A mix of winter visitors and migrants – Sabkhat Al Fasl

I went birding to Sabkhat Al Fasl as it was too windy for ringing and although we did not see anything out of the ordinary we did see a good mix of winter visitors and migrants. Winter visitors included Greater Spotted Eagles, Common Kingfishers, European Stonechats (although this bird may have been an early migrant) and Red-spotted Bluethroats. Other winter birds included Great Cormorant and Pied Avocet. Most of these birds will be feeding up now to get ready for their long migrations north to their breeding grounds. Migrants included Yellow Wagtail, Barn Swallow and Little Ringed Plover all of which are early migrants through the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. One Barn Swallow had very rufous underparts suggesting it may have been a different subspecies to the ones we normally get. A few of the resident species were also seen with good numbers of Purple Swamphens and Little Grebes in particular. 

Greater Spotted Eagle

Common Kingfisher - male

Red-spotted Bluethroat

Yellow Wagtail

Little Ringed Plover

Barn Swallow

Great Cormorant

Pied Avocet

Purple Swamphen

Little Grebe

Little Grebe