22 October 2011

Wheatears - Dammam - Al Khobar Wader Roost South

On Thursday at Dammam - Al Khobar Wader Roost South I got the tide slightly wrong as I only had the very early morning available for birding due to having to get the car serviced and other family commitments. The tide was coming in but was not as far in as I would have liked but there were still quite a few good waders about including three Crab Plover, six Broad-Billed Sandpiper, 20+ Bar-tailed Godwit, eight Eurasian Oystercatcher, four Terek Sandpiper, three Greater Sand Plover and plenty of Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Dunlin, Little Stint and Common Redshank. The waste ground behind the wader roost had a lot of wheatears including three Isabelline Wheatear, eight Pied Wheatear and a single Desert Wheatear. There were probably more than this about but I was limited on time. This wader roost is an excellent site for Crab Plover and I have seen birds here every time I have visited since June. Hopefully birds will remain through the winter but only time will tell.
 Isabelline Wheatear
 Desert Wheatear
Pied Wheatear