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23 July 2012

Lesser Sand Plovers arriving - Dammam / Al Khobar Wader Roost

The last two days I have been down to the Dammam / Al Khobar Wader Roost which is really an inlet that as the tide rises pushes the birds up the inlet. Good views can be had of the birds but they do not really roost here just fly off when the tide completely covers the substrate. There have been quite a few good birds and the wader numbers have really increased over the last week. 50 Broad-billed Sandpipers were present along with four Common Greenshanks, seven Terek Sandpipers, one Common Sandpiper, one Ruff, two Eurasian Curlew, seven Lesser Sand Plovers and two Greater Sand Plovers. Little Stint numbers have increased from one last week to over one hundred and Curlew Sandpipers from five to over fifty, many in partial summer plumage. 30+ Saunder's Terns and two Gull-billed Terns were fishing along with two white phase Indian Reef Herons.
Terek Sandpiper

Ruff
Curlew Sandpiper
Eurasian Curlew
Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Lesser Sand Plover
Lesser Sand Plover