Whilst birding the Al Uqair area in mid-February I came across two Greater Sand Plovers and a single Lesser Sand Plover feeding on the coast. There was a track along the water’s edge allowing me to get close in the car without disturbing them. Greater Sand Plover is a common species on passage, with small numbers staying throughout the winter, but it is difficult to get close to them as they are normally out on the tide line or in the flooded sabkha. The Lesser Sand Plover is a common passage migrant, uncommon winter visitor and rare summer visitor that are found along the coast from August to May.
