Birds of Saudi Arabia: Bird numbers picking up

Bird numbers are picking up again as autumn migration gathers pace with a few migrants seen for the first time this autumn at the site including Eurasian Hoopoe with three birds seen. Numbers of Squacco Heron have also increased markedly from three birds to well over twenty. Greater Flamingo numbers are now around three thousand birds with many juveniles seen as well as adults. The main migrants seen were waders with plenty of Little Stints, Kentish Plover and Black-winged Stilts. Other waders seen in smaller numbers included Curlew Sandpiper, Greater Sand Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Common Sandpiper and Ruff. Plenty of terns were also around including Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Little Tern, Saunders Tern and White-cheeked Tern.