East Salalah in Mid May

On Monday afternoon, I visited East Khawr (Khawr Dahariz), Dahariz Park and Jarziz Park until dusk. It was gruelling despite the short distances involved as the weather was so hot and humid.

It was worthwhile not least because three crab plover were visiting East Khawr.
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Their nearest breeding grounds are over 500 kilometres away and they rarely disperse to Salalah.

crab plover

Twelve curlew sandpiper were present and most were in breeding plumage.

mostly curlew sandpiper

Five small terns were probably Saunders' tern in non-breeding plumage.

probably Saunders' tern

The most numerous passage bird was lesser sandplover though there were a few single birds such as pacific golden plover and a ruddy turnstone.

pacific golden plover with lesser sand plover

A few of the males in full summer plumage looked very attractive.

lesser sandplover

Another single bird was a sanderling.

sanderling with lesser sandplover

Among the larger birds mostly out on the water were: grey heron, little egret, western reef heron, cattle egret and greater flamingo.

A quick look at the near-by Dahariz Park yields only one passerine migrant species which was spotted flycatcher. Although I did see five of them.

spotted flycatcher

There was still time to visit Jarziz farm before dusk. Over 60 singing bush lark were seen as well as eighty rose-ringed parakeet in one corner.

singing bush lark

Initially I thought there were no Amur falcon present which would have been a surprise as last spring there was always at least one there on every trip in the first three weeks of May.

house crow

However I visited the back field and sure enough one was flying with three lesser kestrel. Unfortunately the light was gloomy and the house crow were giving the falcons a hard time.

Amur falcon

I did get one record shot. It's nice feeling I can see Amur falcon almost at will for three weeks of the year.