![\"\"](\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-QFSxkcLlP4U\/UMSZWZiNv1I\/AAAAAAAAHiA\/60aPGbSSUGQ\/s1600\/1hypo8.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>They were all over the northern side of the Quarter. They were in two different landscaped wadis, in the palm groves and along side the waste water stream. In fact the noise at one time next to the water was a cacophony of different birds but dominated by hypocolius.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I have seen 200 or so before in the Intercontinental hotel gardens last winter. However they were returners towards a roost and late in the afternoon. These DQ birds were there all the time I was (from 8am until 1pm).<\/p>\n At a very conservative estimate there were 250. The trouble is I didn’t see all of them in one view. There could have been more but I like to err on the side of caution.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n They particularly liked being in the thick bushes.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Hypocolius made my day but other birds were interesting too. Not many places in the city contain yellow-vented bulbul. They can be found in a few of the larger compounds. White-eared bulbul is much more common. However both were present in the DQ. The DQ is so well landscaped that clearly yellow vented bulbul feel at home there.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Laughing dove and collared dove were abundant.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Common myna made a noisy contribution to my birding<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The waste water stream was a lot fuller than the last time I visited. I am told this is not all due to the recent rain.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Six little egret were spotted along the banks. Moorhen darted in and out of cover.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n A single grey heron moved up and down, some times landing in the top of a palm tree.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Two types of kingfisher were seen. The loud white throated kingfisher was heard more often than seen. The winter visiting common kingfisher allowed good views a couple of times. There are fish in the stream and this helps explain the presence of herons and kingfishers.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The only wader was green sandpiper which was cautious as ever.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n I counted four grey wagtail which is pretty uncommon in these parts. It can’t find many places with running water in central Arabia.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n