Common Grasshopper Warbler – Nada Dairy Farm Hofuf

Whilst briding Nada Dairy Farm in Hofuf on 8 April 2016, I heard a reeling warbler in a large rough fodder field. The bird sounded like a Common Grasshopper Warbler and not like the more common Savi’s Warbler that also occurs in the region at this time of year. After some careful looking I saw the bird perched on a grass stem and then again in flight confirming its identification. The Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia is a rare passage migrant to the Eastern Province and central Saudi Arabia including the Riyadh area. Birds are seen during the migration season with most in March and April and again in September. I have seen two previous birds, a single at Dhahran on 1 April 2012 and one in a pivot irrigation field near Nayriyyah 14 March 2013. I also trapped and ringed a further one 27 March 2015 at Sabkhat Al Fasl. The subspecies trapped was one of the western races, either nominate Locustella naevia naevia or Locustella naevia obscurior due to the wing length of 64 with eastern birds having wing lengths of less than 60. Locustella naevia naevia breeds in Europe from southern Scandinavia and southern Finland south to Britain and Ireland, northwest Iberia, east to western European Russia and Ukraine and winters in west Africa whilst Locustella naevia obscurior breeds Caucasus mountains south to northeast Turkey and Armenia with non-breeding birds moving to northeast Africa. These birds have a darker colour than eastern birds that have a distinctly paler and more olive-grey ground-colour with L. n. obscurior differing from nominate naevia by being slightly more olive with heavier, blacker, and more contrasting spots on upperparts; feather-fringes more olive, less brown, sandy-grey rather than olive-brown when worn; flank more tinged rusty-cream (BWP).

Saudi Arabia review of first half of 2015

The below reports show the best birds seen in Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2015. These birds were seen by many different birdwatchers and information sent to me. There will be other good birds seen by other birders of which I am unaware that are not recorded here I am sure.

Twenty plus Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor were at South Jizan wastewater treatment wetlands 7 February to 4 March with fifty plus Abdim’s Storks Ciconia abdimii at the same site on the same date. A Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala was at South Jizan wastewater treatment wetlands 6 February with twelve at Sabya wastewater treatment wetlands 7 February. A female European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus was at Deffi Park, Jubail 24 January an unusual winter occurrence. Two female Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus remained together at Dhahran Hills until the 19 January with one remaining until 22 April with another female at Jeddah 10 February. A Southern Shkira Accipiter (badius/brevipes) sphenurus was at Wadi Thee Ghazal 2 May. A country high count of Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio (porphyrio) poliocephalus occurred at Sabkhat Al Fasl totaling 73 birds on 29 May and an adult Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata was at the same site 22 May a first record for the Kingdom. Two Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus were at Gulf of Salwa 21 April with a flock of at least 30 Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarious in a field just south of Tabuk 20 February with another satellite tagged bird wintering near the Jordon boarder. A Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus was unusual at KAUST 21 March. A Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni was 120 km east of Madinah 10 April with another at KAUST golf course 17 April. At least four Little Terns Sternula albifrons were on or around KAUST beach 8 - 15 May an unusual occurrence on the west coast of the Kingdom. An adult Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustuswas at Sabkhat Al Fasl 29 May only the second documented record for the Eastern Province. A Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius was south of Jizan 7 February to 4 March and a Bruce’s Green Pigeon Treron waalia at KAUST golf course 24 April was well north of its normal range. Three White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis were at Sabkhat Al Fasl 2 January until 13 February one on a small pond at Dhahran Hills golf course 13 -18 February and one in the Madina area 11 April. A Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis was at Dhahran Hills golf course pond 13 - 18 February. A Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus was at Wadi Thee Ghazal, near Taif 30 Aprilil, a northerly record for this species. An adult Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach was at Dhahran golf course 14 February – 4 April a new addition to the Saudi Arabian list. Four Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus were at SAF 5 December 2014 with two more at Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, Fadhili 27 Marchch. A probable breeding pair of Thick-billed Larks Ramphocoris clotbey was in the Riyadh area 1 May. The first breeding Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica for Arabia were found near Al Hayer, near Riyadh in February totaling 13 nests. A Siberian Chiffchaff Phyloscopus tristis was trapped and ringed at SAF 23 January, the first well documented record of the super-species for the country and a Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia was trapped and ringed at SAF 27 Marchch. A Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala was at Haql 23 February. An adult male Common Blackbird Tudus merula was trapped and ringed at SAF 23 January and remained until 20 February with another present at the same site 31 January. A male Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis was near Tabuk 11 Aprilil a rare vagrant to western Saudi Arabia. An immature White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga at KAUST 16 May was unusual as they are not normally seen on the coast and both Kurdistan Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna and Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia were at Wadi Rabigh 23 January. Two Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus percivali were seen near Taif 11 January and a single Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus was on a farm just south of Tabuk 22 February.

Common Blackbird

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Long-tailed Shrike

Three new ringing species for our project in Saudi Arabia – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst ringing on 27 March 2015 we caught and ringed three new species for our project in Saudi Arabia. These were Common Grasshopper Warbler, Ménétriés's Warbler and Eurasian Blackcap. Ménétriés's Warbler is an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor seen from October until April in most years but is not often seen at Sabkhat Al Fasl itself due to the lack of suitable cover. The bird we caught was a nominate Sylvia mystacea mystacea that breeds from the lower River Volga south to eastern Turkey, southeast Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and northern Iran and winters south to Arabia and northeast Africa. In this race the male has forehead, crown and ear-coverts blackish, grading into pale grey of upperparts with a broad white submoustachial stripe contrasting with vinous-pink throat to upper breast with pale greyish-pink breast side and flanks and a whitish belly. Two othr races also occur in Saudi Arabia, S. m. turcmenica that breeds in southern Turkmenistan and northeast Iran, and from southern Kazakhstan, central and eastern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan south to northern Afghanistan, also western Pakistan and winters south to Arabia and northeast Africa. In this race the male is slightly paler and whiter below than nominate. S. m. rubescens breeds from southeast Turkey south to northern Syria, Iraq and western Iran and winters south to Arabia and northeast Africa. In this race the male is paler grey above and whiter below, vinous-pink coloration being replaced by faint pinkish tinge on chest. The second was a Common Grasshopper Warbler that is a rare passage migrant in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia where they occur on passage from early March to April and again in September and was the most unusual of the new species. I posted about this bird a couple of days ago so please look there for more information. The last species that we had not ringed before in Saudi Arabia was Eurasian Blackcap that is a passage migrant that passes from March to early May and again from September to October. Eurasian Blackcap numbers vary greatly each year where they can range from common to scarce depending on prevailing conditions.

Menetries's Warbler

Menetries's Warbler

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Eurasian Blackcap

Common Grasshopper Warbler trapped & ringed – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl 27 March 2015 we trapped and ringed a Common Grasshopper Warbler a species that is a rare passage migrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia where they occur on passage from early March to April and again in September. Common Grasshopper Warbler was not mentioned by Symens & Suhaibani 1996 in their list of birds seen at this location and appears to be a first record for the site. The subspecies we trapped was one of the western races, either nominate Locustella naevia naevia or Locustella naevia obscurior due to the wing length of 64 with eastern birds having wing lengths of less than 60. It was also a very well marked bird with plenty of obvious streaks down the flank making it superficially look a little like a Lanceolate Warbler. Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia naevia breeds in Europe from southern Scandinavia and southern Finland south to Britain and Ireland, northwest Iberia, east to western European Russia and Ukraine and winters in west Africa whilst Locustella naevia obscurior breeds Caucasus mountains south to northeast Turkey and Armenia with non-breeding birds moving to northeast Africa. These birds have a darker colour than eastern birds that have a distinctly paler and more olive-grey ground-colour with L. n. obscurior differing from nominate naevia by being slightly more olive with heavier, blacker, and more contrasting spots on upperparts; feather-fringes more olive, less brown, sandy-grey rather than olive-brown when worn; flank more tinged rusty-cream. Birds are difficult to positively assign to race due to individual variation. This is only the third time I have seen the species in Saudi Arabia with the first a bird on my local patch at Dhahran on 1 April 2012 and the second one in a pivot irrigation field near Nayriyyah 14 March 2013.