Birds of Saudi Arabia: Little Egret

Showing posts with label Little Egret. Show all posts

25 May 2024

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 Egret

Little Egret

19 April 2024

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

Purple Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron - juvenile

Great Egret

Grey Heron

31 January 2024

Pallid Swift – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

An early morning trip to Dhahran Waste Water Lake in January produced a few good birds including the Red-wattled Lapwings still present. The lake still held two Tufted Duck and a small number of Great Cormorant, although significantly less than last year. Egrets and herons included two Squacco Heron, one Great Egret, thee Little Egret and ten Grey Heron. Several Daurian Shrikes are wintering at the location and the Pied Kingfisher was also seen in flight, hovering, and perched briefly. A small number of Pallid Swift are still around, dropping down occasionally to drink from the lake. Graceful Prinia are now singing again, with males calling from a lot of different locations. This species has increased significantly in numbers over the last ten years and is now a common sight when out at any time of year. Another species that is singing commonly around the lake is the Crested Lark, a common resident breeder.

Pallid Swift

Crested Lark

Creat Cormorant

Little Egret

Tufted Duck

25 January 2024

Some good birds – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Dhahran Waste Water Lake has had some good birds on and around it recently. A recent visit produced the same Pied Kingfisher as seen the week before, initially seen in flight flying up the lake but eventually seen well on its favoured perch of the dead tree. A very noisy Red-wattled Lapwing was busy chasing off the wintering Western Marsh Harrier and the Indian Roller was still about although not photographable this time. Herons included two Great Egrets, ten Grey Herons, three Western Cattle Egrets and two Little Egrets. A couple of Daurian Shrike were in the scrubby area as were plenty of singing Graceful Prinia, a White Wagtail and a single Common Chiffchaff. A few Pallid Swift were overhead as were several Rose-ringed Parakeets. The only wader seen was a single Common Sandpiper. The three Tufted Duck are still present for their second month.

Little Egret

Great Egret

Graceful Prinia

Tufted Duck

Pied Kingfisher

White Wagtail

White Wagtail

14 November 2023

Good numbers of birds of prey - Jubail

My recent trip to Jubail produced good numbers of birds of prey. We saw fifteen Greater Spotted Eagles, one Steppe Eagle and an immature Eastern Imperial Eagle. Well over twenty Western Marsh Harriers were present with at least two immature males amongst the female birds seen. One Common Kestrel, one Osprey, at least three Eurasian Sparrowhawks, three Crested Honey Buzzards and a male Pallid Harrier were also seen. Migrants remained low in. numbers with a few Daurian Shrikes, one Turkestan Shrike, many Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and White Wagtails, a single Desert Wheatear and two Tree Pipits. Greater Flamingo and Great Egret numbers have increased markedly over the last couple of weeks with Great Egrets now numbering over a hundred birds with more Great Egrets than Little Egrets.

Little Egret

Greater Spotted Eagle

Little Egret

Tree Pipit

01 November 2023

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.