A few good birds – Tendaha Dam

Tendaba Dam is a large wetland area near Khamis Mushait. We visited the location in mid-March and found a number of good birds including a Western Osprey. This was a big surprise as the area is far from the coast, but the lake does hold a good number of fish. Waders were plentiful on the lake with Common Sandpiper, Little Stint, Ruff, Little Ringed Plover, Common Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Black-winged Stilt, Temmincks Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and Common Snipe seen. Birds seen around the edge of the lake included Black Scrub Robin, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Arabian Babbler, Arabian Waxbill and Arabian Wheatear. A couple of Yellow-billed Kites were seen flying over nearby. This is a good looking site and well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Black Scrub Robin

Spotted Redshank

Yellow-billed Kite

Yellow-billed Kite

Yellow-billed Kite

Yellow-billed Kite

Birding Phil’s Fields - Sabya

Whilst looking for Harlequin Quail in Phil’s Fields, of which we found 18 birds, all females with the exception of two calling males we also saw a few other good species. These included specialties such as Zitting Cisticola and Singing Bush Lark which are probably easier to see at this location than anywhere else in the Kingdom. Good number of African Silverbill were located in the fields and nearby edges, often in small flocks and a few Arabian Babbler and Black Scrub Robin were seen on the field margins and surrounding scrub. White-throated Bee-eater were quite common with may juveniles seen both in flight and perched on the ground or small trees. The very high humidity and hot temperatures makes birding this area quite unpleasant but the species seen makes it a very worthwhile exercise.

White-throated Bee-eater

African Silverbill

African Silverbill

African Silverbill

Black Scrub Robin

Arabian Babbler

Birding the Farasan Islands

Birdwatching on the Farasan Islands was excellent with very close views of birds possible due their lack of fear of humans. Great views of the common Greater Hoopoe Lark and Black-crowned Sparrow Lark were obtained with the views of the Sparrow-Lark probably better than anywhere else in the Kingdom I have seen them. The shoreline had numerous wader species in very good numbers with Crab Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, Greater Sand Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel and Kentish Plover seen. Other species seen included Sooty Gull, Pink-backed Pelican, Western Reef Heron and Western Osprey. Inland and in the mangroves were Purple Heron, Barn Swallow, Egyptian Vulture, Common Cuckoo, Graceful Prinia and Black Scrub Robin.

Bar-tailed Godwits

Black-crowned Sparrow Lark

Black Scrub Robin

Common Sandpiper

Crab Plover 

Graceful Prinia

Greater Hoope-lark

Pink-backed Pelican

Pink-backed Pelican

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Purple Heron

Western Osprey

Black Scrub Robin Al Khobar – Bird record by Raheel Mohammed

Raheel Mohammed’s was staying in Saudi Arabia in 2009 and saw and photographed a Black Scrub Robin in the Al Khobar area close to the corniche. The bird was seen on 26 March 2009 when the species was a vagrant to the Eastern Province. They have since spread eastwards from the Riyadh area and become a scarce breeding species with birds mainly seen in the Al Hassa and Sarrar areas where they now breed. I thank Raheel for allowing me to use his photos on my website.

