08 July 2014

Western Osprey & Black-winged Stilt – Dhahran Hills

Although it is the middle of summer and things are quiet on the ‘patch’ I am still going out almost every day. This pays off occasionally and yesterday I found a Western Osprey sitting on a dead tree. The birds normal dead tree that it liked sitting on was blown down in the severe winds we had a month or so ago so it has taken to sitting in the only nearby dead tree close to the pond. Normally they fly off well before you can get close but this bird stayed put and allowed me to get within 50 metres of it. Western Osprey is not that common a sight on the ‘patch’ but they are seen most months and always make a great sight. I am not sure if the birds just rest here or occasionally catch food, as I have never seen then fishing or catching anything in Dhahran Hills. A few Black-winged Stilts are about still with the photos below taken in the wet ditch. This is the first bird of any note I have seen here for almost two months, so let’s hope it is a sign of good things to come in the autumn. Apart from these two species very little else has been seen in the camp in the last few days.
Western Osprey
Western Osprey
Western Osprey
Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt