Breeding Pied Avocet – Jubail area

Whilst birding the Jubail area in late-June I saw two pairs of adult Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta behaving as if they had young nearby, flying over me calling in an agitated manner. As it appears the birds are breeding at the location for the fourth year in succession, I only took a few flight shots and left so as not to disturb the birds. Pied Avocet is mainly an uncommon migrant and winter visitor to all coasts that is locally common along the southern Red Sea coast and scarce inland. Very few birds have been proven to breed but in Riyadh in 1986, 10 birds over-summered and two pairs nested in June and produced young. In 1987 a pair again bred but the nest was preyed upon by Brown-necked Ravens Corvus ruficollis. In the Eastern Province two pairs attempted to breed at Abqaiq 1976 & 1982 and three pairs in 1983 although it is generally a rather scarce visitor from August to March. Records have occurred throughout the year in the Jubail area but records in summer are much less common. A number of breeding pairs (possible as many as twelve) were found in 2020 at the same location as this year’s breeders, with two breeding paris seen in 2021 and 2022.

Summer Breeders & Visitors – Jubail

Whilst in the Jubail area recently I photographed a number of the common breeding species as well as a few summer visitors. I managed to find a good place to stop and try to photograph Clamorous Reed Warbler as I heard a number of birds calling loudly. They find a nice reed and slowly move up the reed stem to get in a good position for calling their distinctive very loud call. This sometimes gives a good opportunity to photograph the birds. In the reeds there were plenty of Grey-headed Swamphen, a bird that I love seeing. They are far from elegant when they fly and try to land in the reeds but are great birds to see and watch. They have been expanding their range markedly in the Eastern Province over the last few years and can now be seen in many places. Little Terns breed in the area now and I managed to find a pair in a good position for photographs. Black-winged Stilts also breed commonly in the area with this one below against a nice sandy background. Non-breeding species seen include Caspian Tern, which is common bird year-round and the much scarcer Lesser Crested Tern. Greater Flamingo has bred at this location in previous years but only fifteen birds are currently present so looks unlikely this year.

Little Tern

Little Tern

Greater Flamingo

Grey-headed Swamphen

Grey-headed Swamphen

Grey-headed Swamphen

Lesser Crested Tern

Lesser Crested Tern

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Clamorous Reed Warbler

Clamorous Reed Warbler

White-cheeked Terns on the ground – Jubail

Whilst in the Jubail area last Friday I photographed a good number of White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa in flight and commented that later in the month many birds also form groups sitting on sandbanks so close-up photography becomes easier. The last visit to the area produced a nice gathering of about a hundred White-cheeked Terns on the ground with three second calendar year birds with the adults. If you remain in the car the birds allow quite close approach, and it is easy to position the car with the sun behind to get the best possible position for photography. Below are a few of the photos itook of the birds.

Adult

Adult

Adult

Adult

Adult

Adult

Second calendar year 

Second calendar year 

Second calendar year 

Second calendar year 

Waterbirds - Dhahran

When out birding the Dhahran Hills Waste-Water Lake in mid-June I came across a few different water birds. There were eight Black-crowned Night Herons, with equal numbers of adults and juvenile, suggesting they must breed somewhere nearby. Three Glossy Ibis were again on the lakeside, after going missing for several months. A couple of Little Bittern were also present as were a single Western Great Egret, one grey phase Indian Reef Heron and two Grey Heron. Little Grebes with young were on the lake as were Common Coot and Common Moorhen. The only waders seen were three Black-winged Stilts. Birds around the lake were very few with a few Prinias calling and a number of White-eared Bulbuls the best.

Little Bittern

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult & immature

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult & immature

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult

Black-winged Stilt

Birds of Saudi Arabia Volume 1 (English version) - Free Download

 Free to download - click right hand square in frame below and then the dwonload button in top right

Arabian Red Fox - Dhahran

When out walking in the rough scrubby area near to Dhahran Hills Waste-Water Lake in mid-June I came across three Arabian Red Fox. The foxes were far away when I first saw them at the far end of the lake, but as I walked around, I saw one hiding behind a bush at very close range. I managed to work my way so I could see its head and ears before it moved off. Over the next half hour, I saw a couple more and managed to take the below photos. 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. The Arabian Red fox has very large ears for its size and is very thin and sandy coloured compared to the European Red Fox, as can be seen from the photos below.

Summer Purple Heron – Dhahran

Whilst birding Dhahran Waste Water Treatment Lake this week I saw a nice breeding plumaged adult Purple Heron. It was located at first light in the reeds at the side of the lake but as the sun was rising flew down the lake and landed in a dead waterside tree. This species is not common in summer at the site but has been common during the winter and spring. In the Eastern Province the Purple Heron is a locally common passage migrant and winter visitor seen from August through April with the majority in the coastal zone and close to the littoral. Occurrences away from the coast occur only regularly during August to October suggesting a southerly passage over the desert. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) mentions the species is a passage migrant and winter visitor but has been recorded in all months of the year. Some birds transit through the region, others remain forming a winter population that peaks in late November/early December and remains relatively static thereafter until the spring movement commences in March. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia it is a common migrant and winter visitor to all coasts and coastal wetlands and occurs inland in areas such as Riyadh and Tabuk. This species appears to have started to colonize the Eastern Province with birds regularly seen in the summer months now, including once at Jubail with a juvenile nearby. It presumably breeds somewhere nearby but I have not currently located where. 

Breeding plumage Squacco Herons - Jubail

Whilst birding Jubail I came across well over fifty adult summer plumaged Squacco Herons. They were all sitting out in the reeds in the flooded sabkha with a few close by in the track side vegetation. A number of birds were seen flying past allowing some close up flight shots. Adult summer plumage birds are being seen much more commonly in recent years suggesting birds are breeding in the area as numbers have significantly increased in the summer months in the last three or four years. Significant numbers of juveniles are seen in the early autumn also suggesting breeding is occurring either here or very nearby. The species is very common here on spring and autumn migration as well as in the winter but has only been recorded breeding occasionally in the Eastern province previously although they breed commonly in the west of the Kingdom.