22 November 2014

Still plenty of duck on the percolation pond – Dhahran Hills

Birding the ‘patch’ the last week has been livened up by the number of duck on the percolation pond. Construction work in the area has prevented many people walking their dogs and driving their bikes around the area of the pond and as a result the number of duck has increased significantly. High counts include 45 Common Pochards, 110 Northern Shovelers, seven Mallards, three Gadwalls, four Tufted Ducks, ten Ferruginous Ducks and six Eurasian Teal. The Black-necked Grebe found the previous week was still present and five Little Egrets and forty Western Cattle Egrets were also using the pond to roost in. Numbers of Great Cormorants have also built up in recent days and now over twenty are using the pond in the evening. Other interesting birds around the pond have included Bluethroat, Water Pipits, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Indian Reed Warblers and Common Chiffchaff.
Common Pochard
Mallard
Black-necked Grebe
Black-necked Grebe