Birding the football and cricket fields in Dhahran Hills recently produced more than twenty Water Pipits. This species is a common winter visitor occurring from October until April, but they are mainly seen next to large water bodies. I recently saw some on grass fields in Deffi Park and these were happily feeding on the short grass of the football fields. As I could drive the car close to the pitch, I was able to get close to one bird as it moved from the centre of the field to the field edge. The light was a bit harsh, but I managed one good photo. Also feeding on the field were several Western Cattle Egret, which are also a common winter visitor like the Water Pipit and a single Eurasian Curlew a much less common visitor to the camp although common on the coast. The Curlew was busy pulling large black grubs from the soft ground but remained at quite a distance.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbarfKfpcwG85ZqrIEZglIlG-rU4iY1VRC6FCzqNkKTSTnLdPHBBBrU9ydehimaexXp8sG53HoScCrUE-8F22XQZ_9zSohnhjClvpnFjlzkU7xHcpTGIi1biqLcZ4FjHmGOG6zIC5c7Gnv6px63zc15dDkKZiv-1ZkxbCrHL0t30SLs_j2899N2g8oQ/s16000/Water_Pipit2.jpg) |
Water Pipit |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNvIjr9f6bB1UFh4VOdvLjXJ49gylShHjOHLNZBCnLiYtUqv27rirM7bBV79lX6ah_RhNjwtNWpkBKyujFYO7lNte2O2PLXIYPh2zhoLRRW23Osw-1JkBJa9Iiv_objcEOpYT8re1YW-JsijNTBCdYGt8MyZ0DfAahs9aCWjoL3v0soI1BpMabCrSUg/s16000/Water_Pipit1.jpg) |
Water Pipit |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJS_5jEO3Rc1Dhr5nYMEFdGazmLWlsjqrbpncmn49zmtakGKpeVuRCErmcRjANQzeaQcBCmflk7R5iWFJ0aU49WhDsBkOy1CN61PqXV82tRIq4Hj0DA1-KjKbZjumxVkL4wne2JBnc_re5asip9dQ00V2-qfrLJq61xpb1GwDh2XqLEajQ-0KI8jCQhg/s16000/Eurasian_Curlew1.jpg) |
Eurasian Curlew |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39Fq3uXnsmVBy_Ghg1Cw-htCiJuFu73n4U_jd_qVzIIucj3oDNiR9-YCCsyGW1Y5vAyT_ffjqlKLuPVpuEMlNaQvA5GR1ye79jdwgRfZUpNL5N3mekP-ynl9Yiox9OP-e0hPGlgVGPejs-U_FUSC3HTD_2WeogMT-ptOHWDErj2Hivavgs7SgfNFefA/s16000/Eurasian_Curlew2.jpg) |
Eurasian Curlew |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFemzuy9BaLFKxpbGNyA1X-uYHnhOED8bumpBs8n_eW_KfN8kZtv2XkZKAL2UoNftGRDOovXYmOR6bAlMOTk9Ly9g5c4nfeLsUNRIRpDxTPYTx6A9rX1Db0hOrgbBETZQ8Xyc1AToJ6ij8IPOTTQJ9eqw4QQalVLZP03TTjrTIvoUHhOrAg-X8EuS2oA/s16000/Western_Cattle_Egret1.jpg) |
Western Cattle Egret |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa67iAjZGQqlnpRhfo7Xs5mNRf7CxZyJrTXanAjcmDuKcAl3G_jySSaTcdD5z--2lT_b_ABeSfqsy3sB8_4PQm_oaskAITwKRizTIpxcd384HOYDHeNRwiUwl65SI53JRhWGLx9BlvSgIPXC8r_2y_oGo_Kqdgf0wb6-UlDNimIs81b4sUhPK_Yn5EQ/s16000/Western_Cattle_Egret2.jpg) |
Western Cattle Egret |