A small group of 22 Common Shelduck were seen on the flooded sabkha area of Sabkhat Al Fasl in January, the first birds recorded there this winter for me although Phil saw some a few weeks before. This species occurs here every winter in small numbers although over 300 were seen one winter. In the […]
Phil Roberts and I found two Woodlark Lullula arborea at the edge of a pivot irrigation fodder field near Sarrar on 15 January. Initially the birds were feeding along the edge of the field giving good views but eventually moved into the crop where they were not possible to see unless flushed when they could […]
Welcome to the “Best Photo of the Week” competition showcasing and celebrating the biodiversity of Planet Earth. Voting is easy and lots of fun. First click an image and browse through the slideshow. Then select the three images you like best of all and click the VOTE button at the bottom of the page. […]
I had a couple of spare hours between dropping the family off and picking them up again in town so went to the Al Khobar Sea Front. This area is being heavily developed but has good tracks along the sea front allowing views over the tidal mud flats. The tide was completely out when I […]
Common grackles stay in New York year round. I saw one the other day, striding around on its long legs and looking cocky. Whenever I see one I take a moment to admire its glossy colors. I usually see a single bird in a park, or just a few at a time — they look […]
In Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach wrote about a gull that “… was not bone and feather but a perfect idea of freedom and flight, limited by nothing at all.” I watched a flock of gulls dashing and darting at the outflow of an open watergate, feeding on something in the roiling water. I couldn’t […]
My last trip to Sabkhat Al Fasl produced a number of waders of various species including the highest number of Marsh Sandpipers I have seen for a while. Most waders were Dunlins with good numbers of Common Ringed Plover scattered amongst them. A few smart plumaged Kentish Plovers were feeding around the shoreline and a […]
I had a couple of spare hours between dropping the family off and picking them up again in town so went to the Al Khobar Sea Front. This area allows views over the tidal mud flats and when the tide is in can hold thousands of birds. The tide was completely out when I went […]