Some good birds in the pivot fields – Wadi Ad Dewasir

Wadi Ad Dewasir has several thousand pivot irrigation fields and is situated in central Saudi Arabia 1000 kilometes southwest of Dhahran. We spent three days birding the area in November and located some very interesting species. One species which had not been recorded there before but which we found in many places in small flocks totaling over 150 birds was Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. A local farmer I asked about the birds suggested they were common in the area, and this proved to be correct from our observations. Other species that were common were Cream-coloured Courser with over 50 seen each day and in one field a very large winter gathering of Caspian Plover totaling 36 birds. This is the largest winter group for many years in the Kingdom although hundreds were recorded in the Eastern Province in the 1980’s. Greater Hoopoe Lark was found feeding around the edge of several pivot fields with Great Grey Shrike (aucheri) seen occasionally perched in trees, shrubs or on hay bales. Commoner birds included House Sparrow, Indian Silverbill, Crested Lark, Yellow Wagtail, Arabian Green Bee-eater and Western Marsh Harrier. Lastly, at last two Pharaoh Eagle Owls were noted on the escarpment edge.

Arabian Green Bee-eater

Caspian Plover

Caspian Plover

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Cream-coloured Courser

Cream-coloured Courser

Crested Lark

Crested Lark

Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Greater Hoopoe-Lark

Greater Hoopoe-Lark

Greater Hoopoe-Lark

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Juvenile Caspian Plovers – Al Asfar Lake

Phil and I went to Al Asfar Lake on 30 August and as we were looking at the waders along the edge of the lake shore we found two juvenile Caspian Plovers Charadrius asiaticus. They were very obvious because of the very rufous tones to the plumage and quite large size superficially resembling bright Greater Sand Plovers. Caspian Plover is a scarce passage migrant in the Eastern Province in small numbers during March and April and again from late July until early September. The peak passage of adults is during March and again from August when juveniles are also frequently seen. A flock of 500 was seen in late March 1982 on the northern steppes with other good numbers from the same area including 45 on the Dibdibah 14 April 1983, 30 there 4 November 1983 and 100 in the same area 28 March 1985. Most sightings occur away from the coast but they are often near inland waters. I have only seen them twice before this sighting with two juveniles at Sabkhat Al Fasl 28 August 2015 and three adults in ploughed fields at Haradh 5 February 2016

Three Caspian Plovers - Haradh

On 5 February Phil Roberts and I travelled to Haradh an area of extensive pivot irrigation fields three hours drive from Dhahran. We left at 03:00 hrs to allow us to be at the site at first light. After plenty of searching we eventually came across a very damp newly ploughed field that had a single Northern Lapwing in it, but as we got closer more and more birds flew out. After an hour or so of checking through the Northern Lapwings we came across an odd looking wader at some distance that on putting the telescope on was obviously a winter plumaged Caspian Plovers. After looking further we found an additional winter plumaged bird as well as one in summer plumage making three in total. Caspian Plover is an uncommon but regular passage migrant in the Eastern Province in small numbers during March and April and again from late July until early September. The peak passage of adults is during March and again from August when juveniles are also frequently seen. A flock of 500 was seen in late March 1982 on the northern steppes with other good numbers from the same area including 45 on the Dibdibah 14 April 1983, 30 there 4 November 1983 and 100 in the same area 28 March 1985. Most sightings occur away from the coast but they are often near inland waters.

Rare and unusual birds seen in Saudi Arabia in second half of 2015

Two new species for Saudi Arabia Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor & Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica were found together on Malaki Dam Lake 3 September. Eight Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei were in a large field near Jizan 30 June including at least two males, a species that has not been recorded in Saudi Arabia for many years. Two Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus were well inland at a wetland near Tabuk 25 September and an immature Black Stork Ciconia nigra was present at the same place 16 October. 26 Abdim’s Storks Ciconia abdimii were at Sabya Waste Water Lagoons near Jizan 29-30 June. Three Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia were at Sabkhat Al Fasl 21 August and a Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala was at Sabya Waste Water Lagoons near Jizan 3 September a species now becoming a regular at the location. A flock of a minimum of 250 Western Great Egrets Ardea alba were at Sabkhat Al Fasl 27 November, the highest ever count of this species in the Kingdom. 

Abdim's Stork

A juvenile Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus was at KAUST 25-27 November. A flock of at 46 Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarious were near Tabuk 20 - 27 November the largest flock recorded in the Kingdom in recent years, with another two satellite tagged birds wintering near the Jordon boarder. A moulting adult Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva at Sabkhat Al Fasl 21 August and two juvenile Caspian Plovers Charadrius asiaticus were there 28 August. A male Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis was at Sabya Waste Water Lagoons near Jizan 30 June one of only two know sites for the species in the Kingdom.

