Birds on the Lake - Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The Waste Water Lake has been attracting a number of Common Black-headed Gulls in the early morning which have been coming and resting with the resident Great Cormorants on the lake. Duck are still regularly being seen with Ferruginous and Tufted Duck seen on every visit and once three Pochard were seen, a more unusual species but still one seen every year at this location. Herons include Western Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Western Great Egret, Squacco Heron and Western Reef Heron. Waders have been thin on the ground but a Green Sandpiper and three Common Sandpipers are resident the last month or so.

Western Reef Heron

Western Cattle Egret

Common Pochard

Ferruginous Duck

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Black-headed Gull

Common Black-headed Gull

Pallid Swift still – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Numbers of Pallid Swift have dropped significantly over the last few weeks with only five birds being seen in recent days. These are still allowing good photos to be taken of them, however. House Crow numbers are increasing again with tens being seen on every visit. The scrub now has Lesser Whitethroat and Graceful Prinia calling continually with several Red-spotted Bluethroat doing the same. A minimum of five Eastern Stonechat are present around the lakeside vegetaion and tens of resident White-eared Bulbul are also making lots of noise calling to each other.

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Eastern Stonechat

Eastern Stonechat

Great Cormorant

House Crow

White-eared Bulbul

Black-tailed Godwit – Dhahran Hills

Whilst birding the Dhahran Hills area in early December I came across a single Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa on a concrete bunded area with some water in the bottom of it. This is the forst time I have seen this species in Dhahran for about five years. It flew after seeing me and landed on the percolation pond, some distance away. In Dhahran this species is a scarce passage migrant and winter visitor occasionally seen on the percolation pond, where it has been recorded July–September and in December. In Saudi Arabia as a whole, it is a scarce migrant and winter visitor to all areas of the Kingdom. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) says the species is an autumn passage migrant and winter visitor in variable numbers that passes from late August through to April. Winter birds are present between late December and early March. Birds of the Eastern Province (Bundy 1989) says the species is a winter visitor to the Eastern Province that is scarce and irregular away from Dammam. Birds have been seen in all months but mainly between August to June with most being seen in Tarout Bay. Birds of the Tihamah coastal plains in the southwest of the Kingdom says the species is locally abundant where it is seen both inland and on the coast. 

Common Black-headed Gulls returning – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Waste Water Lake in the very early morning in mid-November I saw a group of seven Common Black-headed Gulls drop in and wash in the waste water lake. Although I have seen a few elsewhere in the Eastern Province over the last three weeks these are the first for Dhahran this winter. This species is an uncommon passage migrant, very common winter visitor and erratic summer visitor. It is most common on the coasts in winter from November to March, and in recent decades has become a common and widespread winter visitor to inland water bodies such as the Dhahran Waste Water Lake where it is now seen every winter in good numbers. Most birds are adults, but a few younger birds also occur. Birds mainly stop off in the early morning to catch small fish and bath at the lake but are often seen flying over in the morning and evening to their main feeding and roosting areas.

Northern Lapwing - Dhahran Hills Football Fields

The confiding Northern Lapwing found by Alma and Eric a week or so ago remained on the football fields for some days and allowed very close views and occasionally came close to the edge of the fields allowing good photos to be taken. This bird has behaved very differently to the previous birds seen on the same fields that flew even if another bird approached them. As mentioned in previous posts Northern Lapwing is a very scarce bird in the camp with this year being exceptional, with this bird possibly the eighth individual. All previous years they have been seen there has only ever been one. The Birds of the Eastern Province 1989 mentioned Northern Lapwing were a scarce and somewhat irregular visitor with records from November to early April but chiefly from November through January. In 1979-71 up to 15 wintered in Dhahran but this proved to be exceptional, showing how large this flock was at that time. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, high counts have been at 425 at Haradh 5 February 2016, at Al Safi Dairy farm, Central Province, where at least 111 individuals were seen 25 January 2001. Birds of Thumamah 1988-1994 said maximum numbers were 100 in the winter 1992/1993. Its status in the Kingdom is as an uncommon winter visitor to all areas north of a line from Hofuf, through Riyadh to Hail and onwards to the Red Sea coast. Good numbers are also now being seen in the extensive pivot fields in the Tabuk and Sakaka areas. 

Winter birding – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The Waste Water Lake in Dhahran has now started to get some regular winter species. The land around the lake is well vegetated but has been seriously lacking birds in the last couple of months. Now a few wintering species are turning up with Bluethroat and Daurian Shrike seen on every visit. Indian Silverbill are busy collecting nesting material and Graceful Prinia are singing loudly again after being quiet for a few months. Two Western Marsh Harrier are using the reeds for resting in and a minimum of three Eastern Stonechat are around, all in one small area with the regular Eurasian Sparrowhawk busy trying to catch any of the unwary birds. The lake itself has a few water birds with a juvenile Purple Heron, Western Cattle Egrets and Western Great Egret present. A few Gull-billed Tern are still present and Common Black-headed Gull drop in in very small numbers each day. Eurasian Collared Dove are again common in the area after reducing in number during the summer months.

Daurian Shrike

Eastern Stonechat

Eastern Stonechat

Eastern Stonechat

Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Purple Heron

Western Cattle Egret

Western Cattle Egret

Western Great Egret

Western Great Egret

Western Great Egret

Western Marsh Harrier

Crested Honey Buzzard - Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Just after first light I saw a Crested Honey Buzzard fly over the Dhahran Waste Water Lake, quite close to me and was able to take a couple of photos shown below. This bird has been around since mid-September in Dhahran a location where they have spent the last ten years at least wintering with some occasionally staying through the summer as well. Most birds in Dhahran are seen over the golf course but the Waste Water lake is another regular location although they are seen here much less often. The species has a status in Saudi Arabia of an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor that also occurs scarce in summer. Regular summer records from the highlands around Abha and north suggest birds probably breed there now.