23 March 2016

Last remaining Western Cattle Egrets – Dhahran Hills

The number of Western Cattle Egrets around the camp seems to dropping from a high point of over 100 birds with many of the birds coming into full breeding plumages. Good views can still be had of the birds as they feed along the roadside grass verges finding insects in the soft ground after the grass has been watered. It was previously a scarce species in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia but since the 2000’s good numbers of birds were seen that have increased to toady’s numbers slowly over the last ten years. In the evening birds move to trees to spend the night in relative safety and then move back to the grass verges at first light to continue feeding.