30 August 2015

Saudi Arabia review of first half of 2015

The below reports show the best birds seen in Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2015. These birds were seen by many different birdwatchers and information sent to me. There will be other good birds seen by other birders of which I am unaware that are not recorded here I am sure.

Twenty plus Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor were at South Jizan wastewater treatment wetlands 7 February to 4 March with fifty plus Abdim’s Storks Ciconia abdimii at the same site on the same date. A Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala was at South Jizan wastewater treatment wetlands 6 February with twelve at Sabya wastewater treatment wetlands 7 February. A female European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus was at Deffi Park, Jubail 24 January an unusual winter occurrence. Two female Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus remained together at Dhahran Hills until the 19 January with one remaining until 22 April with another female at Jeddah 10 February. A Southern Shkira Accipiter (badius/brevipes) sphenurus was at Wadi Thee Ghazal 2 May. A country high count of Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio (porphyrio) poliocephalus occurred at Sabkhat Al Fasl totaling 73 birds on 29 May and an adult Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata was at the same site 22 May a first record for the Kingdom. Two Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus were at Gulf of Salwa 21 April with a flock of at least 30 Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarious in a field just south of Tabuk 20 February with another satellite tagged bird wintering near the Jordon boarder. A Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus was unusual at KAUST 21 March. A Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni was 120 km east of Madinah 10 April with another at KAUST golf course 17 April. At least four Little Terns Sternula albifrons were on or around KAUST beach 8 - 15 May an unusual occurrence on the west coast of the Kingdom. An adult Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustuswas at Sabkhat Al Fasl 29 May only the second documented record for the Eastern Province. A Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius was south of Jizan 7 February to 4 March and a Bruce’s Green Pigeon Treron waalia at KAUST golf course 24 April was well north of its normal range. Three White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis were at Sabkhat Al Fasl 2 January until 13 February one on a small pond at Dhahran Hills golf course 13 -18 February and one in the Madina area 11 April. A Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis was at Dhahran Hills golf course pond 13 - 18 February. A Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus was at Wadi Thee Ghazal, near Taif 30 Aprilil, a northerly record for this species. An adult Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach was at Dhahran golf course 14 February – 4 April a new addition to the Saudi Arabian list. Four Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus were at SAF 5 December 2014 with two more at Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, Fadhili 27 Marchch. A probable breeding pair of Thick-billed Larks Ramphocoris clotbey was in the Riyadh area 1 May. The first breeding Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica for Arabia were found near Al Hayer, near Riyadh in February totaling 13 nests. A Siberian Chiffchaff Phyloscopus tristis was trapped and ringed at SAF 23 January, the first well documented record of the super-species for the country and a Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia was trapped and ringed at SAF 27 Marchch. A Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala was at Haql 23 February. An adult male Common Blackbird Tudus merula was trapped and ringed at SAF 23 January and remained until 20 February with another present at the same site 31 January. A male Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis was near Tabuk 11 Aprilil a rare vagrant to western Saudi Arabia. An immature White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga at KAUST 16 May was unusual as they are not normally seen on the coast and both Kurdistan Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna and Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia were at Wadi Rabigh 23 January. Two Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus percivali were seen near Taif 11 January and a single Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus was on a farm just south of Tabuk 22 February.
Common Blackbird
Common Blackbird
Common Grasshopper Warbler
Common Grasshopper Warbler
Long-tailed Shrike
Long-tailed Shrike