Arnold has
taken some photographs of Black-crowned Night Heron from the main wetland at
Abu Hadriyah that he has sent to me and kindly allowed me to use. Black-crowned
Night Heron is an uncommon migrant to most areas of Saudi Arabia but in the
Riyadh area is a common spring and autumn passage migrant passing early
February to early June and again from late July to early November and rarely as
late as December with birds now regularly breeding in the area. In the Eastern
Province it is an uncommon migrant noted more often in autumn than spring.
Juveniles occur from September through November and sometimes into February.
Spring occurrences are irregular from April to May.
Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia
31 October 2016
30 October 2016
First winter White Wagtails – Jubail
Whilst birding the Jubail area on 21 October I came across the first winter White Wagtails for me. Birds will arrive in good numbers in the next few weeks and stay for the winter. White
Wagtail records occur from Mid-September to April with the majority of birds
arriving in October and only occasional records in May and early September.
They are most commonly seen around settlements, near pools, ponds, sewage works
and in cultivated wet fields. Peak counts include 700 at Abqaiq lagoons March
1976 and 600 in February 1977 which were thought to be migrants mainly of the
race Motacilla alba dukhunensis. Geographical variation is marked and complex
with widespread intergradation occurring where races meet. There is a
possibility that M. a. dukhunensis may be only an inter-racial hybrid, perhaps
better included within nominate Motacilla alba alba. Two races occur in the
Eastern Province Motacilla alba alba which breeds in south-east Greenland,
Iceland, Faeroe Islands and throughout continental Europe (has bred Britain and
Ireland) east to the Urals, Turkey and Levant; winters in southern part of
range and south to west & east Africa, Arabia and south-west Asia.
Motacilla alba dukhunensis breeds from central Russia (Ural Monutains east to
Taymyr Peninsula) south to Caucasus, north-west Iran, Kyrgyz Steppes and the
foothills of the Altai Mountains; winters Middle East eastwards to the Indian Subcontinent.
29 October 2016
Bar-tailed Godwit at Shahaily – Record by Arnold Uy
Whilst
birding at Shuhaily near Al Khobar recently Arnold Uy saw a number of waders
including a close Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Snipe and Western Cattle Egret. Arnold
Uy sent me some photos and has allowed me to use it on my website some of which
are shown below. Although these species are common they are not so easy to get
close to and the light is seldom in the correct direction to allow for good
photos.
Bar-tailed Godwit |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
Common Snipe |
Western Cattle Egret |
28 October 2016
European Roller in Dhahran – Record by Paul Wells
Whilst
birding in Dhahran recently Paul Wells saw a European Roller Coracias garrulus. Paul sent me the
photo and has allowed me to use it on my website which is shown below. European
Roller a common passage migrant from March to May and again from mid-July to
late September / early October when juveniles are also seen along with adults.
Birds are regularly seen in the Eastern Province in all areas but they are
always good to see.
27 October 2016
Large numbers of Harriers - Haradh
Whilst
birding the NADAC Farm area of Haradh 14 October I saw plenty of Harriers
including at minimum of ten Western Marsh Harriers, mainly female/immatures but a smart
male was also seen. Montagu’s Harriers were also present including an adult and
several Pallid Harriers with a male and several juveniles seen. In total we saw
over thirty harriers all of which were hunting over the pivot irrigation fields
of the farming areas. October is the best month to see harriers on migration
and Haradh is the best location in the Eastern Province but the total seen was
very high even for this time and location.
Western Marsh Harrier |
Western Marsh Harrier |
Montagu's Harrier |
26 October 2016
Two Eurasian Spoonbills at Shubaily – Record by Arnold Uy
Arnold Uy was at Shubaily very early one
morning and saw two Eurasian Spoonbills flying over. He managed to get a photograph
that he kindly sent to me for use on my website for which I thank him. The
status of the species has changed over the years in the Eastern Province, with
it being regarded as a rare and irregular visitor usually involving immature
birds until the end of the 1980’s. Records occurred from November to December
and April and June with most on the coast at Taraut Bay, Qatif, Abu Ali and Al
Khobar. The only inland record was one at Abqaiq 30 September to 1 October
1976. Today it is an uncommon visitor in all months to the province. In Central
Saudi Arabia the status of the species has also changed with the List of Birds
of Saudi Arabia (Jennings 1981) saying there were no inland records for the
country. By the mid 1980’s the Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) stated
that prior to 1987 the Spoonbill was a rare autumn visitor. Since then it made
frequent appearances along the Riyadh watercourse and became a spasmodic spring
and autumn passage migrant and a regular winter visitor in growing numbers.
