BIRDWATCHING IN KUWAIT

Last Friday, my husband I went birding (birdwatching)  to Sulaibhikhat beach area (the bay) near the Sabah Hospital for Maternity. There were seven  different kinds of birds we were able to see - flamingos, crane, sea gulls, swallow, sparrows and two other kinds of birds which I couldn't identify. Flamingos, crane and similar birds are migratory birds that fly thousands of miles. The birds that were in the water including flamingos were standing half a kilometer away from the shore.  You need to have binoculars with you to see them clearly and camera with a reasonably good zoom. The flamingos were in hundreds spread across the bay. The swallows and seagulls were flying around. Birding is a beautiful recreational hobby. If you like being in nature and observing what is around you, birding is an activity you will enjoy and won't know the time fly by.  The weather was really nice too. When the tide comes in, the birds in the water like flamingos, crane and the other birds we couldn't identify fly away and that's really elegant - they way they take off and fly. 

The only problem with that beach is that, it's the dumping ground for some kind of waste (probably industrial) that flows out through this huge pipe directly into the water. The color of the water from the shore to half a kilometer distance is dark grayish-black in color and beyond that, the water is blue. There is a stench in the air because of that. But then, you sort of get used to it, if you are busy watching the birds. I am glad it didn't catch on to my clothes. We saw a few families arrive in their vehicles, lay out mats and food and enjoying a picnic. Personally I would never want to bring any food with me and eat there. Little children were playing with toys and riding their cycles. There were a few people walking for exercise. The children's entertainment park by Ministry of Labor is very close by, beside the walkway.  

Here are some photos I took. The first four photos are taken by my husband using his Nikon professional camera and the rest of the photos are taken by  me with my Nikon point and shoot.