Nothing unusual – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Waste Water Lake the last few weeks I have been seeing the same species and not much different. Flyovers include the winter first Crested Honey Buzzard and two Wester Marsh Harriers as well as a few Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawks. Common species such as Common Myna and Rose-ringed Parakeet are seen daily as are House Crow. Birds on or over the lake include good numbers of Pallid Swift and Great Cormorant and increasing numbers of Grey Heron, Western Cattle Egret and Squacco Heron. The maximum number of Gull-billed Tern reached eleven and a single Isabelline Wheatear was seen on the edge of the pond one day. 

Common Kestrel

Common Myna

Common Sandpiper

Great Cormorant

Grey Heron

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Squacco Heron

Squacco Heron

Western Cattle Egret

A few birds – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently I have seen a few interesting birds. Waders have been passing through including Common Greenshank in small numbers and quite a few Common Sandpipers. Black-winged Stilt remains the commonest wader by far, however. Common Myna numbers are increasing with birds most often seen flying over as is the case with Eurasian Collared Dove. The normal species remain on the lake including the Ferruginous Duck but Eurasian Coot and Gull-billed Tern gave good opportunities to take photos of them.

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Common Sandpiper

Common Myna

Common Myna

Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank

Late September at Dhahran Cricket Field

Whilst birding the Dhahran Hills Cricket field at the end of September I saw a few interesting birds. Western Cattle Egrets are back in good numbers and Eurasian Hoopoe numbers have increased significantly with migrant birds joining the local breeding birds. Another species that has been seen in higher-than-normal numbers is Black-winged Stilt with tens of birds on almost all grassy areas in the compound. Resident species seen included Common Myna, Eurasian Collared Dove and Crested Lark. Migrants noted have included Woodchat Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher and Northern Wheatear.

Black-winged Stilt 

Black-winged Stilt 

Black-winged Stilt 

Common Myna

Crested Lark

Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Hoopoe

Eurasian Hoopoe

Spotted Flycatcher

Western Cattle Egret

Western Cattle Egret

Western Cattle Egret

Woodchat Shrike

Yellow Wagtails and more – Dhahran Cricket Field

I have been visiting the cricket field each morning before work and seeing a few interesting birds. The two Whimbrel have been joined by a third bird and two Ruff were also around for a day. Fifty Kentish Plover early one morning was ahigh count for the site. Yellow Wagtail numbers have been high with 75-100 birds present but they are normally only present first thing in the morning and again in the evening when the temperatures are cooler. Resident Common Myna are around in very large numbers as are Eurasian Hoopoe that will include migrants with the resident birds at this time of year. A couple of Grey Heron flew over one day and Gull-billed Terns have been seen flying around on a few occasions.

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Eurasian Hoopoe

Eurasian Hoopoe

Common Myna