Birds of Saudi Arabia: Silverbills amongst the residents

Whilst birdwatching at Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently I have been seeing good numbers of Pallid Swifts. These fast-moving birds are not easy to photograph well with a large hand held 600mm Canon telephoto lens but with perseverance and a strong arm you can normally manage to get a few decent shots. Indian Silverbill on the other hand, although not common normally stay in place and allow close approach even on foot so photographing this species is much easier. The heron numbers have really decreased with only ten Grey Heron, one Purple Heron, two Squacco Herons and up to seven Black-crowned Night Herons seen. The Black-crowned Night Heron was a scarce bird in Dhahran until the last few years since when it has become common and is seen on almost every visit in reasonable numbers.