One day’s Birding in Tunisia
8 September 2018 ( P.G, from U.K )
We set off around 06:30 and headed NNW towards Ichkeul. Mohamed El Golli was my excellent and highly recommendable guide for my day’s birding outside the capital. Stopping first at an oxbow lake at Pont de Bizerte, as well as a nearby drainage ditch. We dipped on the expected Mottled and Ferruginous ducks, probably because the water level was too low. My first lifer came in the form of African blue tit, which we saw at the drainage ditch site, along with a bunch of other species, including abundant Great grey shrikes (said by some authors to be Iberian grey), a kingfisher, a Purple swamphen and lots of Zitting cisticolas.
Approaching Ichkeul we spotted a soaring raptor which turned out to be a Booted eagle. There were Greater flamingoes on the Ichkeul lake and several Rufous-tailed scrub-robins in the fields and ditches nearby. The park entrance provided several soaring Short-toed snake-eagles, and Omar managed to coax a reluctant Isabelline warbler out of hiding in the bushes. But Moussier’s redstart proved much more difficult (probably because of the season). We only had brief views of a female, while the much lovelier male failed to show up. Black wheatears were also found around here.
At the dam lake we caught up with White-headed and Ferruginous ducks, as well as a single Purple heron and a fairly large flock of (mostly immature-plumaged) Collared pratincoles. The site for the Maghreb green woodpecker is a grove of eucalyptus trees. Although it took a while for it to appear, we eventually had reasonable views as it (or maybe there were two?) flew rapidly back and forth.
The remaining raptors on the list were mostly spotted flying over the road or perched on electricity pylons. Outstanding was the very nice-looking Long-legged buzzard, which was kind enough to fly down from its perch on a pylon so we could see it on the ground.
——————————————————————————————————————————————-White-headed duck 3-4 on Guinin dam lake
Ferruginous duck 3-4 on Guinin dam lake
Mallard 1 (?or more) Guinin dam lake
Greater flamingo Flock on Ichkeul lake
Rock dove Common in Tunis
Eurasian collared dove Two seen at Carthage ruins
Laughing dove Common everywhere, even at airport
Little swift One seen over Belvedere park
Common swift Flocks seen in Tunis and elsewhere
Purple swamphen One at Pont de Bizerte, another at Zhana drainage ditch
Common moorhen Several at Pont de Bizerte
Common coot Abundant at Guinan dam lake
Cattle egret Flock of about 25 at Tunis airport
Grey heron Flock of over a dozen at Guinan dam lake
Purple heron One at Guinan dam lake
Little egret The commonest egret
Green sandpiper Several at Pont de Bizerte and at Guinan
Common greenshank One at Guinan
Collared pratincole Flock of about 20 at Guinan, mostly sub-adult
unid. larus sp Prob. Lesser black-back, Carthage ruins, one adult one juv.
Black-winged kite three seen from car on return journey to Tunis
European honey-buzzard One flying over, near where kites were seen
Short-toed snake-eagle Several soaring over entrance to Ichkeul nat. park
Booted eagle One seen soaring near Menzel Bourguiba
Western marsh-harrier Two at Ichkeul. Also seen at Guinan
Long-legged buzzard One perched on electricity pole, (Location?)Common hoopoe One at Ichkeul. Feather found at Carthage ruins
European bee-eater Common at several locations
Common kingfisher One at drainage ditch (Zhana) near Pont de Bizerte
Maghreb green woodpecker One (two?) in eucalyptus grove
Lesser kestrel Two on roadside electricity tower
Common kestrel Widespread & abundant, often in flocks
Gt grey shrike Widespread. Some authorities say it is Iberian
Common raven Two at Ichkeul
African blue tit Widespread
Great tit 1 seen on edge of its range at Maghreb woodpecker site
Crested lark Seen at several locations, from car
Zitting cisticola Common in wetlands
Isabelline warbler One seen at Ichkeul park
Common reed warbler Pont de Bizerte. This is the african subspecies
N house martin A couple with swallows over Belvedere park
Barn swallow Widespread and abundant
Common bulbul Several locations, incl. Belvedere park
unid. phylloscopus sp. Prob. Chiffchaff. At Carthage ruins
Sardinian warbler Widespread, incl. Belvedere park
Common whitethroat Two at Carthage ruins (Roman villas site)
Short-toed treecreeper One at Maghreb woodpecker site
Spotless starling Widespread and abundant
Eurasian blackbird Belvedere park and Carthage ruins
Rufous-tailed scrub-robin Several at Ichkeul
Spotted flycatcher Widespread and abundant
European robin One early migrant at Belvedere park
Moussier’s redstart One female seen poorly at Ichkeul
Common stonechat Seen at several locations, incl. Ichkeul
Northern wheatear Six or seven at Carthage ruins (Roman villas)Black wheatear Several at Ichkeul
Spanish sparrow Widespread and abundant
(‘Italian sparrow’) Birds that look like Italian sparrow are hybrids
Western yellow wagtail Ichkeul and Guinin. One adult had black cap (feldegg?)
