Herons – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding at Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently I sat down and took a few photos of the Herons that were around. I saw my first returning Black-crowned Night Herons as well as ten plus Grey Herons. Some Grey Herons spent the summer here but this is the time for migrant birds as well. Little Egrets and Western Reef Herons were around in small numbers and a single Purple Heron was also seen.

Western Reef Heron

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Western Reef Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - Juvenile

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron - Juvenile

A few waterbirds – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Birding the lake has been a bit hard work recently with few birds to be seen and to good ones, not allowing photographs. The best birds in May were a single Corn Crake flushed from the edge of a small wet area and a flyover male Ruppell’s Weaver. Some of the local waterbirds were more photogenic with a number of them in moult as can be seen from some of the photos below. Numbers are dropping but there are still plenty of herons and egrets to see.

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - juvenile

Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Great Egret

Great Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Heron numbers building – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The number and type of herons at the Dhahran Waste Water Lake have been building up the last few weeks. New species seen include a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron and three Purple Herons, the first ones for a few months. Great Egrets have increased to almost double figures and twelve Grey Heron was the high count. A dark phase Western Reef Heron was an unusual sighting with Little Egrets less unusual. Squacco Heron numbers are also steadily on the increase again almost reaching double figures.

Western Reef Heron - dark phase

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Purple Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron - juvenile

Black-crowned Night Heron - juvenile

Great Egret

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

A good number of passing Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birdwatching at the Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently I have been seeing a good number of passing Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Many have been grounded by the humid conditions and fog, sitting on the overhead power lines. Otherwise the same species of herons remain with only five Black-crowned Night Heron seen now and a single Purple Heron. Grey Heron numbers are still over ten birds and several Squacco Herons remain with about the same number of Little Egrets. Three Ferruginous Duck still remain and a couple of Eurasian Coot. Waders were only a single Common Greenshank and a pair of Black-winged Stilt. A single Daurian Shrike was the best migrant I could find in the scrubby areas.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Eurasian Coot

Ferruginous Duck

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Squacco Heron

Little Egret

Squacco Heron

Little Egret

Squacco Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult & juvenile

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult

Black-crowned Night Heron – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Dhahran Waste Water Lake over the last couple of weeks I have been seeing good number of Black-crowned Night Heron. They feed along the waters edge and are almost always on the far side of the lake, but occasionally fly around and give some opportunities to photograph them. There are about equal numbers of juveniles and adults and they often also associate with the local Squacco Herons. A single Great Egret is also always present along with up to ten Grey Herons. The Purple Herons that I was seeing in the summer, appear to have moved off though.