Birds of Saudi Arabia: Heron numbers increasing

My last visit to Dhahran Waste Water Lake produced a good number of herons of various species. The number of Grey Herons reached twenty for the first time since the spring and two Purple Heron were seen hiding in the reeds and on one occasion flying around. There were fifteen Black-crowned Night Herons, as always, a mix of immature and adult birds. Squacco Heron numbers were lower than Black-crowned Night Herons, but still over ten were seen during the morning. Two Great White Egret and seven Little Egret were also seen on the edge of the lakeside. Numbers will hopefully continue to increase as we head into autumn and winter, but this number of herons is good for a small inland lake. The best thing for these birds is there is no hunting allowed anywhere in the area, meaning as long as they stay within the compound they will be relatively safe.