The settling pools are looking much better habitat overall than they were when I first starting visiting about 3 months ago. The overflow form two of the settling pools is being allowed to run off creating an impromptu marshland with a few natural looking pools and where cover is steadily growing. I hope they don't tidy this up too quickly.
The main settling pools themselves are square and concrete bounded. These alone attract birds. Walking around them on Saturday were several flamingo. Three little grebe were seen in one. Another had several slender-billed gull though the black-headed gull observed all winter have gone.
flamingo flying around the settling pools
There are always a few waders at the water's edge on the concrete but this time the main birding action was in the new (and hopefully not temporary marshy areas).
desert wheatear
Leaving the drier part of the complex behind, along with the odd tawny pipit and desert wheatear, I walked over the eastern side where the wetter area is.
eastern imperial eagle
There were several eagles on site. All were either eastern imperial eagle or greater spotted eagle. There are steppe eagle still around but many have left. Their dominance, in Raysut district as whole area, by 30 or 40 to one against the other eagles has gone.
greater spotted eagle
In the wet parts of the settling pool site was a large array of wader species. Wood sandpiper, common sandpiper and green sandpiper were joined by at least two marsh sandpiper.
marsh sandpiper
A small number of common redshank and two common greenshank were also observed.
greenshank
little ringed plover
ringed plover
There were thirty of them packed densely.
little stint
As I continued to walk round, I came across four cattle egret high on a tree on the perimeter.
cattle egret
As well as waders the marshy area with pools had attracted yellow wagtail. The one below is of the sub-species thunbergi (grey-headed wagtail) as the ear coverts are darker than the crown.
thunbergi yellow wagtail
The vagrant spur-winged lapwing was still present as it has been all winter. The red-wattled lapwing it had been associating with appear to have left.
spur-winged lapwing
If this part of the settling pool complex continues to be kept marshy then the spring passage could be very interesting here. Of the birds I haven't yet seen in Oman, collared pratincole and several types of warbler must be possible.
On leaving the settling pools I went down the road 2 kilometres to the treated water lake.
In this cleaner environment there were fewer birds but these included common moorhen and several more little grebe.
A close look showed that one of the squacco heron was in fact an Indian pond heron.
Indian pond heron
There are always very many Indian house crow at this site and they are often seen intimidating other birds.
Indian house crow
They even try to intimidate eagles.
House crow and Eastern imperial eagle 1
I saw one continually goad an Eastern Imperial eagle from behind.
House crow and Eastern imperial eagle 2
Each time it pecked the eagle it immediately retreated and reared up into the air.
House crow and Eastern imperial eagle 3
Eastern imperial eagle
Yellow birds were very much in evidence at the treated water lake: yellow wagtail, citrine wagtail and Ruepell's weaver.
yellow wagtail
The male weavers were busy making more nests. Looks like some breeding takes place before the Dideric cuckoo return.
Ruepell's weaver weaving
On Monday's afternoon, I visited Khawr Rori and got a surprise addition to my Oman list. I will blog about that next.
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