Caspian Plover

Greater Painted Snipe

Three Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus were at Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, Fadhili, near Jubail 4 September, proving the species still occurs at this new site with others at Dammam second industrial city in Oct indicating the species is extending its range from its core area of Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail. A Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus caeruleus was present at Malaki Dam Lake 3 September the first confirmed record of this African subspecies for the Kingdom, although all previous SW records were assumed to have been this race. Another, of the Asian subspecies Elanus caeruleus vociferous was present at Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, Fadhili, near Jubail 4 September only the third record for the Eastern Province all of which have been this subspecies. The first records for the Riyadh region were at Al Hayer early Oct until 18 October at least. A Cinereous Vulture Aegypius manatees was at Rabigh Dam 11 December. At least 17 Greater Spotted Eagles Clanga clanga were at Sabkhat Al Fasl 20 November the highest single day count for the site. A fresh juvenile Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata was at Sabkhat Al Fasl 10 December a vagrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. A male Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius was at Al Atta, near Bani Saad 3 July and was 450 kilometres north of its previous most northerly Saudi Arabian location, extending its breeding range considerably. The highest single count of Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius recorded in Saudi Arabia was 15 at Sabkhat Al Fasl 14 - 28 August in the same place where 13 were seen in August – September 2014. A pair of Plain Nightjar Caprimulgus inornatus were near Taif in the evening of 4 July a rarely recorded summer breeding species, although records have also occurred this summer from Najran northwards to Taif, so appears to be much commoner than previously realised. A White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis was at Sabkhat Al Fasl 14 August to 27 November at least, an unusual date but possibly one of the birds that wintered into 2015 remaining through the summer and another was at Rabigh Dam 11 Dec. Nine Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris were trapped and ringed in a small area of Al Qahma Mangroves 29 Jun showing the species is locally common within its restricted range and habitat choice. A female Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis was at Sabkhat Al Fasl 23 October with numbers increasing to twelve by 5 December, the largest gathering of the species ever recorded in the Kingdom with at least four staying until the year end and with another female near Dhahran 12 December.

Collared Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Four Blanford’s Short-toed Lark Calandrella blanfordi were at Sallal Al Dahna near Tanoumah 1 September. Two ‘mangrove’ white-eye sp Zosterops (abyssinicus?) sp, an as yet unidentified White-eye, were at Either Mangroves, Jizan Province 26 June, one of which was trapped and ringed with two further birds at Al Qahma Mangroves 28 June. A European Robin Erithacus rubecula was at Sabkhat Al Fasl 1-31 December at least with a second bird there 9 December. A Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia was at Sabkhat Al Fasl 2 October with up to five White-throated Robin Irania gutturalis at KAUST in late August an unusual record from this locality. A Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis was at Al Mefah Park, Tanoumah 1 September a species still regarded as a vagrant to the Kingdom. A number of sightings of the Arabian endemic subspecies of African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus eximius in the Al Mefah Park, Tanoumah area during June to September are the first Saudi Arabian confirmed records since 1990 of this little known subspecies. Three Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus percivali, two adults and a juvenile, were seen near Bani Saad 3 July until late July with five birds seen at another location close by in late July. A Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla
was at Sabkhat Al Fasl 19 December only the second record for the country.

Plenty of different species of waders – Sabkhat Al Fasl

A trip to Sabkhat Al Fasl in late August was very good for waders. The numbers on the flooded Sabkha were high but surprisingly there were plenty of waders of various species over the remainder of the location, which is not so usual. The first surprise was a flock of over twenty Pied Avocets flying over the area near the concrete bund. This species is seen in reasonable numbers at the location but normally it is confined to the Sabkha area and occurs much later in the winter. Other waders seen in larger than normal numbers were Common Ringed Plover with well over 100 birds seen and Ruddy Turnstone with 15+ in various locations. A large lock of Whimbrel were also seen away from the flooded Sabkha with eleven birds together. Terek Sandpiper numbers have alos increased with 30+ birds in one area. My first two Saudi Arabian Caspian Plovers, both juveniles, were located on the edge of the flooded sabkha and a scattering of Ruff were in the same area and two juvenile Collared Pratincoles were also seen along the main track but at some distance. These were the first two birds of this species I have seen this autumn. A single Dunlin moulting out of summer plumage was located in amongst the large numbers of Little Stints and Kentish Plovers. Other waders seen but not photographed were Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew and Lesser Sand Plover.

Pied Avocets

Ruddy Turnstone

Common Ringed Plover

Kentish Plover

Terek Sandpiper

Whimbrel

Ruff

Little Stint

Dunlin

Collared Pratincole

Caspian Plover

Two Caspian Plovers a new Saudi Arabian species for me – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Phil and I went to Sabkhat Al Fasl on 28 August and as we were looking at the waders along the edge of the flooded sabkha we found two Caspian Plovers Charadrius asiaticus. They were very obvious because of the very rufous tones to the plumage and quite large size superficially resembling bright Greater Sand Plovers. This was a new Saudi Arabian species for me and was my second new plover species for the site in eight days after the Pacific Golden Plover of 21 August. Caspian Plover is an uncommon but regular passage migrant in the Eastern Province in small numbers during March and April and again from late July until early September. The peak passage of adults is during March and again from August when juveniles are also frequently seen. A flock of 500 was seen in late March 1982 on the northern steppes with other good numbers from the same area including 45 on the Dibdibah 14 April 1983, 30 there 4 November 1983 and 100 in the same area 28 March 1985. Most sightings occur away from the coast but they are often near inland waters. Phil has seen the species at Sabkhat Al Fasl before when he saw a breeding plumage adult 28 April 2008 and has also seen them at Dhahran Expro Wader Roost when he saw two adults 28 July 2013.