Whilst looking for
Philby’s Partridge at Al Mehfar Park, Tanoumah, Phil spotted an unusual
Partridge with a pale throat. It was a long way away on a hill top and looked
superficially like a Chukar a bird that occrs much further north in the Kingdom
near Tabuk but a species neither Phil nor I had seen. Philby’s Partridge has a
black chin, cheeks and throat that differentiate it from all other members of
genus, including Arabian Partridge which is mainly found at lower elevations.
Philby’s Partridge also has a bright red bill and facial skin and rose-red legs
and is otherwise very similar to Chukar including the presence of rufous in
tail. Juvenile birds are overall dull brown, initially lacking face pattern
that then appears as dusky, not black, with finely barred upperparts and duller
legs. As a result the bird turned out to be an Arabian Partridge rather than a Chukar. Arabian Partridge occurs in arid rocky areas
in montane regions and occurs on slopes with less bush cover than
Philby's Partridge.
Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia
31 July 2015
30 July 2015
Anderson's Rock Agama - Tanoumah
Whilst birding in the Tanoumah area in June
2015 I saw many Anderson's Rock Agama Acanthocercus adramitanus most of
which were sitting on top of boulders and rocks showing off their incredible
blue colouration. They allow close approach and are very photogenic with the
below photos taken in the Tanoumah Cliff area just to the north of the city.
The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, where it is found in west and
south Arabia, from Taif (Saudi Arabia) in the north to Dhofar (Oman) in the
east. Its range includes Oman, Yemen, and south western Saudi Arabia and is the
most common species of Agama in Yemen. It is also common in Saudi Arabia where
it occurs on rocks in mountainous areas and is found to around 2,000 metres
above sea level. Populations can be found on vertical rocks, rock steps and
amongst boulders often in the vicinity of water. They can occur in precipitous
wadis surrounded by dense vegetation, with the animals usually seen on the top
of boulders. They do not however require water, obtaining moisture from their
insect prey.
29 July 2015
Details of Crab Plover breeding behaviour - Farasan Islands
Mohammed Shobrak sent me a paper recently with
some very interesting information about breeding Crab Plovers on the Frarasan
Island. The details below are taken from the paper Almalki, M, Shobrak, M, AlRashidi,
M, dos Remedios, N & Székely, T. (2014). Sex differences and breeding
ecology of a burrow-breeding shorebird, the Crab Plover Dromas ardeola. Wader
Study Group Bulletin 121(3): 169 – 176. The Crab Plover Dromas ardeola
is endemic to the Indian Ocean basin and breeds on islands around the Arabian
Peninsula. Unique among shorebirds, it nests in an underground burrow where it
lays a single white egg and feeds one chick. Molecular sexing of DNA samples of
66 adult Crab Plovers indicated that 26 were males and 40 were females. Males
had significantly longer bill, wing and tarsus lengths than females, confirming
previously published reports on sexual size dimorphism in Eritrea. Observations
of molecular-sexed adults at four nests showed that both parents fed the
chicks; however, females brought food to the nest-burrow more often than males
(67.6% of all cases). The temperature inside active nesting burrows was
relatively stable at 35.0 +/- 0.18°C (n = 11 nests) regardless of ambient
temperature just outside the burrows. This suggests that burrows serve a
purpose in incubation as well as in defence from predation. In the colony, adults
were seen to prevent chicks from multiple burrows from leaving the nest when
their own parents had left the colony, confirming a helper breeding system. Also
interesting was the day/night cycles in chick feeding routines, with higher
provisioning rates during the daytime than at night.
28 July 2015
Common Myna – Dhahran Hills
The Common
Myna Acridotheres tristis is an introduced
species that is common in many areas of the Kingdom and breeds in many large
towns. They first appeared in the Riyadh area in1984 and in the Eastern
Province after 1990 but are now very common including in Dhahran where birds
can be seen in large groups and also breed feely. Birds have slowly spread
northwards and can now be seen throughout the country. There is one other type
of Myna present in the Kingdom and that is the Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus that was also introduced and can be seen
in Saudi Arabia almost exclusively in the Riyadh area. The photograph below was
taken in Dhahran Hills on my local patch where they are plentiful and can be
seen daily.
27 July 2015
Wadi Thee Ghazal
Whilst in Taif Phil and I went to Wadi Thee Gazal. We were going to
spend longer there but got delayed by the good birding at Wadi Waj. We thus
arrived at about midday the worst time to arrive as the temperature rises quite
high here even though it is in the mountains. Wadi Thee Gazal has excellent
cover and good birds are regularly seen here. We saw only a few decent species
but these included both Shining and Nile Valley Sunbirds as well as Arabian
Warblers and Yemen Thrushes. Quite a number of Arabian Wheatears and Black
Bush Robins were about and a few Namaqua Doves were flying around. This was
another locality where we saw good numbers of Arabian Serins and they could
often be located by their loud contact calls.
