23 February 2013

Green Sandpiper – Dhahran Hills


Wader numbers have decreased over the last couple of weeks with only three Black-winged Stilts and one Green Sandpiper seen. The Green Sandpiper has been seen all over the place from the settling pond to the percolation pond, the wet ditches and finally on a large lake formed by all the water being pumped onto the spray fields. The photograph below was taken when it was on the spray fields. Other birds seen recently in the spray fields include up to ten Water Pipits, three Siberian Stonechats, one Caspian Stonechat, one Common Stonechat and three Graceful Prinias in full song. An Arabian Grey Shrike (Southern Grey Shrike) was seen between the jebals and the hobby farm on a couple of occasions last week and 12 Pale Rock Finch were in a small flock in the same area which are the first ones I have seen this winter. Eurasian Hoopoe numbers are also increasing slightly, which is a bird that is always nice to see, no matter how common they are and Great Cormorant numbers are also increasing daily.
Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Great Cormorant