Yellow Lake

The Yellow Lake, Al Asfar, lies east of the Al-Ahsa oasis where drainage water from the irrigated gardens collects in a shallow depression among sand dunes, creating a wetland of some tens of square kilometres in a landscape that would otherwise hold no standing water at all. Reeds fringe it and dunes run down to the shore, and the combination of open water, reedbed and sand is unusual enough to be striking. It has become one of the more important bird sites in eastern Arabia, with greater flamingos, herons, ducks and large numbers of migrant waders using it. Access is by tracks off the road east from Hofuf and there is no formal management.

The landscape

• Flamingos - the flocks feeding on the shallow water.
• Dunes at the shore - the sand running down to the lake edge.
• Reedbeds - the vegetation fringing the open water.
• Migrant waders - the passage and wintering shorebirds.

When to go

November to March for the birds and the temperature; summer here is extreme. Early morning is best for birds and light. Water levels vary with the irrigation drainage and can drop considerably.

Good to know

The lake is drainage water rather than a natural spring-fed body and smell can be noticeable. There is no hide, path or facility. Tracks to the shore are soft sand and trap ordinary cars. Litter around the accessible edges is a problem.

Nearby

Al-Ahsa oasis lies west; the Empty Quarter begins far to the south.