Waders on the Cricket Field – Dhahran

Waders are still feeding on the Cricket Field at Dhahran with the regular three Whimbrel seen every day with these birds unable to get used to the people who use the field and fly well before anyone get close to them. Kentish Plover numbers vary from several individuals to over fifty, with the large numbers presumably migrants. A Lesser Sand Plover was present for a single day and ruff occasionally drop in and stay for a couple of days before moving off. Three Little Stint were also present on one day as was a Common Snipe. Yellow Wagtail were around in good numbers still but much reduced from the hundreds of previous weeks.

Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover

Ruff

Ruff

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Ruff – Dhahran Football Fields

I visited the fields in Aramco Dhahran compound in late September and located at least three Ruff Philomachus pugnax feeding on the grass. These birds were very confiding as I could get the car close to the edge on the fields. The Ruff is a common migrant and uncommon winter visitor with high counts for the Eastern Province being several hundred. In the Eastern Province they are often common on pools inland and recorded in all months but mostly in September to March. The grassy fields available in Aramco are very valuable habitats for this species with birds seen every year in the spring and autumn.

Birds on Dhahran Cricket Field – Dhahran Hills

Whilst birding Dhahran Cricket Field over the last couple of weeks I have seen some quite good birds. A very close Tawny Pipit in a small group of Yellow Wagtails. Yellow Wagtails have been common with up to fifty birds present of a couple of days and this species, Common Myna and European Hoopoe the commonest species on the field. The only waders seen were Ruff, with three birds, Kentish Plover with fifteen birds the highest count and Whimbrel with six birds.

Eurasian Hoopoe

Eurasian Hoopoe

Ruff

Ruff

Tawny Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

September on the Cricket Field – Dhahran Hills

September is a good month to check the cricket fields in the evening as they are watered thoroughly and the soft ground attracts numerous species of birds. A female Common Kestrel was around for most of the month, normally perched on the floodlights but occasionally dropping down to feed on the ground. Much more common species were Eurasian Collared Dove and Crested Lark with tens of birds scattered around the playing area. Waders were made up of Eurasian Whimbrel & Ruff whilst flyovers of note included a few groups of Rose-ringed Parakeet and an Osprey that was only ever seen as the sun was setting.

Common Kestrel

Common Kestrel

Crested Lark

Eurasian Collared Dove

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Ruff

Ruff

Ruff

Ruff

Osprey

Osprey

Ruff – Dhahran Hills

I visited the cricket and football fields in Aramco Dhahran compound in early September and located at least two Ruff Philomachus pugnax feeding on the grass. These birds were very confiding and even though I was on foot I got very close to the birds. They only flew if someone came very close and then only a few metres before landing and feeding again. The Ruff is a common migrant and uncommon winter visitor with high counts of over a thousand being recorded occasionally in the Riyadh area during the spring. In the Eastern Province they are often common on pools inland and recorded in all months but mostly in October through March. High counts of 600 at Dammam Marsh in winter 1980 and similar counts from inundated fields at Dammam Second Industrial City in late 1980’s are the biggest counts for the province with numbers normally amounting to tens rather than hundreds.