Black Bush Robin |
Namaqua Dove |
Nile Valley Sunbird |
Shining Sunbird |
26 July 2015
Both sub-species of Arabian Babbler – Sabya
Whilst birding the Sabya area in summer 2015 I came across Arabian
Babblers in nearby areas with different bill colours. In the filed guide to the
region it says these are different subspeics with the yellow-billed birds the
Yemen race. HBW, however, does not mention bill colour as a distinguishing feature
between the races, so I do not know which is correct. The bird with the dark
bill was seen at Phil’s Fields and the one with the yellow bill at Sabya Waste
Water Lagoons only about ten kilometres away.
25 July 2015
Plenty of Terns of various species – Sabkhat Al Fasl
The summer
is an excellent time to see terns of various species at Sabkhat Al Fasl. The
most common tern in the summer at the location is White-cheeked Tern with
hundreds of birds seen daily. Caspian Tern is also seen on every visit and is
resident but the numbers seen rarely exceed ten although late in the summer,
around September numbers can exceed 150 birds mainly out on the flooded sabkha.
Little Terns also appear in good numbers in the summer and must breed somewhere
nearby, although I have never found any nest anywhere. Again later in the
summer birds can be seen feeding juveniles on the edge of the flooded sabkha.
Very small numbers of Gull-billed Terns and White-winged Terns also occur
although it is rare to see either in numbers greater than ten birds. As
mentioned previously the site is a good place to try to photograph terns and
the below photos are some of my efforts over the last few weeks.
Caspian Tern |
Caspian Tern |
Little Tern |
Little Tern |
Little Tern |
Little Tern |
Little Tern |
White-cheeked Tern |
White-cheeked Tern |
White-winged Tern |
24 July 2015
Plain Nightjar an addition to my Saudi Arabian list - Taif
Whilst
birding in Taif for the weekend of 3-4 July 2015, Phil and I were sitting in
the car eating Iftar when a Nightjar flew across in front of the car and appear
to land on some stony ground nearby. We did not want to disturb the bird so
waited for it to get completely dark and went looking for the bird by torchlight
to see if we could see its eye shine. Unfortunately we could not locate the
bird so decided to try a short blast of Plain Nightjar call. Immediately two
birds responded and flew around our heads for a minute or so giving amazing
views in the torchlight indicating they were Plain Nightjars and this combined
with plumage details confirmed the identification. They then flew off and
landed out of sight. There was no possibility of photographing the birds as
despite an hour or searching we could not see the birds on the ground although
did see them on three more occasions in flight. The photograph below was taken in Saudi Arabia by Ali Al Qarni who has kindly allowed me to use it on my website. This is an under recorded
species in Saudi Arabia, and an addition to my Saudi Arabian list and is probably
a breeding summer visitor to the southwest from Taif south to the Yemen border.
The Plain Nightjar occurs from southern Mauritania and northern Senegal east to
Eritrea, northwest Somalia and northwest Kenya, and southwest Saudi Arabia
south into Yemen. They Winter from Senegal and Liberia across to southwest
South Sudan and possibly southwest Ethiopia and Tanzania. The male has white
spot on four outermost primaries and broad white tips to two outermost tail
feathers whilst the female has tawny wing spots and lacks white in tail. Their
preferred habitat is mainly barren lowlands inland of Asir Mountains, but also
rocky terrain at higher altitudes where they have been recorded from sea-level
to 1800 metres.
23 July 2015
Arabian Waxbill & Arabian Serin - Wadi Waj
Phil and I were taken to Wadi Waj, a site near the center of Taif, by a
local birder Ali. He very kindly showed us the site and drove us around it in
his four-wheel drive car, as our hire car could not make it. This site is a
wastewater runoff stream that permanently flows and has good growth of reeds
and sedges nearby. It is a place where Ali regularly sees Arabian Waxbill and
Arabian Serin, two species that Phil and I were still trying to get decent photographs
of. We saw the Waxbills almost as soon as we arrived but they were high in the
tall trees and only average photos were obtained. We later saw them again when
returned in the evening but again high in the trees. We did, however, get good
views of Arabian Serin on several occasions. There were plenty of other birds
about including Nile Valley Sunbirds, Graceful Prinias, Black Scrub Robins and
plenty of Green Bee-eaters. An unusual bird seen almost immediately on arrival
was a Scaly-breasted Munia, a species that Ali had not seen here before, but
this may have been an escape from somewhere? A few wetland birds were seen as
well including three Squacco Herons and a Green Sandpiper. On our return visit
and as it was getting sark we located a Bruce’s Green Pigeon in a tall tree
rounding off a good selection of birds at a good local site.
