I visited the Dhahran Waste Water Lake at first light in late December and saw the Indian Roller perched on the overhead power lines. Unfortunately, it did not stay long before flying off, but I got a couple of photos shown above. This bird has been around since 22 September 2023 but I have only seen it a few times, mostly on the Dhahran Cricket Field or nearby. I assume it spends most of its time on the out of bounds golf course, but this has not been proven yet. Indian Roller has a status in Saudi Arabia as a rare winter visitor, with the only recent records I know being an adult, Mansouriyah, Riyadh, 21 December 1989; an adult, Thumamah, Riyadh, 8 October 1999 until 17 February 2000 and the wintering bird in Dhahran from 2020 returning each year.
[email protected] (Jem Babbington)
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