Just had 10 days on Kuramathi - not far from Male. Not a birding trip. I wasn't expecting a great deal but was surprised!
Residents
Asian Koel - noisy but elusive. Spend most of their time in the tree tops. Seen every day House Crows - always a couple about Grey Herons - most confiding birds that would let you get within 2-3 feet for photos. Maybe double figure individual around the island. White-breasted waterhen - national bird of the Maldives. Skulking and elusive in the undergrowth
Waders
Greater Sand Plover (seen once) and Common Sandpiper (most days a couple of individuals)
Terns
The island has a sandbank that there were c. 100+ terns on. Black-Naped Terns were the most common, Bridled Tern, Saunders Tern and White Tern were all seen. A couple of Lesser Noddys associating with the terns. Others
Bird of the holiday was a Yellow Bittern which I saw 3 or 4 times
All but the common sandpiper and grey heron were lifers!!
Residents
Asian Koel - noisy but elusive. Spend most of their time in the tree tops. Seen every day
House Crows - always a couple about
Grey Herons - most confiding birds that would let you get within 2-3 feet for photos. Maybe double figure individual around the island.
White-breasted waterhen - national bird of the Maldives. Skulking and elusive in the undergrowth
Waders
Greater Sand Plover (seen once) and Common Sandpiper (most days a couple of individuals)
Terns
The island has a sandbank that there were c. 100+ terns on. Black-Naped Terns were the most common, Bridled Tern, Saunders Tern and White Tern were all seen.
A couple of Lesser Noddys associating with the terns.
Others
Bird of the holiday was a Yellow Bittern which I saw 3 or 4 times
All but the common sandpiper and grey heron were lifers!!