One the road into Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, in an area called Fadhili, there are a few wetland areas of limited size. Some are permanent and other not so. They normally hold a few interesting birds but this time we found a large lake that had not be present previously. As a result it was very open and had only a small amount of vegetation in one corner. A stop to see what was present resulted in two Black-necked Grebes, a bird I have seen in the nearby Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm wetlands but not in this area. They were very early returning wintering birds and it will be interesting to see if they remain here, move to the farm or depart. Other birds seen included Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and European Bee-eaters as well as a Turkestan Shrike and a Red-backed Shrike in one of the only bushes. Common Moorhen was on the pool as were seven Little Grebes. This shows how fast birds can find suitable wetland areas, as this pond has not been here for more than a few months. As we were in a rush to get to the farm we did not spend long here, but it may well pay looking at better in a month or so time.
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| Blue-cheeked Bee-eater |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
