Whilst birding the Dhahran Cricket Field recently I found several Common Snipe on the grass looking for food in the soft ground. One bird walked very close by allowing some good photographs to be taken. The Common Snipe is partially migratory with migratory populations breeding across northern Eurasia and wintering up to 6,000 km south in southern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and from Arabia to Japan and Malaysia. In Saudi Arabia it is a common passage migrant and common winter visitor seen mainly on migration from February to April and August to October. They prefer freshwater wetlands with muddy or waterlogged ground abut are sometimes seen on ornamental pools and in city parks. This is the first time I have seen Common Snipe of the Cricket of football fields.
