Phil found a Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus at
Sabkhat Al Fasl whilst birding there last weekend. This is an uncommon breeding
resident in all areas of the Kingdom. In the Riyadh area it is a scarce
resident as well as a migrant and winter visitor. It has retreated for breeding
to remoter areas as urbanisation and farming have expanded. It remains a breeding
resident in small numbers and sightings suggest a big increase in the winter
population. In the southwest it is regarded as an uncommon resident seen in all
months except January. There is one record from the Empty Quarter of a bird coming
to drink at an irrigation pipe at GOSP 2. This is an indigenous resident of the
Rub al Khali. In the Eastern Province it is a breeding resident, that is thinly
distributed and small in numbers. Migrants occur particularly in the autumn that
wander over the deserts but are more often seen in the coastal zone from September through November. The bird Phil
saw may well have been a migrant as they are not seen very often at this
location even though it is probably the best watched site in the Eastern
Province. They are not easy to see let alone photograph so Phil’s photos are a
good result for his efforts at birdwatching this location. I thank Phil for
kindly allowing me to use his photos on my website two of which are shown
below.
