Egyptian Nightjars - Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Dhahran Waste Water Lake 12 October 2024, I came across five Egyptian Nightjars. The Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius is an uncommon bird in Arabia, with ‘The birds of the Western Palearctic’ (Cramp 1985) mentioning they winter in north-east Africa and migrate on a broad front across Arabia from September to early November & March to mid-May. These birds fit this pattern, and the fact I have not seen any around the lake in recent years also suggests they are migrants rather than early wintering birds. As I am on foot whilst birding this area it is difficult to get close to the birds as they fly when they notice you. I did manage to see one before it saw me and got the below photos before it flew off. This species has become regular at certain locations during the summer months where they now breed, but records during migration and winter and much less common.

Egyptian Nightjars - Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in mid-august we found 12 Egyptian Nightjars but unlike the week before they were scattered widely over the area rather than concentrated in a couple of places. One bird was so close I could only just manage to fit it in the frame of the camera, making the photos a lot less appealing. These birds will now stay until mid to late September before departing. This species is also present at the nearby wetland area of Khafrah Marsh and is a regular sight in the summer months.

Juvenile Egyptian Nightjars - Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area 9 August we found 13 Egyptian Nightjars with at least five juveniles. The plumage is very fresh and smoothly soft, and they pretty much all have nice, neat white fringed coverts forming neat lines across the wing as well as the tertial tips. The birds are lacking the honey-orange spots on the shoulder of the wing that adults show with the adults also generally having darker plumage than the juveniles. Adult birds at this time of year are mainly in heavy primary moult with up to 4 to 6 new inner primaries that can easily be seen on birds in flight whereas a single bird seen well in flight had all new flight feathers again indicating it was a juvenile. Although no nests have been found juveniles occur here in July each year for the last five years some of which can hardly fly indicating they breed here. Bottom two photos are adult birds.

Four Egyptian Nightjar breeding – Khafra Marsh

Whilst birding Khafra Marsh recently we came across four Egyptian Nightjar. The birds spend their time, sitting under small bushes and probably breed in the local area. This location along with Sabkhat Al Fasl, is a great place to see them. They arrive in May and depart the Jubail area in early to mid-September with the latest sighting 23 September 

A few migrants – Khafra Marsh

I visited Khafrah Marsh in early September to see what migrants had dropped in. This is a large wetland area near Jubail and on the water itself where 17 Grey-headed Swamphens. This is the largest number I have seen at this location where they were first seen only a few years ago. A black-tailed Godwit was on the water’s edge with a few Kentish Plover. On a small pool were a single Little Ringed Plover, a Kentish Plover and two Namaqua Doves and a Yellow Wagtail also dropped in whilst we were there for a short while. I quick walk through a rough grassy area with small tamarisk shrubs produced three Egyptian Nightjars, and a Great Grey Shrike but very little else.

Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian Nightjar

Great Grey Shrike

Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Namaqua Doves

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Record count Egyptian Nightjar - Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area 11 August I came across a record number of Egyptian Nightjar for the site, and probably anywhere in the Kingdom. I recorded 23 different birds including adults and six juveniles. This is an increase in numbers from the 16 I found on 7 July 2023. The birds spend their time, mainly sitting on tracks under small bushes and allow extremely close approach in a car. On foot they fly much sooner so if possible, I try to move the car into good positions for photography. As mentioned in earlier posts these birds breed in the local area and this is a great place to see them. They arrive in May and depart the Jubail area in early to mid-September although the latest sighting was 23 September 2015. Birds were scattered across the entire site, but the main concentration was still in the area they have previously used. The top five photos are of juvenile birds with the remaining photos adults.

Juvenile Egyptian Nightjars - Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area 7 July I found 16 Egyptian Nightjars with at least seven juveniles. Two of the juveniles could hardly fly and indicate they were bred locally at this site. The plumage is very fresh and smoothly soft, and they pretty much all have nice, neat white fringed coverts forming neat lines across the wing as well as the tertial tips. The birds are lacking the honey-orange spots on the shoulder of the wing that adults show with the adults also generally having darker plumage than the juveniles. Adult birds at this time of year are mainly in heavy primary moult with up to 4 to 6 new inner primaries that can easily be seen on birds in flight.

Juvenile

Juvenile

Juvenile

Juvenile

Juvenile

Juvenile

Juvenile

Juvenile

Juvenile in flight

Adult

Adult