Birds of Saudi Arabia: Dhahran Wastewater Pond

The pair of Tufted Duck are still happily residing on the Wastewater Pond in Dhahran Hills, where there have also been seven Mallard on a couple of occasions. The Great Crested Grebe is also still present where it has now been for almost a year. Great Crested Grebe is relatively common in the winter in the Half Moon Bay area but is not so easy to get close too, so this bird is a refreshing change. Although, like the Tufted Ducks, it always stays on the far side of the lake, it is nevertheless close enough to take some reasonable photos. Other birds using the pond are Great Cormorants, where birds spend the entire day with some roosting in the large trees around the edge of the water. They are joined by the three Glossy Ibis which have been around for more than a month now, but as it gets light the Glossy Ibis fly and start feeding, often out of sight in the pools behind the reed beds. Grey Heron, Indian Reef Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Western Great Egret and Little Egret are all common feeding mainly on frogs. Up to four Gull-billed Terns have been flying over the pond catching small fish for the last few weeks, but last time I visited in mid-February I did not see any.