Winter birding – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The Waste Water Lake in Dhahran has now started to get some regular winter species. The land around the lake is well vegetated but has been seriously lacking birds in the last couple of months. Now a few wintering species are turning up with Bluethroat and Daurian Shrike seen on every visit. Indian Silverbill are busy collecting nesting material and Graceful Prinia are singing loudly again after being quiet for a few months. Two Western Marsh Harrier are using the reeds for resting in and a minimum of three Eastern Stonechat are around, all in one small area with the regular Eurasian Sparrowhawk busy trying to catch any of the unwary birds. The lake itself has a few water birds with a juvenile Purple Heron, Western Cattle Egrets and Western Great Egret present. A few Gull-billed Tern are still present and Common Black-headed Gull drop in in very small numbers each day. Eurasian Collared Dove are again common in the area after reducing in number during the summer months.

Daurian Shrike

Eastern Stonechat

Eastern Stonechat

Eastern Stonechat

Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Purple Heron

Western Cattle Egret

Western Cattle Egret

Western Great Egret

Western Great Egret

Western Great Egret

Western Marsh Harrier

Summer at the Lake – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The summer in Saudi Arabia is very hot with few birds about. The Waste Water Lake in Dhahran has many fewer birds than the other seasons but birds can still be seen if you stick at it. A few Pallid Swift are flying around, often dropping down to to the water to drink or wet their breast feathers. Graceful Prinia, European Reed Warbler and Clamorous Reed Warbler are the only warblers seen recently all of which are calling loudly from the reeds. Herons are still present about in ones or twos with Great Egret, Squacco Heron, Grey Heron, Little Egret and Purple Heron all seen along with the more common (now) Little Bittern. Common species seen regularly in the scrub and around the lake include White-eared Bulbul and House Crow.

Graceful Prinia

Great Egret

House Crow

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Purple Heron

Squacco Heron

White-eared Bulbul

Still lots of Purple Heron - Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The Waste Water Lake at Dhahran is still holding a lot of Purple Heron with well over ten birds seen each trip. At one stage I saw ten in flight together with others in the reeds and waters edge so I suspect at least 15 birds are present which is a very large count for Dhahran. The birds are often seen flying around and sometimes come overhead allowing good photos to be taken of them. The light has to be in the right position to get the birds with no shadows on them but the last few days I have managed to get a few photos showing the underwing nicely. They are the commonest heron now at the lake even outnumbering Grey Heron.

Influx of Purple Heron – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding Dhahran Waste Water Treatment Lake during the last couple of weeks I have been seeing one or two Purple Herons with the larger number of Grey Heron and Great Egrets. The last visit, there was a marked increase in number of Purple Heron with a minimum of seven birds seen, but possibly many more. It has a status in Saudi Arabia as a rare breeding resident, common passage migrant & uncommon winter visitor. Most birds are seen on spring migration during late March to early May. In the Eastern Province it is a locally common passage migrant and winter visitor seen from August through April with the majority in the coastal zone. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia it is a common migrant and winter visitor to all coasts and coastal wetlands and occurs inland in areas such as Riyadh and Tabuk. This species appears to have started to colonize the Eastern Province with birds regularly seen in the summer months now, including once at Jubail with a juvenile nearby.

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