An early morning trip to Dhahran Waste Water Lake in late September produced a reasonable number of Pallid Swift, dropping down occasionally to drink from the lake. These birds are returning ones for the winter and have arrived earlier than normal. The species is a common passage migrant and breeder with a peculiar pattern of occurrence. They are common from late January to May, uncommon after this and only recorded again in good numbers from November. Breeding takes place in the winter months from November to April. As the light was good I managed to take a few decent photos some of which are shown below.
