Clear and cool in the South

Week 48, 27 November 2012 - Sabah al Ahmad Sea City (Click to enlarge image)

I was back down south to visit one of the newer phases of the Sea City project in Khiran.

I found a mixed flock of birds that had roosted overnight on one of the beaches that included a few Grey Herons as well as; Great Cormorants

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

a number of Slender-billed Gulls

Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei)

and a few Heuglins Gulls

Heuglins Gull (Larus f/h. heuglini)

At one of the jetties, I found this bait ball of small fish, but couldnt find any predator that had caused them to get into this formation - nevertheless, it was interesting to watch

Bait balling fish

Not much else was seen along the beaches other than the resident Kentish Plovers

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

and a single Common Ringed Plover

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

I explored by car the south side of Khiran near the Jebels, but recent rains made some areas challenging, so only Isabelline Wheatear was seen.

Jebel south of Khiran

Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)

House Sparrows males are actually quite good looking birds - I guess, since they are so common the lowly and highly adaptive Sparrow is ignored and generally overlooked.

Male House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)