Migration starts very early in
Saudi Arabia compared to my home country of the UK. Here migrants can be seen
in January and by early February numbers are increasing. The first signs of
migration are normally Barn Swallows and Pallid Swifts with small numbers of
each seen in the last few weeks. Phil Roberts also saw a couple of House
Martins that are also early migrants. A good number of singing Reed Warblers
were also migrants as these are not resident in the Eastern Province although
stay until November and are only absent for a couple of months. A few Purple
Herons in the last three weeks may well also have been migrants but it is
difficult to tell. A number of waders may also be moving as there are now a few
more Green Sandpipers and Wood Sandpipers present. Another species it is difficult to tell if they are migrants or not are the Stonechats as some winter and some are on passage We saw a few SCT Stonechats as well as a smart male NCT Stonechat this I failed to get any photographs of. Migration should start
building over the next few weeks and peak in March and April. Let’s hope we get
a good spring migration this spring as last year was relatively poor compared
to other recent years.
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| SCT Stonechat - male |
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| Citrine Wagtail |
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| Common Kingfisher - male |
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| Daurian Shrike |
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| Green Sandpiper |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Purple Swamphen |
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| Red-spotted Bluethroat |
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| Slender-billed Gull |