Wintering birds arrived occasionally in November but mainly January and were
seen thereafter until May with the largest group 11 on 23 November 1990. In the
late 1990’s the species was not recorded at all by the local birders and is
still regarded as a scarce bird in the area. The main stronghold for the
species in Saudi Arabia is the Red Sea where it is a common resident breeder.
Largest numbers are seen in the southwest near Jizan but birds have been
recorded all along the coast to north on Yanbu.
25 October 2016
Quality migrants at Abu Hadriyah – Records by Arnold Uy
Whilst
birding the Abu Hadriyah area recently Arnold Uy and found some amazing birds. He very kindly sent me the details and has allowed me to use his photos on my website some of which are shown below. Blue Rock Thrush is an uncommon passage migrant that is commoner in the spring
than autumn and a species I personally do not see every year. Eurasian Wryneck
has a similar status to Blue Rock Thrush but they are seen slightly more often.
Other birds seen by Arnold included Indian (Clamorous) Reed Warbler a species
extended it range considerably in the province in recent years. Also seen was
Spotted Flycatcher a species that has been passing through in very good numbers
this autumn over a broad range.
Blue-Rock Thrush |
Eurasian Wryneck |
Indian (Clamorous) Reed Warbler |
Spotted Flycatcher |
24 October 2016
Desert birds and migrants - Haradh
Whilst
birding the NADAC Farm area of Haradh 14 October I saw some good desert birds
and migrants. One of the first birds seen was an Eastern Morning Wheatear,
which was good as birds have only just started returning for the winter and I
have not seen one at this location before. Other migrants included a few Common
Kestrels hunting over the pivot irrigation fields and a Collared Pratincole was
along one field edge. Several shrikes were seen including good numbers of
Daurian Shrikes, Turkestan Shrikes and Mauryan Grey Shrike. Birds seen in the
desert included, Namaqua Doves, Greater Hoopoe-Lark and Black-crowned Sparrow Larks with possibly over
100 birds seen, easily the largest number I have seen at one time in the
Kingdom.
Eastern Mourning Wheatear |
Eastern Mourning Wheatear |
Common Kestrel |
Daurian Shrike |
Greater Hoopoe-Lark |
Greater Hoopoe-Lark |
Collared Pratincole |
Black-crowned Sparrow Lark |
Namaqua Doves |
23 October 2016
Male Montagu’s Harrier - Haradh
Whilst
birding the NADAC Farm area of Haradh 14 October I saw plenty of Harriers
including at minimum of five Montagu’s Harriers including adult and juvenile
harriers over the pivot irrigation fields. Male Montagu’s Harriers are easily
identified by their upperwing pattern amongst other details but Juvenile
Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers are difficult to identify with certainty at times
and good views are needed. The birds were mainly at some distance but luckily
for me the one bird that chose to come close was a fine adult male bird. It was
hunting over the fields catching large Migratory Locusts by dropping into the
pivot fields and catching them on the ground and then either eating them there
or flying to the field side and doing likewise there. Birds are uncommon passage
migrants in the Eastern Province mainly from April to May and from September to
October with a few birds apparently wintering and up to eight seen in a day at
Haradh in September. Birds of the Riyadh Region by Stagg 1994, says they are a
common passage migrant and increasingly frequent winter visitor that passes
March and again late August to mid-October. Since 1988, winter visitors have
taken up residence around alfalfa fields south of Riyadh during December and
January. Other records have come from all areas from the southwest to the
northeast of the Kingdom although the species is not common anywhere.
22 October 2016
Fan-tailed Raven on the Abha to Baha road – Recirds by Jean-François Frey
Jean-François
Frey is an engineer working occasionally in Saudi Arabia who is interested in
birds and photography. He very kindly sent me a photograph of a Fan-tailed
Raven on the road between Baha and Abha that he has allowed me to reproduce
below. Although the species is common in the area they are not so easy t photograph
due to their liking for steep cliffs and their black colour.
