There have been a few interesting birds around the camp in
the last week with probably the best being a male Eastern Black Redstart seen
along the edge of the golf course. The Red-tailed Wheatear is still present in
the same place and may be set to stay the winter. The first Song Thrush of the
winter was seen from my office window 8 December with a Lesser Whitethroat in
the same area feeding on fallen dates. Song Thrush can be common or scarce in
the camp depending on the year, with 2010-2011 being a good winter and the last
two years being poor. Western Cattle Egret numbers have now reached over 70
birds and all are roosting in a very small reed-bed on the settling pond and
the main percolation pond is still dry and all the reeds removed. The settling pond has a few Common moorhens
and two Eurasian Coots as well as a number of waders including three Common
Snipe, one Green Sandpiper and seven Ruff. The spray fields are wet at the
moment and are holing a small flock of up to ten Eurasian Skylarks, a similar number
of meadow Pipits, three Tawny Pipits, 75+ Water Pipits and 50+ White Wagtails. A
Siberian Stonechat was in the fields with other birds seen including a female
Desert Wheatear on the scrubby desert area and two Eurasian Sparrowhawks flying
about over the general area.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOy4aQWhPWGAkXVaDq6q_C5-y7PhuUY4nCa5a66hMvuvv4-o87NkEVUGAlTCEC12kwTyTHJTWGBAeEq-4hMlCzliLdKBaWN8U9bTVKxDNDS-kbh7ysP1t7DTXtUvB8EfM9pKxuHxRS1g/s1600/Water_Pipit.jpg) |
Water Pipit |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1h9W6d0MdfTzg9P-A9vG4hMtxF66E5Iu_WHspERVEdtoEmfLKCNEiui-nvxcgPeDqZB1CzK3Ll51JBer4BLGW6iNw2oggFN_9v4WqD-M3hKRGgipbg3wImNxMHNOYsRVYSRt-zlzPQ0/s1600/Water_Pipit1.jpg) |
Water Pipit |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49JdRgIqm3s8UtxKiY6eN0kdIGTxt8RWsOkAerFQoQswAIHIxn72YEcRKMdmh6uPyrBATl9MZjsoMctUKG4EOManVJtGwwjthidOFDu9y6Dv-XgPKJAr7twMGzxXZZYw0fLQAD3Ha1d8/s1600/White_Wagtail.jpg) |
White Wagtail |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCneRQ_iqP6_J0f-2pJ9Tzo5KwU6caaKEaMzTZKLzKiUF0aReVNqQB3KnKSejgx2lmEtFqbcMVXhKiNBECFNnTP0stJYdsBbTfk79xVTc0rzS75DVaMyZNRAkdLG4LNVgkc3QVJb5bp0/s1600/Siberian_Stonechat.jpg) |
Siberian Stonechat |