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

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

Grey-headed Swamphen – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

An early morning trip to Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently produced two Grey-headed Swamphens. This is the first time I have seen the species here in over two years so was a very pleasant surprise. The favoured location for this species is in Jubail and our last visit showed the water levels very low and reed clearance occurring so maybe the birds are moving around trying to find more suitable habitat. It will be interesting to see if the stay or are joined by other birds over the next couple of weeks. There were very few other birds seen with a few Grey Herons and Great Cormorants about the best.

Grey-headed Swamphen

Grey-headed Swamphen

Grey Heron

Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

A few interesting species – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently I have seen a few good species. Two Black-necked Grebes were with the fifty or so Little Grebes and were quite early for this wintering species. Wader numbers are building with up to thirty Black-winged Stilts, seven Common Sandpipers and a single Common Greenshank. Three Eurasian Coot are resident on the lake and five Grey Heron, one Purple Heron, three Squacco Heron and five Little Egrets were in the reed beds and flying around. Duck have just started arriving with six Northern Shoveler flying over and eventually landing on the lake as well as a single Garganey on the lake and several Gull-billed Tern were flying around catching fish.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

Gull-billed Tern

Grey Heron

Eurasian Coot

Black-necked Grebe

Black-winged Stilt

Black-necked Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

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