21 October 2016
Thousands of Clouded Yellows - Haradh
Whilst in Haradh recently Phil Roberts and I saw huge numbers of Clouded
Yellows in a single pivot irrigation field. The numbers probably exceeded one
thousand individuals and it was an amazing sight. The Clouded Yellow is
occasionally common in all areas of Saudi Arabia, originating from North Africa
and southern Europe. The upperside is golden to orange yellow with a broad
black margin on all four wings and a black spot near the centre forewing. The underside
lacks the black borders and is lighter, with a more greenish tint, particularly
on the forewings. In the forewing underside is the same dark spot as on the
upperside, but often with a light centre; the hindwing underside has a white
centre spot, often with a smaller white or dark dot immediately above it.
Sometimes, a row of black dots occurs on the underwings' outer margins,
corresponding to where the black border ends on the upperside, Females differ
from the males in having yellow spots along the black borders on the upperside.
In flight, it is easily identifiable by the intense yellow colouring, and like
all Colias species, they hardly ever open their wings at rest, although the one
Phil photographed did open its wings very briefly allow Phil to take the photograph
below that he has kindly allowed me to use on my website.
20 October 2016
Dark Grass Blue - Haradh
Whilst
birding a number of large pivot irrigation fields in the Haradh area I cam
across a small colony of Dark Grass Blue Zizeeria
karsandra also known as Asian Grass Blue. It is a small butterfly found in the
Arabian Peninsula in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman as well as the
Southern Mediterranean, in a broad band to India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, New
Guinea and northern and eastern Australia. They are abundant throughout the
northern part of Saudi Arabia excepting the boarder are with Jordon. They are
weak flyers keeping low and are not strong migrants. Colour and size varies
probably depending on food source availability.
19 October 2016
Largest every flock of Spur-winged Lapwing in Saudi Arabia - Haradh
Whilst
birding the large Pivot Irrigation fields of Haradh on 14 October Phil Roberts
and I came across large numbers of Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus. This was a surprise as the species is seldom
recorded in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The largest
recorded flocks in Kingdom have been 61 at Todhia farm, 27 February 2009 and 15 birds at
NADEC Dairy Farm in Haradh 7 Februry 2013. We counted many flocks of over 10 in
various areas and had 106 together so we estimated a minimum of 150 birds and
probably many more. The species is an uncommon resident in the southwest of the
Kingdom but until nw has been a vagrant to the Eastern Province but the large
numbers seen in recent years makes it an uncommon passage migrant and scarce winter
visitor to the region.
18 October 2016
Migratory Locust - Haradh
Whilst at Haradh
I saw plenty of Migratory Locust Locusta
migratoria in the pivot irrigation fields. Normally they occur in small
numbers throughout Arabia, but rarely form into swarms. There are two colour
forms, brown and green with the green colour forms mainly solitary adult
females. Under favourable breeding conditions they can form into vast groups,
with young ‘hoppers’ often all marching in the same direction. They are very
strong fliers and migratory specimens have been recorded as far away as Great
Britain. Most of the locusts were in the fields but the one I photographed was
on the sand at the edge of a pivot field.
17 October 2016
A few migrants - Jubail
Whilst
birding Jubail last weekend I came across a few migrants but things were fairly
quiet. The best birds were a few Daurian and Turkestan Shrikes and two
Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, although several waders were also seen like Green
Sandpiper and Little Stint. Several Pied Avocets were seen and a couple of
Marsh Sandpipers. Good numbers of herons in particular Grey Heron and Little
Egret were about but also a few Squacco Herons. As always plenty of Grey-headed
Swamphens were see but otherwise if was generally fairly quiet.
Isabelline Shrike |
Green Sandpiper |
Little Stint |
Little Egret |
Grey-headed Swamphen |
16 October 2016
Winter plumaged Red-necked Phalaropes - Jubail
Phil Roberts
and I found two winter plumaged Red-necked Phalaropes on some flooded Sabkha in
Jubail on 7 October. These two birds were behaving in typical Phalarope manner
by spinning around at the same spot feeding. They kept far out on the water making
taking photographs very difficult. One bird kept close to a feeding Pied Avocet
and the other on its own. Red-necked Phalarope is an uncommon bird in the
Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with Sabkhat Al Fasl is the best place in the
Province to see them. Bundy’s ‘Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia’
published in October 1989 states that they are regular in varying numbers on
marshy pools in spring but very scarce and irregular in autumn. Records are
regular in Kuwait to the north but from the Eastern Province are limited with
one record from March, scare in April and regular in May with the peak inland
count being 150 birds at Abqaiq in May 1976. As shown they were regular in
years gone by but have become increasingly scarce, although in the last four
years birds have been seen each year. Recent sightings have been in February, May,
June, August, September and October.
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