13 December 2012

Heuglin's & Steppe Gull – Dhahran Camp


Birding has been quite good over the last few days on the ‘patch’ with good numbers of Large White-headed Gulls (LWHG) flying over. Most are Steppe Gulls with a few Heuglin’s Gulls associated with them. Unfortunately they are not currently stopping at the percolation pond to bath at present. Birds on the pond included 137 Mallards, six Eurasian Wigeon and five Gadwall along with the Great Crested Grebe. The spray fields had a Corn Bunting and plenty of Water Pipits and at least one Greater Spotted Eagle is still about. The settling pond had the normal waders but a new Temminck’s Stint was nice to see, the Marsh Sandpiper had returned after being absent for a week and Green Sandpipers had increased to five.
Steppe Gull
Heuglin's Gull