The first returning Western Cattle Egrets around the camp occurred in late August with up to five now present in September. Good views can be had of the birds as they feed along the roadside grass verges, or on the cricket field or football pitches, finding insects in the soft ground after the grass has been watered. You can get close to the birds on foot but if you stay in the car they often walk very close by. The species is a common passage migrant and winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with numbers increasing markedly over the last twenty years. Birds at this time of year are mainly in winter plumage although as can be seen in the below photos not all birds are like this.
