10 May 2013

White-cheeked Terns Displaying – Sabkhat Al Fasl


Whilst at Sabkhat Al Fasl I found a pair of White-cheeked Terns on a wet pool formed by the recent heavy rainfall. The birds were sitting together so I decided to try to photograph them. The light was not great as they were slightly into the sun but as I was taking pictures they started to display to each other and I got a series of pictures to show this occurrence. White-cheeked Terns breed on the offshore islands of the Arabian Gulf in quite large numbers but are just returning from their wintering grounds. They are obviously starting to refresh their bonds as birds mate for life. White-cheeked Tern has a restricted range and the offshore islands of the Arabian Gulf form a very important breeding area for the species.