Large numbers of Socotra Cormorants - Al Khobar Corniche

An early morning visit to Al Khobar Corniche looking for Large White-headed Gulls failed to turn up many birds, just a few Steppe and Heuglin’s Gulls. There was an increase in the number of Slender-billed Gulls present along the sea front, which was a nice sight. The most impressive sight though was a continuous stream of thousands of Socotra Cormorants, totalling well over ten thousand birds. They were quite a distance offshore and my photographs turned out very badly as they were into the sun. A few Socotra Cormorants were fishing along the near shore but were again difficult to photograph because of the light. Another unusual sight for the cornice was a male Marsh Harrier hunting along a vegetated edge of the seashore. Less of a surprise was a number of House Crows seen feeding in a rubbish bin and along a grass verge.

Socotra Cormorant

Slender-billed Gull

House Crow

House Crow