Large flock of Red-rumped Swallows - Dhahran Hills

Yesterday on the 'patch' the large numbers of warblers seen two days before had mainly passed on with only three Common Chiffchaff left out of over 100 birds. Bird numbers were much lower but a large flock of Red-rumped swallows totalling over 70 birds was seen hunting the mosquitoes around the pond. With this flock were a similar number of Plaid Swifts and 20+ House Martins and a single Barn Swallow. The pond itself still had the four Common Pochards from two days previously but they had been joined by four more birds making a good total of eight birds.

 Red-rumped Swallow

Red-rumped Swallow

A walk around the spray fields was a wet affair as the wind was blowing spray all over the place, but allowed me a photograph of a rainbow created from the spray. The spray fields were being watered and a large lake had formed which was a favourite place for the Cattle Egrets to feed with a total of 79 birds present. Three Song Thrushes, six Tawny Pipits and a Siberian Stonechat were the only passerines of note in the fields. On the edge were a good number of Wheatears with the first two female Pied Wheatears of the year being seen along with a male Desert Wheatear and six Isabelline Wheatears showing some passage was happening. A common Kestrel was hunting over the fields and a Green Sandpiper was on a flooded pool.

Rainbow at the Spray Fields