26 January 2014

Stonechats in the spray fields – Dhahran Hills

The spray fields have been reasonably quiet in recent weeks but there are always a few Stonechats to see. The trouble is they are often seen at some distance and in poor evening light. Yesterday I saw three stonechats at close range of which two were Common Stonechats, but I saw them very late in the day and was unable to photograph them. I also saw one North Caspian Taxon (NCT) Stonechat at some distance but it kept flying closer and closer to me allowing a few photos, although the light was poor as it was quite late. The stonechats in Dhahran normally stay around until late spring so I hope I can photograph these birds in better light conditions, as the days get longer. The only other birds seen in the spray fields were a couple of Western Cattle Egrets which is a very small percentage of the 121 birds I counted going to roost in the red bed of the settling pond.
North Caspian Taxon (Siberian) Stonechat
North Caspian Taxon (Siberian) Stonechat
North Caspian Taxon (Siberian) Stonechat