Common Snipe – Dhahran Football Fields

Whilst birding the Dhahran Football Fields recently I found a Common Snipe on the grass looking for food in the soft ground. I saw the bird in the very early morning on the way to work and it was still present in the same area in the evening on the way back home. The Common Snipe is partially migratory with migratory populations breeding across northern Eurasia and wintering up to 6,000 km south in southern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and from Arabia to Japan and Malaysia. In Saudi Arabia it is a common passage migrant and common winter visitor seen mainly on migration from February to April and August to October. They prefer freshwater wetlands with muddy or waterlogged ground abut are sometimes seen on ornamental pools and in city parks. This is the second time I two years I have seen Common Snipe on the football fields, whereas previously I had never seen one here.

Common Snipe – Dhahran Cricket Field

Whilst birding the Dhahran Cricket Field recently I found several Common Snipe on the grass looking for food in the soft ground. One bird walked very close by allowing some good photographs to be taken. The Common Snipe is partially migratory with migratory populations breeding across northern Eurasia and wintering up to 6,000 km south in southern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and from Arabia to Japan and Malaysia. In Saudi Arabia it is a common passage migrant and common winter visitor seen mainly on migration from February to April and August to October. They prefer freshwater wetlands with muddy or waterlogged ground abut are sometimes seen on ornamental pools and in city parks. This is the first time I have seen Common Snipe of the Cricket of football fields.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters still moving - Jubail

Whilst birding in the Jubail area 29 October we came across good numbers of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. This species migrates later than European Bee-eater with birds still passing in small numbers through to the middle of November. This autumn appears to have been a good year for them with birds being seen in good numbers from early July until present. Massive numbers of over 500 Caspian Terns remained as the number of Western Great Egrets has increased to 105 a very good count for this species. A few years ago numbers above ten were exceptional but now they regularly occur in numbers approaching 100. Ten Daurian Shrike were present with birds now as likely to be birds staying for the winter as passage migrants. A couple of species that are winter visitors were seen by me for the first time this winter in Water Pipit and Siberian Stonechat. Eight Great Spotted Eagles, a single Western Osprey and well over twenty Western Marsh Harriers were present with the eagles and Harriers staying now for the winter. A single Northern Shoveler was seen with 27 Eurasian Coot, a good count for this location. Waders were present in small numbers with Common Snipe, Dunlin, Common Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Redshank and Black-winged Stilt. Grey-headed Swamphen numbers are also on the increase, or more likely, becoming easier to see.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Common Snipe

Northern Shoveler

Western Osprey

Grey-headed Swamphen

Shrikes still passing – Jubail

I went to Jubail on 15 October, and we had a good morning birding. One of the first birds we saw was a European Honey Buzzard flying over but unfortunately it was before we had managed to set the cameras up as we had only just arrived. We also saw the first two Greater Spotted Eagles of the autumn along with a Western Osprey and tens of Marsh Harrier. We saw quite a few migrants including seven Daurian and three Turkestan Shrikes along with a single Great Grey Shrike. A small number of warblers were skulking in the reed beds and we managed to identify a female Blackcap, Willow Warbler and a Savi’s Warbler along with the commoner Clamorous Reed Warblers. The winters first White wagtails were seen along with a single Western Yellow Wagtail and a smart Citrine Wagtail. Waterbirds were plentiful with 50 plus Grey-headed Swamphen, 15 Eurasian Coot and a Great Crested Grebe being of interest. Large White-headed Gull numbers are building up with most birds seen Steppe Gulls. A few waders were scattered around with Marsh Sandpiper, Dunlin (including one quite grey looking bird), Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper and 20 Common Snipe being the best. On the way home we stopped at Khafrah Marsh but did not see much of interest as it was approaching midday and the best birds seen being two Spur-winged Lapwing and a Grey-headed Swamphen.

Daurian Shrike

Daurian Shrike

Citrine Wagtail

Common Snipe

Dunlin

Some good migrants - Jubail

Whilst birdwatching the Jubail area in early April, we found a number of good migrants for the area. Several wintering birds were seen including juvenile Eastern Imperial Eagle and Greater Spotted Eagle, which normally depart the end of March and early April. Great Cormorant is a species that is a wintering bird but numbers now say throughout the year. This species was rare in Jubail but is now commonly seen. An adult Black-crowned Night Heron was a good bird although they are now being seen each year with the chance they breed in the wetlands now a distinct possibility. Waders were about in good numbers with Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Kentish Plover, Wood Sandpiper and Greenshank seen in good numbers. Smaller numbers of Terek Sandpiper, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Common Snipe and Ruff were also seen. The first European Bee-eaters of the spring were seen and several Whiskered Terns joined the regular Caspian and Gull-billed Terns. Both Turkistan and Daurian Shrikes were seen with Turkestan the commoner of the two. A single singing Savi’s Warbler was also heard along with many Clamorous and European Reed Warblers. One adult and a juvenile Great-black Headed Gull remained on their normal flooded area with several Steppe Gulls with them. 

Common Snipe

European Bee-eater

Common Cormorant

Little Ringed Plover

Terek Sandpiper

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Wader passage – Jubail

Wader numbers in Jubail have fluctuated over the last month. It has been a poor season for Sand Plovers with very low numbers of Greater Sand Plover and virtually no Lesser Sand Plovers. Black-winged Stilt and Kentish Plover are local breeding residents and have remained in good numbers with very large numbers of Dunlin and Little Stint present. The numbers of Dunlin are the highest I have seen in my ten years in Kingdom. Smaller numbers of Broad-billed Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Snipe, Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Avocet, Ruff, Temminck’s Stint, Marsh Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper have all be seen.

Black-winged Stilt

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Common Greenshank

Common Sandpiper

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlin

Kentish Plover

Little Stint

Little Stint

Marsh Sandpiper

Pied Avocet

Ruff

Ruff

Waders - Jubail

There was a good passage of Waders at the start of November with the largest number of Marsh Sandpiper I have recorded on a single day with well over 30 birds seen. Good numbers of the uncommon Temmincks Stint were recorded with a maximum of four seen on any one day. Most waders were either Dunlin or Little Stint but a few Wood Sandpiper and Common Snipe were also recorded. Normally Black-winged Stlts occur in large numbers but this winter numbers are significantly down on previous years.

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Temmincks Stint

Marsh Sandpiper

Common Snipe

Common Snipe