Adult Black-winged Kite - Qaryat Al Ulya

Whilst birding Qaryat Al Ulya in late November Phil and I came across a Black-winged Kite perched on the overhead wires. This is the first time we have seen this species at this locality and shows the continuing spread of this once rare bird. The first record of Black-winged Kite for the Eastern Province was only found on 17 April 2012, but since then has become more common with a current status as an uncommon breeding resident. This bird like all others seen in the Eastern Province is Elanus caeruleus vociferous, the subspecies that occurs from Pakistan east to southern & eastern China, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula. Whilst in this area of large pivot fields we also saw a few Corn Bunting a species not seen often in the areas we birdwatch, as well as a single Steppe Eagle flying over just south of this location. The best bird seen was a very close Shikra perched on a wire fence but unfortunately it flew before any photos were taken. This species is becoming commoner in the Eastern Province like is the case in the UAE.

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite

Corn Bunting

Another Northern Lapwing - Dhahran Hills Football Fields

A different Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus was seen on the Football Fields recently where it stayed feeding for a number of days. This bird had longer crest and more yellow on the vent than previous birds and was also much less timid allowing closer approach and better photographs. The previous week I saw five birds fly over and land on the percolation pond and a single bird was seen in this location for a few days before disappearing. As we have seen a few Northern Lapwing in the camp this winter Phil and I went to Qaryat Al Ulya pivot fields to see if there were any there but we only managed to see two in this area despite looking at numerous pivot fields.

 

 

Adult Indian Roller – Dhahran Hills

An Indian Roller was found on 19 November 2020 at the Dhahran Waste Water Lake and has returned each winter for the last five years and has been seen again this winter. The bird is very elusive and we have not found the area where it stays for most of the day, which may well be the out of bounds golf course. The bird is often seen flying into the trees or perching on the floodlights of the cricket field and football fields in the late evening before flying off to roost. As a result, I have not obtained any good photos of the bird, but in late November Eric kindly sent me a close-up photo of it, so I asked where he had seen it. He said Alma and he had seen it a few minutes before and the bird was frequenting a small park next to the football fields. As it was the weekend and I live very close to this area, I went down and saw the bird after a while. It was not very obliging and although I saw it on a post close to the road with a car passing very close by the time I got there it had flown. I stayed for a couple of hours trying to locate it again and obtain good photos as it was mid-afternoon and light was good. Eventually I saw it again and managed to get a few photos of it in a palm tree and on a light post and once some good photos of it in flight as it flew close to me from a post where I had crept up to it on foot behind a palm before it saw me a flew. These are easily the best photos I have of the bird so was happy with my afternoon trip. Indian Roller has a status as a rare winter visitor, with the only recent records I know being an adult, Mansouriyah, Riyadh, 21 December 1989; an adult, Thumamah, Riyadh, 8 October 1999 until 17 February 2000 and an adult at Ras Tanura 12 February 2021.

Nothing unusual – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Waste Water Lake the last few weeks I have been seeing the same species and not much different. Flyovers include the winter first Crested Honey Buzzard and two Wester Marsh Harriers as well as a few Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawks. Common species such as Common Myna and Rose-ringed Parakeet are seen daily as are House Crow. Birds on or over the lake include good numbers of Pallid Swift and Great Cormorant and increasing numbers of Grey Heron, Western Cattle Egret and Squacco Heron. The maximum number of Gull-billed Tern reached eleven and a single Isabelline Wheatear was seen on the edge of the pond one day. 

Common Kestrel

Common Myna

Common Sandpiper

Great Cormorant

Grey Heron

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Squacco Heron

Squacco Heron

Western Cattle Egret

Steppe Buzzard – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Dhahran Waste Water Lake 30 November I came across a single Steppe Buzzard Buteo Buteo vulpinus. I did not see the bird as it was sitting on the ground behind some scrub, but as it took off I got a few relatively close photos of it in flight, although it was into the sun slightly so not the best photographs. This is the first time I have seen the species in November as they normally occur on migration. It has a status in Saudi Arabia of an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor that passes in March and April and again in September and October, merging with the occasional winter visitors which may appear in any months between the autumn and spring movements. I do not see this species often on my local patch but this is the second one this year after a bird in May 2024.

Ferruginous Duck numbers increasing – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Waste Water Lake in the very early morning, I located eleven Ferruginous Duck an increase from the seven seen recently. The birds were sitting on the lake and hiding in the reeds but were disturbed by two Western Marsh Harriers hunting and flew around a little before settling again on the lake. This allowed me to take a few photos in flight as they circled deciding if it was safe to land back on the water. Four of these birds have been around for almost two months with the others joining over the last couple of weeks.  

Arabian Red Fox – Dhahran

When out walking around the edge of Dhahran Hills Waste-Water Lake recently I came across a single Arabian Red Fox, in a very deep depression area with large trees. The fox saw me immediately and ran away up the steep bank but I managed to get one in focus phot below. They are relatively common in Dhahran and can be seen most weeks of the year if you look in the right areas, particularly around Dhahran Hills golf course. They have very large ears to help dissipate the heat they encounter living in the hot climates of the Middle East as well as more fur between their toes to help them overcome heat issues associated with the ground the walk over.

Pipits on the Cricket & Football Fields – Dhahran Hills

The numbers of Water Pipit have been building nicely over the last couple of weeks and now up to thirty can be seen on a single visit. They are not shy at all and allow very close approach even on foot. In the last few days a small number of Red-throated Pipit have joined them but these are not so tame and fly quickly when you try to approach them. A single Tawny Pipit was also seen, but not photographed, on a single day and they should become more common over the next few weeks. 

Water Pipit

Water Pipit

Water Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit