Bird numbers remain quite low this autumn but there are now
several different species of migrants about the camp. The percolation pond
still has 23 Ferruginous Ducks, the highest count ever for the ‘patch’ but they
remain distant unless they fly around after being disturbed when they, with
luck, fly overhead as was the case last night. The pond also had good numbers
of waders with four Common Greenshank, 25 Little Stints, one Marsh Sandpiper,
three Wood Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers and a Ruff. The settling pond had a
few different waders with four Common Snipe and several Ruff and Wood
Sandpipers. The Wet ditch also had a few waders with single Temminck’s Stint,
Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper. Other migrants around the
spray fields and scrubby desert included several Ortolan Buntings, 25+ Sand
Martins, seven Barn Swallows, one Isabelline Wheatear and a Southern Grey
Shrike. Just as it was getting dark and I was about to leave, a commotion in the
spray fields caught my attention and a female/immature Pallid Harrier flew
through chasing a few birds on the way., a nice way to end the evenings
birding.
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| Ferruginous Duck |
 |
| Wood Sandpiper |
 |
| Little Stint |
 |
| Temminck's Stint |
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| Sand Martin |
 |
| Arabian Grey Shrike |
