Al-Warsen lakes, UAE

After this afternoons visit to the pivot fields I drove the short distance to Al-Warsen lakes. Duck numbers have now started to build up with over a hundred pochard on the far side together with six ferruginous duck.

A greater spotted eagle flushed from the reeds was noisily mobbed by two purple heron and a marsh harrier. A total of about a dozen female/immature marsh harriers were quartering the reed beds.

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30 Little grebe

150 Cormorant

1 Squacco heron

1 Great white egret

40 Grey heron

3 Purple heron

1 Glossy ibis

2 Gadwall

8 Mallard

2 Shoveler

100 Pochard

6 Ferruginous duck

4 Tufted duck

1 Greater spotted eagle

12 Marsh harrier

6 Grey francolin

10 Moorhen

1 Coot

2 Red-wattled plover

4 Little stint

1 Common snipe

1 Green sandpiper

1 Wood sandpiper

100 Black-headed gull

40 Lesser black-backed gull

1 Whiskered tern

40 Collared dove

20 Laughing dove

1 Little green bee-eater

4 White wagtail

1 Citrine wagtail

10 White-cheeked bulbul

8 Red-vented bulbul

1 Bluethroat

3 Graceful prinia

20 Common myna

Site details - Al-Warsen lakes, UAE

Al-Warsen lakes (formerly known locally as Wimpey Pits) is a complex of lakes covering 25 ha. in the residential development known as International City at 25° 09' 28.87"N, 55° 25' 00.46"E. It is the remnants of a much larger lake system that existed before the housing development was built.

Al-Warsen lakes

It is a prime site for winter ducks and waterbirds and is probably the only site in the UAE to hold purple gallinule. Several raptor species can be found in the winter with marsh harrier the most common. Also there is often a scaly-breasted munia flock in the area.

Recent rarities have included streak-throated swallow and mediterranean gull.

Scaly-breasted munia