A few good birds – Dhahran Hills

Migration is continuing and a few more birds have been passing through the last few days. Migrants have included Red-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, a good number of Pallid Swifts, Red-throated Pipit, Eurasian Hoopoe, small flocks of Black-headed Wagtails, large numbers of White Wagtails, Turkestan Shrike, Daurian Shrike, two Woodchat Shrikes and a Song Thrush. The Great Crested Grebe has returned to the percolation pond after being missing for a few weeks, but the only other birds seen there are Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coots and Little Grebes. There are still plenty of Greater Cormorants, 59 Western Cattle Egrets and a single Little Egret. A fly over Common Redshank and several Kentish Plover on the football fields were new birds in as were a Little Ringed Plover, Common Snipe and a Grey Wagtail in the wet ditch. The percolation pond has an area of low reeds and one evening there was a Baillon’s Crake and a Little Crake close together feeding out in the open for some minutes in the late evening. Two Savi’s Warblers were singing from different corners of the pond.

Black-headed Wagtail - feldegg

White Wagtail

Woodchat Shrike

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe