Red-necked Phalarope – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst birding at Sabkhat Al Fasl yesterday I found two Red-necked Phalaropes feeding on a smallish flooded area by the water pumping station. This is only the second time I have seen the species in Saudi Arabia and the first time in the spring. The previous record was a single bird seen on 5 August 2011 at Al Khobar on a small roadside pool by the Dammam / Al Khobar Wader Roost South. Bundy’s ‘Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia’ published in October 1989 states that they are regular in varying numbers on marshy pools in spring but very scarce and irregular in autumn. It seems likely that a large number that winter in the Arabian Gulf and northern Indian Ocean area overfly the region with a record of 10,000 birds 40 kilometres west of Bahrain and close to the Saudi Arabia coast 27 March 1980. Records are regular in Kuwait to the north but from the Eastern Province are limited with one record from March, scare in April and regular in May with the peak inland count being 150 birds at Abqaiq in May 1976.

The two birds I saw were behaving in a typical Phalarope manner turning around in circles on the water in search of food and picking insects off the waters surface in a fast and active manner. This is a new species for me at Sabkhat Al Fasl although I know Phil has had at least one sighting here in the past.

Five Little Terns – Dhahran Hills

Dhahran Hills has been very quiet for a few days now with very little sign of migration. The only really unusual occurrence was five Little Terns, flying around the percolation pond. This is the largest number of this species I have seen at a single time on the ‘patch’. Little Tern is common along the coast at this time of year and breed in a few areas in the Eastern Province but normally only one or two birds are seen on the pond.

Little Tern

Little Tern

 Other signs of migration included a Lesser Grey Shrike and two adult male Red-backed Shrikes in the spry fields and 15 Sand Martins flying over the same area.

Lesser Grey Shrike

Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizards – Dhahran Hills

Whilst out birding I saw two different Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizards in different places on the camp. The first one shown was quite a small one only about 50 centimetres long and was quite a dull colour. The second one was a much bigger animal, well over a metre long and was also a brighter colour. The first lizard was living in a small hole under a concrete slab whereas the larger lizard had a very big burrow on its own in the scrubby desert area. Now the temperatures are high the lizards are becoming much easier to see as they bask in the evening, or early morning sun to get warm. On foot they are very difficult to approach but let you get quite close if you remain in the car.

Terns fishing - Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst at Sabkhat Al Fasl last weekend we found a group of terns fishing at close range near to a water outflow from one of the core areas into the flooded sabkha. This area is usually quite dry by now but due to the unusual amounts of rain we have had this spring it is still full of water. The terns were fishing for small fish that had gathered around this outflow. It looked like good photographic opportunities would be available, as the birds were close and performing well. There were probably twenty terns in all with most being White-cheeked Terns and the others Little Terns. The top photograph is what I take to be a Little Tern and shows how dark grey the rumps can be on some of the Little Terns that occur in the Gulf region. One disadvantage of having a big lens (600mm) is that when birds are close and active the big lens is not the best for taking photos. As a result I did not manage to get the good shots I thought I might, and below are the best I achieved.

Little Tern

White-cheeked Tern

White-cheeked Tern

White-cheeked Tern

Migration slowing down – Sabkhat Al Fasl

An early morning trip to Sabkhat Al Fasl turned out to be fairly quiet. There were still plenty of Red-backed Shrikes, with over twenty seen during the visit, as well as Willow Warblers, but not really much else. Passerine migrants included an Upcher’s Warbler, ten Spotted Flycatchers, three Common Redstarts, one Daurian Shrike and a Eurasian Turtle Dove that appeared to be collecting nesting material. Several Sand Martins and Barn Swallows were flying over with one or two European Bee-eaters but very little else.

Common Redstart

Spotted Flycatcher

Herons were represented by seven Little Bitterns, two Grey Herons, one Purple Heron and ten Squacco Herons. Very few waders were seen but evidence of breeding was noted for Kentish Plovers and Little Ringed Plover with several very young Kentish Plovers seen with parents looking on and two juvenile Little Ringed Plover that must have bred somewhere nearby. Other passage waders included a few Curlew Sandpipers in summer plumage and a few Little Stints

Kentish Plover - chicks

Kentish Plover

Little Ringed Plover - juvenile

Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper

Terns are becoming more obvious with the most common species seen now being White-cheeked Terns. Several were sitting around and other flying over the flooded sabkha area. Three Caspian Terns were seen along with several Little Terns in various plumages.

White-cheeked Tern

White-cheeked Tern

Caspian Tern

 The only other birds seen of note were three Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks, two males and a female, which are not seen too often at this location. Seeing this species as well as the breeding waders really gave me the feeling spring is almost over and summer has finally arrived in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark - male

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark - female