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15 February 2015

Three species of Kingfisher together on the golf course pond – Dhahran Hills

Harald Ris who is visiting Dhahran visiting his father found three species of Kingfisher together on a small pond on Dhahran Hills golf course on 13 February 2015. Any Kingfisher on the patch is good but three species together is very unusual but not unique. The species seen were Pied Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher and Common Kingfisher. As I had not seen any Kingfishers on the ‘patch’ previously I was keen to look for the birds so went out at first light the next day. The White-throated Kingfisher was present hunting from the trees near the pond and a male Common Kingfisher was present as well on the rocks and reeds of the pond edge, but there was no sign of the Pied Kingfisher. Interestingly the Common Kingfisher seen and photographed the day before was a female bird. Both Pied Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher are scarce visitors to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with Common Kingfisher being a common winter visitor to wetland areas. There were a number of other good birds in the same area with a Great Egret, a Grey Heron and two Indian Reef Herons, a white and a dark phase bird. Two adult male Little Bitterns were in the reeds as were plenty of Clamorous Reed Warblers, two Bluethroats and five Common Chiffchaffs. A single Song Thrush and three Eurasian Sparrowhawks made up the other good birds seen.
White-throated Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
Indian Reef Heron
Indian Reef Heron
Indian Reef Heron
Indian Reef Heron