Ferruginous Ducks – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Waste Water Lake in the very early morning, I located the seven Ferruginous Ducks again, with three flying in and landing and four sitting on the dry bank of the lake. These birds have now been around for more than a month and may stay for the winter. The Ferruginous Duck is an uncommon passage migrant, winter visitor and a rare breeder with most birds occurring from September to April. The species is currently listed as Near Threatened and prefers shallower and more vegetated areas than other Aythya species and seldom sits out on open water. Sightings have been increasing in recent years, with breeding occurring in Jubail, but they remain uncommon. Birds have started to be seen each winter in small numbers in Dhahran, where they may be same returning wintering birds each year.

Waders on the Cricket Field – Dhahran

Waders are still feeding on the Cricket Field at Dhahran with the regular three Whimbrel seen every day with these birds unable to get used to the people who use the field and fly well before anyone get close to them. Kentish Plover numbers vary from several individuals to over fifty, with the large numbers presumably migrants. A Lesser Sand Plover was present for a single day and ruff occasionally drop in and stay for a couple of days before moving off. Three Little Stint were also present on one day as was a Common Snipe. Yellow Wagtail were around in good numbers still but much reduced from the hundreds of previous weeks.

Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover

Ruff

Ruff

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Great Cormorant numbers building - Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Good numbers of Great Cormorant can be seen in the very early morning flying around Dhahran Waste Water Lake. Some of the birds just come and wash, briefly fish and fly off with others staying for longer periods in the area. The species is a common winter visitor to the Eastern Province where thousands have roosted in the trees nearby in recent winters, but do not do so now. They are also abundant in coastal waters from September through March including the Jubail and the Half-Moon Bay area of the Arabian Gulf. The birds in Dhahran are not disturbed by people walking past the edge of the lake and remain on the lake fishing more often than not.

Dammam Port seafront area

One evening looking at Dammam Port waterfront area produced a few birds. House Crows were common with fifty plus seen standing on the water edge and nearby areas. They are common near many ports as they probably came to the Kingdom by boar originally. A single White-winged Tern was feeding in the fading light and two Black-necked Grebes were far offshore in front of several thousand Slender-billed Gulls. A good variety of waders were seen including Ruff, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Kentish Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew and Dunlin. A few Greater Flamingo were offshore with several flying around and landing after a while.

White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

House Crow

Greater Flamingo

Greater Flamingo

Greater Sand Plover – Al Uqair

Whilst birding at Al Uqair in October I photographed a few Greater Sand Plover on the edge of the Arabian Gulf. Greater Sand Plover breeds from Turkey to Mongolia and winters 1,000–10,000 km south and southwest along the coasts of northern and eastern Africa, Arabia and Pakistan to Australia. In Saudi Arabia it is an extremely rare breeding migrant, common passage migrant, common winter visitor occurring widely throughout Saudi Arabia on migration (Feb–Apr, Aug–Sep), especially on the coasts. It can be found in coastal areas over winter (Oct–Feb), while some birds remain over summer and rarely stay and breed. 

Herons – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding at Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently I sat down and took a few photos of the Herons that were around. I saw my first returning Black-crowned Night Herons as well as ten plus Grey Herons. Some Grey Herons spent the summer here but this is the time for migrant birds as well. Little Egrets and Western Reef Herons were around in small numbers and a single Purple Heron was also seen.

Western Reef Heron

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Western Reef Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - Juvenile

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - Adult

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron - Juvenile

Lesser Sand Plover – Al Uqair

I photographed a few Lesser Sand Plover in October at Al Uqair and as this species has recently been split by the IOC it is now named Tibetan Sand Plover. This is because a recent paper using genetic analysis of the sand plover complex has concluded that Lesser Sand Plover should be treated as two species, not one. Siberian Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus, with subspecies mongolus and stegmanni and Tibetan Sand Plover Charadrius atrifrons, with subspecies atrifrons, pamirensis and schaeferi. In the Eastern Province it is mainly a winter visitor and passage migrant. In the 1980s it was abundant along the coast from August through May with smaller numbers of non-breeding immatures in June and July but now it is less common although still seen in good numbers. A count in January & February 1986 was estimated at 28,000 with the ICBP/NCWCD Waterbird Survey (November to December) 1991 - Mainly in Tarut Bay, counting a maximum of 2332 at Zur on 26 November. Kingdom wide it has the following status: Common migrant and winter visitor to the Gulf coast where a few are present throughout the summer. Uncommon migrant and winter visitor to the Red Sea coast. The only inland records are from Riyadh and Tabuk.