There have been a few interesting birds around the camp in
the last week with probably the best being a male Eastern Black Redstart seen
along the edge of the golf course. The Red-tailed Wheatear is still present in
the same place and may be set to stay the winter. The first Song Thrush of the
winter was seen from my office window 8 December with a Lesser Whitethroat in
the same area feeding on fallen dates. Song Thrush can be common or scarce in
the camp depending on the year, with 2010-2011 being a good winter and the last
two years being poor. Western Cattle Egret numbers have now reached over 70
birds and all are roosting in a very small reed-bed on the settling pond and
the main percolation pond is still dry and all the reeds removed. The settling pond has a few Common moorhens
and two Eurasian Coots as well as a number of waders including three Common
Snipe, one Green Sandpiper and seven Ruff. The spray fields are wet at the
moment and are holing a small flock of up to ten Eurasian Skylarks, a similar number
of meadow Pipits, three Tawny Pipits, 75+ Water Pipits and 50+ White Wagtails. A
Siberian Stonechat was in the fields with other birds seen including a female
Desert Wheatear on the scrubby desert area and two Eurasian Sparrowhawks flying
about over the general area.
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Siberian Stonechat |