The weather
was overcast and cold last weekend with a sprinkling of rain and as a result
conditions were not great for photography or birding. I had a couple of spare
hours in the afternoon and went to Dhahran Expro Wader roost. The tide was far
out but a lot of birds were feeding around the bunded areas. There was a
significant increase in waders although the species make up was almost
identical to the weekend before. Many more Lesser Sand Plovers were seen but
they all kept their distance. A few more Whimbrel often in the grassy areas and
Bar-tailed Godwit numbers had doubled. The very large numbers of Black-headed
Gulls had decreased significantly but plenty of Slender-billed Gulls, some with
a nice pink wash, were still present. Thousands (5,000+) Socotra Cormorants
were flying past in a southerly direction to the east of the roost. Plenty of
Ruff were still present with a couple if fine males in breeding plumage and a
few more Ruddy Turnstones, Grey Plovers and Marsh Sandpipers were also seen.