Arabian Serin |
Arabian Serin |
Arabian Waxbill |
Bruce's Green Pigeon |
Graceful Prinia |
Nile Valley Sunbird |
Scaly-breasted Munia |
Squacco Heron |
22 July 2015
Arabian Serin – Taif National Park
A visit to Taif National Park, a highland area with acacia scrubland and
rocky hillsides allowed us good views of Arabian Serin a species that differs
from Yemen Serin by having a less obviously streaked crown, darker cheeks, no dark
moustachial stripe, greenish (not brown) rump, slightly darker underparts and a
less sharply pointed bill without contrastingly paler lower mandible. They
occur in dry, open rocky hillsides and mountain tops with trees, bushes and
shrubs, as well as in areas of sparse vegetation, scattered shrubs, bushes or
well-wooded areas and edges of cultivation manly from 1000 – 2800 metres. The mainly
feed on seeds and Acacia pods and often forage on ground and in vegetation
where they are often seen in pairs or small groups, possibly family parties.
Other good birds seen in the National Park included Blackstart, Desert Lark and
Arabian Babbler.
Arabian Serin |
Arabian Serin |
Arabian Serin |
Arabian Serin |
Blackstart |
21 July 2015
Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak - Maysaan
Whilst birding in the Taif area for the weekend of 3-4 Junly 2015 Phil
Roberts and I went to the Maysaan area about 130 kilometres south of Taif.
There are a few good looking valleys with fields and trees in this area and
around Bani Saad and this was good looking habitat for Arabian Golden-winged
Grosbeak. Although we had seen the species on our previous visit to Taif in
January 2015 we did not get good views and no photographs were taken so we
particularly wanted to see this species again. As a result we got to Bani Saad
before it was properly light and spent most of the day checking suitable areas
of habitat looking for the species. We managed to find a number of good looking
valleys with fields and trees and one of these we were lucky enough to find
three Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeaks. At least one was an adult and one a juvenile
with the adult seen feeding the youngster on a few occasions. The birds were
quite flighty and moved a number of times and never allowed close views but a
few photographs were obtained that although small in the picture were sharp and
usable. The birds were initially located by their odd contact calls and stayed
high in the trees, occasionally out of sight completely. They moved up the
valley often flying some distance between trees, following an adult that was
searching for food for the juvenile. Plenty of other species were seen in this
valley including Long-billed Pipits, Arabian Wheatears, Little Rock Thrushes,
Little Swift, Red-breasted Wheatear and three Bruce’s Green Pigeons.
Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak - adult & juvenile |
Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak - juvenile |
Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak - juvenile |
Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak - juvenile |
Cinamon-breasted Bunting |
Little Rock Thrush |
Long-billed Pipit |
20 July 2015
Extreme northerly record of Dideric Cuckoo – Al Atta
Whilst birding in the Taif area for the weekend of 3-4 Junly 2015 Phil
Roberts and I went to Al Atta where we heard a Dideric Cuckoo calling and saw
the bird perched in a tree as well as flying around the valley. This is an
extreme northerly record in Saudi Arabia with the previous most northerly
record I know of being near Abha some 450 kilometres to the south. The species
is currently regarded as a vagrant to Saudi Arabia although this is not the
case as quite a few records have occurred in recent years including one Phil
and I saw at the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment near Abha two weeks
previously. This species is obviously a scarce breeding summer visitor
extending its breeding range from Oman and Yemen into southwest Saudi Arabia.
Male birds are normally located by the clear emphatic whistle that rises in
pitch, “dee-dee-dee-diederik” such as this individual. They prefer semi-arid
thorn scrub and acacia savanna and are found in the highlands of the Asir
Mountains in Saudi Arabia from 1500 – 3000 metres above sea level.
Dideric Cuckoo |
Dideric Cuckoo |
19 July 2015
No Arabian Golden-winged Grobeaks again - Al Atta
Whilst birding in the Taif area for the weekend of 3-4 Junly 2015 Phil
Roberts and I went to Al Atta. The location is basically a set of fields where
roses are grown with a few overhead power lines where the Arabian Golden-winged
Grosbeaks were seen perched previously. There is also a wooded valley with
relatively steep sides and tracks running up both sides. Despite spending many
hours here we did not see or hear the Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeaks and to be
truthful the site does not look too promising with much better looking areas
nearby. This location is a good birding site with plenty of Arabian Wheatears
and Yemen Linnets. Philby’s Partridge was heard and plenty of Tristram’s
Starlings were flying around calling. Other good birds seen included a single
Brown Woodland Warbler, Arabian Warbler, Little Rock Thrushes, Long-billed
Pipits, Red-rumped Swallows, Pale Crag Martins, Little Swifts and Palestine
Sunbirds. Although we did not see the Grosbeaks birding here was much more
pleasant than when I came previously in January 2015 when the low cloud made
birding extremely difficult. At least this time the sun was shining and you
could see more than a few metres so birds could be seen and located. A dark phase Long-legged Buzzard was also seen on the way to the site just after Bani Saad.
Arabian Wheatear |
Arabian Wheatear |
Gambaga Flycatcher |
Little Swift |
Little Swift |
Little Swift |
Red-rumped Swallow |
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