11 December 2015

Booted Eagle and Sociable Lapwings near Tabuk – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Booted Eagle is a scarce passage migrant to all areas of Saudi Arabia so the fact Viv photographed one near Tabuk is a good record. This is a species I am still yet to see in Saudi Arabia, but hopefully one day I will bump into one. Viv also had a number of other interesting birds of prey including Eastern Imperial Eagle, Steppe Eagles, Common Kestrel and Black Kites. The flock of Sociable Lapwings was also still present in the same are where Viv saw them the week before, which is very good news and shows the birds may be going to winter in the area. A number of distinct wintering areas have recently been found in the kingdom making it a very important region for this critically endangered species.
Booted Eagle
Eastern Imperial Eagle
Common Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Black Kite
Black Kite
Sociable Lapwings
Sociable Lapwings
Sociable Lapwings