Rare and unusual birds seen in Saudi Arabia in first half of 2017

An adult and juvenile Bewick’s Swan Cygnus (columbianus) bewickii near Al Jawf 14-15 December 2016 with three more adults in the north of the Kingdom 19 December 2016 being only the third to seventh records of the species for the Kingdom. Four See-see Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis, including a calling male, were at a remote desert site a couple of hours drive from Sakaka in Al Jawf province 23 April, the first records for the Kingdom for many years. A Striated Heron Butorides striata was at Al Khobar Corniche seafront 13 January the fifth record for the Eastern Province with signs the species is spreading north up the Arabian Gulf coast. A Goliath Heron Ardea goliath remained at KAUST until 18 May at least with two present from 6 - 19 April. A Macqueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii, a species in serious decline in the Eastern Province, was near to Al Hassa 6 January. A juvenile Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata was over Dhahran Hills 25 February only the fourth record for the Eastern Province. An overwintering immature male Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus was at Deffi Park 16 December 2016 with up to eight wintering birds in Dhahran until mid-February with a single remaining until 12 April. An adult Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii was at the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment 31 March. 350 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus at Haradh 13 January where the second largest recorded flock for Saudi Arabia. 26 Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus were at Haradh pivot fields 13 January with six at the same site 3 February. Two further birds were at Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail 7 April with one staying until 27 May at least. A single bird at Haradh 21 April appeared to be defending a territory aggressively from other birds suggesting it might be breeding. An amazing 24 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus were at Shaybah water ponds 14 February, a species previously regarded as a vagrant to the Eastern Province. Seven Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarious were at Haradh 13 January with at least five remaining until 3 February, only the third record for the Eastern Province and proving birds have started wintering at this site since 2016. The bird at KAUST wintered in the area until 23 February at least. A Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius was at KAUST 4 February. A Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei was in a Wadi south of Zulfi 20 December 2016. A White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis was at Dhahran 20 January whilst a Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis remained at KAUST until 23 May. A Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus was at the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment 31 March. Two Arabian Magpie Pica (pica) asirensis, were at Sallal al-Dahna, Tanoumah 1-2 April. A large flock for twenty Blanford’s Lark Calandrella blanfordi were at Talea’a Valley, Abha Province 31 March to 2 April. Fifteen Oriental Skylarks Alauda gulgula were at Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail 10 February. A Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis was at Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail 26 May. A Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon was at KAUST 19 April a first for the site. The first Thick-billed Warbler Arundinax aedon for Saudi Arabia was at Sarrar 24 February amongst a large ‘fall’ of migrants. An adult male Common Blackbird Tudus merula was at Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail 29 December 2016 until 20 January with a female there 29 January. Four Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis, an adult male and three first year males were at Deffi Park, Jubail 20 January, the first record for the Eastern Province since the 1980’s, increasing to 12, two adult males, two adult females and eight first year males 27 January remaining until 10 February. Two Redwing Turdus iliacus were at Deffi Park, Jubail 27 January a vagrant to Saudi Arabia. A pair of Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe near Sarrar 24 February with another a short distance away still in Sarrar was the sixth & seventh records of this species for the Eastern Province. Additional records from Al Hassa area show the species is now resident in the region favouring farms. A female Eversmann’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythronotus
was at Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail 29 January the first record since 2000. A Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus was well to the south of its normal range at Yanbu Waste Water Treatment dump, 4 February.

Black-throated Thrush

Blanford's Lark

Black Scrub Robin

Eversmann's Redstart - female

Another Black Scrub Robin - Sarrar, Eastern Province

Whilst birding the Sarrar area of the Eastern Province Phil Roberts and I found two Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe a species that has only been recorded five times in the Eastern Province making this sixth record as posted about earlier. Amazingly we then found a third bird some kilometres further down the main road in some woodland around a large pivot irrigation field. After posting the first post and informing Arnold Uy he mentioned that they are commonly seen in the farms around Al Hassa so it looks almost certain they have now colonized the Eastern Province and are spreading west. It will be interesting to see how long it is until I see one in Dhahran. There current status as a vagrant to the province clearly needs updating.

Two Black Scrub Robin - Sarrar, Eastern Province

Whilst birding the Sarrar area of the Eastern Province Phil Roberts and I found two Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe a species that has only been recorded five times in the Eastern Province making this sixth record. The species is apparently extending its range north and east. Although very rare in the Eastern Province, they are an uncommon breeding resident along the Red Sea north to Yanbu, the Tihamah, Asir, Hejaz, and Northern Hejaz to 160 km north of mecca. They are not found on the juniper summits of mountains in Asir or Hejaz but are regularly seen as far east as Riyadh. The fact that the two birds appeared to be a pair suggests the species may have finally spread as far as Sarrar and colonized the area as we saw one in a similar area last year.

Extensive woodland area - Wadi Baqra

Whilst driving to Tanoumah via Muhayil we came across a few extensive fenced woodland areas at the base of the escarpment in an area called Wadi Baqra. These look very good for birds but we were very limited on time and were there in the middle of the day, exactly the wrong time for birding. This is an excellent looking area and one I will try to go back to when I am next in the area. Whilst we were there we saw a few White-throated Bee-eaters and Black Scrub Robins as well as a lots of Laughing Doves. I was keeping my eye out for Red-eyed Dove but failed to see anything resembling one. Later in the day when we were at Tanoumah we heard from a couple of bird photographers that they had seen seven Black-crowned Tchagras in the area but the exact location I am unsure of. This is a species I am yet to see in the country. It was possible to enter the wooded areas as the fence is down in a number of places and there are a few tracks to bird along. The trouble is the woodland area is very dense and you cannot see much unless on the tracks. This location has serious potential for good birds and is well worth checking out if in the area.

White-throated Bee-eater

Black Scrub Robin

Fifth Black Scrub Robin for the Eastern Province – Sarrar, Eastern Province

Amazingly in the same small field near Sarrar where Phil and I found two Woodlarks on 15 January, we found shortly afterwards a Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe a species that has only been recorded four times in the Eastern Province making this fifth record. The species is apparently extending its range north and east. Phil has seen the species once before in the Eastern Province but this was a new Province species for me. Although very rare in the Eastern Province, they are an uncommon breeding resident along the Red Sea north to Yanbu, the Tihamah, Asir, Hejaz, and Northern Hejaz to 160 km north of mecca. They are not found on the juniper summits of mountains in Asir or Hejaz but are regularly seen as far east as Riyadh.