18/08/2008 at Sulaibikhat Bay

I started at 12:15PM at Shuwaikh Free Zone then moved along the coast at Sulaibikhat Bay untill I reached Doha Spit. High tide was at 12:35PM, I reached Doha Spit at 2:45PM so high waters were much reduced and the birds were too far to count, I counted only large birds, mainly Curlews, Oystercatchers and Crab Plovers. I finshed counting at the end of Doha Spit at 3:13PM.

Little Stint 528, Dunlin 4, Broad-billed Sandpiper 47, Greater Sand Plover 6, Lesser Sand Plover 40, Common Ringed Plover 4, Sanderling 12, Curlew Sandpiper 194, Ruddy Turnstone 66, Eurasian Oystercatcher 98, Greater Flamingo 225, Crab Plover 108, Little Tern 151, Gull-billed Tern 47, Grey Heron 107, Grey Plover 14, Common Redshank 54, Terek Sandpiper 121, Slender-billed Gull 400, Caspian Tern 17, Eurasian Curlew 124, Western Ref Egret 20, Greenshank 6.

A flock. Top left Greater Sand Plover, two lower right and the exreme left are Little Stints, the one in the middle and that to the right but lower with buff breast are Lesser Sand Plovers. The five darker birds are Broad-billed Sandpipers. The largest body with long bill is Curlew Sandpiper.

Note the size difference between the Lesser and the Greater Sand Plovers, their leg colour; the Lesser has darker legs, see also bill size; the Lesser has shorter and finer bill. Compare also differences in  neck and head size and shape in proportion to rest of body.