Last weekend there were
plenty of terns still around. Some of these birds are summer breeders, others
passage migrants and others still residents. The most numerous of the terns
were White-cheeked Terns that are summer visitors and breed on the offshore Arabian
Gulf coral islands. Most of the birds that remain are juveniles although a few
adults are also still present. Most of these birds will have departed in the
next couple of weeks to their wintering areas to the southwest of Saudi Arabia.
At least six White-winged Terns were also present including two moulting adults
and four juveniles. Sabkhat Al Fasl is probably the best place in the Eastern
Province for finding this migrant species and occasionally good views can be
obtained. Gull-billed and Caspian Terns are resident and are also still around
in good numbers mainly on the flooded Sabkha area as are plenty of Little Terns.
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| White-cheeked Tern |
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| White-cheeked Tern |
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| White-cheeked Tern |
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| White-cheeked Tern |
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| White-cheeked Tern |
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| White-winged Tern |
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| White-winged Tern |
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| Gull-billed Tern |
