21 September 2014

Plenty of Terns – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Last weekend there were plenty of terns still around. Some of these birds are summer breeders, others passage migrants and others still residents. The most numerous of the terns were White-cheeked Terns that are summer visitors and breed on the offshore Arabian Gulf coral islands. Most of the birds that remain are juveniles although a few adults are also still present. Most of these birds will have departed in the next couple of weeks to their wintering areas to the southwest of Saudi Arabia. At least six White-winged Terns were also present including two moulting adults and four juveniles. Sabkhat Al Fasl is probably the best place in the Eastern Province for finding this migrant species and occasionally good views can be obtained. Gull-billed and Caspian Terns are resident and are also still around in good numbers mainly on the flooded Sabkha area as are plenty of Little Terns.
White-cheeked Tern
White-cheeked Tern
White-cheeked Tern
White-cheeked Tern
White-cheeked Tern
White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern
Gull-billed Tern