metre four panel mist nets and two single panel nets one 12 metres long and one short five metre one. We started ringing just after first light and things were quite slow to start with but picked up over the mornings ringing session allowing us to eventually catch 20 birds including four re-traps, three of which were caught in the first four birds trapped including a re-trapped Water Pipit (A. s. coutelli) which is only the second one re-trapped in Bahrain.

We only caught four species of bird, Bluethroat, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Graceful Prinia and Water Pipit and had a re-trap of each species. All the re-traps were ringed at the same site in November 2011 showing that the birds spend the winter at the same site. I am not sure if the pollution has reduced the number of birds at this site as there appeared to be a lot of birds about but they were mainly Water Pipit and Bluethroat with Bluethroats being numerous and all the birds caught being second calendar year birds (birds born last summer) and the majority of them being males.

Britain: [Royal Countess] Sophie won’t give back her tainted jewels gifted by bloody Bahrain, says Palace: here.

Bahraini diamonds not a girl’s best friend: here.

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