13 September 2012

Tree Pipit - Dhahran Hills

One or two migrants are still struggling through Dhahran Hills with the first Tree Pipit of the autumn for me seen in the trees beside the percolation pond. Other good birds on the pond included a Common Greenshank flying over calling, a Gull-billed Tern briefly catching frogs, three Western Cattle Egrets, one Purple Heron hiding in the reeds and 19 Northern Shoveller. A few Clamorous Reed Warblers were in the reeds and two Spotted lycatchers nearby to the Tree Pipit. The spray fields remains quite with just two Isabelline WHeatears and a few Namaqua Doves. The drainage dtch still has the Common Ringed Plover without the foot plus a fully healty one, five Little Stints, two juvenile Kentish Plovers and a three Green Sandpipers. The only bird of interest in the scrubby desert area was a Turkestan Shrike, which are much commoner than Daurian Shrikes at this time of year in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
Turkestan Shrike



Turkestan Shrike


Kentish Plover


Kentish Plover