Common chaffinch Belvedere park and other locations (africana)
European greenfinch Belvedere park, Ichkeul and other sites
European serin A pair in Belvedere park
Ferruginous duck 3-4 on Guinin dam lake
Mallard 1 (?or more) Guinin dam lake
Greater flamingo Flock on Ichkeul lake
Rock dove Common in Tunis
Eurasian collared dove Two seen at Carthage ruins
Laughing dove Common everywhere, even at airport
Little swift One seen over Belvedere park
Common swift Flocks seen in Tunis and elsewhere
Purple swamphen One at Pont de Bizerte, another at Zhana drainage ditch
Common moorhen Several at Pont de Bizerte
Common coot Abundant at Guinan dam lake
Cattle egret Flock of about 25 at Tunis airport
Grey heron Flock of over a dozen at Guinan dam lake
Purple heron One at Guinan dam lake
Little egret The commonest egret
Green sandpiper Several at Pont de Bizerte and at Guinan
Common greenshank One at Guinan
Collared pratincole Flock of about 20 at Guinan, mostly sub-adult
unid. larus sp Prob. Lesser black-back, Carthage ruins, one adult one juv.
Black-winged kite three seen from car on return journey to Tunis
European honey-buzzard One flying over, near where kites were seen
Short-toed snake-eagle Several soaring over entrance to Ichkeul nat. park
Booted eagle One seen soaring near Menzel Bourguiba
Western marsh-harrier Two at Ichkeul. Also seen at Guinan
Long-legged buzzard One perched on electricity pole, (Location?)Common hoopoe One at Ichkeul. Feather found at Carthage ruins
European bee-eater Common at several locations
Common kingfisher One at drainage ditch (Zhana) near Pont de Bizerte
Maghreb green woodpecker One (two?) in eucalyptus grove
Lesser kestrel Two on roadside electricity tower
Common kestrel Widespread & abundant, often in flocks
Gt grey shrike Widespread. Some authorities say it is Iberian
Common raven Two at Ichkeul
African blue tit Widespread
Great tit 1 seen on edge of its range at Maghreb woodpecker site
Crested lark Seen at several locations, from car
Zitting cisticola Common in wetlands
Isabelline warbler One seen at Ichkeul park
Common reed warbler Pont de Bizerte. This is the african subspecies
N house martin A couple with swallows over Belvedere park
Barn swallow Widespread and abundant
Common bulbul Several locations, incl. Belvedere park
unid. phylloscopus sp. Prob. Chiffchaff. At Carthage ruins
Sardinian warbler Widespread, incl. Belvedere park
Common whitethroat Two at Carthage ruins (Roman villas site)
Short-toed treecreeper One at Maghreb woodpecker site
Spotless starling Widespread and abundant
Eurasian blackbird Belvedere park and Carthage ruins
Rufous-tailed scrub-robin Several at Ichkeul
Spotted flycatcher Widespread and abundant
European robin One early migrant at Belvedere park
Moussier’s redstart One female seen poorly at Ichkeul
Common stonechat Seen at several locations, incl. Ichkeul
Northern wheatear Six or seven at Carthage ruins (Roman villas)Black wheatear Several at Ichkeul
Spanish sparrow Widespread and abundant
(‘Italian sparrow’) Birds that look like Italian sparrow are hybrids
Western yellow wagtail Ichkeul and Guinin. One adult had black cap (feldegg?)
Common chaffinch Belvedere park and other locations (africana)
European greenfinch Belvedere park, Ichkeul and other sites
European serin A pair in Belvedere park
Birdwatching Tunisia 