Corncrakes - Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area 20 May Phil Roberts located a Corncrake out in a relatively open area of the site and pointed it out to me. The bird was busy feeding on lots of small insects, picking them off the ground and nearby plants. It would often stretch its neck up like a Giraffe and pick insects from the top of plants. It was so busy feeding that it was completely oblivious to our presence allowing some close-up views and photos. These are by far the best views I have ever had of a Corncrake, and it was sometimes so close the camera could not focus on it. We watched the bird for over thirty minutes before leaving it in peace to continue searching for food. The Corncrake is a migratory species breeding from western Europe to western Siberia and winters in south, southwest and south-eastern Africa. It is a scarce passage migrant throughout Saudi Arabia, with records from both the spring (mainly May) and the autumn (mainly September) although it is more common in the north and west of the Kingdom. I see the species occasionally in the Eastern Province, but it is always a joy to find one and even more so when it puts on a show like the one photographed below. There is one exceptional record from the Eastern Province of about 30 birds together in a pivot irrigation field in Haradh in September. We saw two more birds during the day although these were more typical views, one running across a path and into thick vegetation and one in flight where they look quite heavy and ungainly with their legs dangling down but show the rufous in the wings nicely.

Corncrakes – Bird records by Dave Kilmister

I received an e-mail from Dave Kilmister on 10 May saying “We had what was to me a surprising arrival on-site this week – at least six Corncrakes who have been feeding on the lawns in front of our main administration building all week. This is adjacent to our main entrance gate so the area sees a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The birds are nicely accustomed to cars, so it is possible to drive up next to them and get the bird filling the whole frame. But, because they are so tame, it is difficult to get them in the typical alert, upright pose. The gardens are thriving with Red-backed Shrikes, Rufous-tailed Scrub-robins, Lesser Grey Shrikes, and Tree Pipits also. I saw my first Golden Oriole today – it was at our water treatment ponds; a magnificent bird”. Dave also sent me a couple of great photographs of the Corncrakes he took and has kindly allowed me to use them on my website. Copyright of these photos remains with Dave. Dave’s camp is on the Gulf coast north of Jubail towards the Kuwait boarder.

The Corncrake is regarded as a scarce spring and autumn passage migrant, possibly largely overlooked due to its secretive behaviour. They normally pass between April and May and again in September and October with the majority of records from the Eastern Province in recent years being from the month of May like Dave’s birds. An indication that they pass regularly and are not seen is a paper on birds killed by overhead power lines in western Saudi Arabia where the most birds picked up dead under the power lines were Corncrakes with hundreds of birds found.

Corncrake a new ‘patch’ species – Dhahran Hills

The ‘patch’ has been alive with birds the last few days, probably caused by the inclement weather we have been having with rain, wind and dust all combining to make it a period when bird would rather be resting than continuing their migration. One such bird was a Corncrake that was a new ‘patch’ species for me. The bird was flushed from the spray fields as I was walking across them to try to get a better look a small flock of Yellow Wagtails I could see from the edge. The flock of Yellow Wagtails had mainly thunbergi but one beema was present and two female type lutea were also present. Whilst walking through the field I also flushed a Common Quail and a Jack Snipe.

Corncrake (taken at Sabkhat Al Fasl May 2012)

Yellow Wagtail - lutea

The spray fields also had 75+ Red-throated Pipits and 10+ Ortolan Buntings as well as a single Tree Pipit. A large flock of 30+ Barn Swallows and five Sand Martins were hawking insects over the newly flooded back part of the fields. A female Western Marsh Harrier was also seen hunting over the fields. Three Whinchats were still present along with five Turkestan Shrikes and a Daurian Shrike.

Ortolan Bunting

The scrubby desert area had a very confiding Upcher’s Warbler that came within minimum focusing distance of the camera as well as a couple of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters which were the first ones I have seen in Dhahran this spring.

Upcher's Warbler

Upcher's Warbler

Upcher's Warbler

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Corncrake - Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst birding at Sabkhat Al Fasl on Thursday 10^th May I found a Corncrake feeding along the edge of the dense reed-bed. It showed quite well at times and allowed very close approach as I was in the car although most of the time it was hidden from view.  This is the first time I have seen the species in Saudi Arabia so I was very happy with my find. Corncrake is a scarce but probably overlooked species in the spring, as like other crakes it is very adept at keeping itself hidden in dense vegetation or ground cover. It has been noted in April in the Eastern Province and this is the first record I know of in May but I am sure they have occurred in this month previously as it is regular in Israel during March to June (Shirahai – Birds of Israel). Most records in the Eastern Provence are from September and October when several hundred have been recorded in the grass crops of Haradh.