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20 July 2011

Indian Reef Heron - Grey Morph

New migrants continue to pass through the local patch in small numbers, and like normal only stay for only a very short time. Today's new bird of note was a grey morph Indian (Western) Reef Heron happily fishing on the percolation pond indicating that some life must still be in the pond after the draining of the place last year. This is only the second Grey phase Indian Reef Heron seen by me in Dhahran camp, which was in early May and was present with a single Little Egret. Also and a single white phase Indian Reef Heron was seen by me in March 2011 all these birds being on the percolation pond.

Other birds of note were five Green Sandpiper, two Ruff, five Little Ringed Plover and a Little Grebe with three young. Little Grebe numbers were fifty two and one hundred and fourteen Black-winged Stilts were still present. A juvenile and adult European Turtle Dove was also seen in the Tamarix trees at the edge of the pond along with three Rufous-tailed Scrub Robins.

 Indian Reef Heron (Grey Morph)
European Turtle Dove (Adult)