Eurasian Golden Oriole Khafrah Marsh – Bird Records by Sahal Shanavas

Sahal Shanavas and Mohammed Safeer went to Khafrah Marsh, near Jubail, birdwatching on 6 May 2021 and found two Eurasian Golden Oriole. These are uncommon passage migrants in late April and early May but not easy to photograph well and in some years not seen at all. This year, 2021, has been a good year for sightings, with many records throughout the Eastern Province. Sahal sent me the below photographs that he took, which are much better than my best efforts, and has given me permission to publish them on my website, for which I am very grateful.

Eurasian Golden Orioles & more in Udhailiyah – Bird records by Nishan Xavier

Nishan sent me an e-mail with a number of photographs of birds he had seen recently in Udhailliyah Heights, Saudi Aramco camp. He has kindly allowed me to use the photos on my website and they are reproduced below. Udhailliyah is well inland and shows that the Eurasian Golden Oriole movement this year is widespread with my wife even seeing one in our garden, unfortunately I was at work and did not see it. It is also interesting to note Red-vented Bulbul is present in Udhailliyah as this is a scarce bird in Dhahran. The other species shown are all common birds in Dhahran, but not so easy to photograph well.

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Spotted Flycatcher

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Common Redstart - male

Common Redstart - female

House Sparrow

Namaqua Doves

Eurasian Golden Oriole Al Khobar Corniche – Bird record by Tyrone B. Diesca

I received an e-mail recently from Tyrone B. Diesca a filipino nature enthusiast who is living and working here in Al Khobar. He said “I and my friends loves to do some wildlife photography and started taking photos of birds here in Al Khobar particularly at the Corniche because we don’t know any birding sites yet” Tyrone kindly sent me a photo he took of a Eurasian Golden Oriole he took on 16 May 2014 taken near the construction of a mushroom like tower on Al Khobar Corniche which is shown below. There has obviously been an influx of this species into the Eastern Province this year, although they are not rare with a status here as an uncommon passage migrant mainly in spring. Records this year have come from various places in the province including a very large flock at KFUPM in Dhahran, Al Khobar and Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail.

Golden Orioles at KFUPM – Bird records by Lorna Mackenzie

Lorna Mackenzie updated me the other day on the fact that the Eurasian Golden Orioles were still about and she had been watching them every day. The morning after she saw the big flock she located them from their song. “They are so strangely reminiscent of home as their song is like an echo of part of a Blackbird's song, and in flight they look very like Thrushes. Anyway, I think there may be at least a few dozen of them still present 10 May 2014 and there can easily be ten to twenty at a time feeding on one tree on the little figs”. Lorna has seen them flying to-and-fro a bit between KFUPM and Dhahran Saudi Aramco Camp but unfortunately as I do not bird this part of the camp I have yet to see them.  Lorna took her husband's camera out and tried to get a few shots of them. It's a good camera for his use, mainly architectural features and landscape shots, but although it has a decent zoom lens it has a terrible viewfinder so for something like birding it's generally a case of point-at-the-blob-of-colour and shoot. Lorna sent me a few photos of the birds and has kindly allowed me to use them here and which are shown below.

Apart for the Eurasian Golden Orioles Lorna has mentioned she is “very much enjoying the multitude of delicate little Warblers, the grey one I asked about is Upcher's, thanks for the tip, have been seeing them regularly. Having relaxed a bit about identifying each one I have been lucky to see a couple of those easier to identify among the many not, namely Blackcap, a lovely rufous female first and then male, and I saw Barred Warblers this morning, again a female first and then the male with his startlingly bright yellow eye; both firsts for me. Still lots of Spotted Flycatchers and a good few Red-backed Shrike around, waves of Barn Swallows passing through some days, quite a few Swifts - I think both Common and Pallid, and another first for me in Whinchat”.

Some bird records from Dhahran and Abqaiq from the 1980’s – Bird records by Cliff Peterson

Cliff Peterson a birder who birded extensively in Saudi Arabia in the 1980’s has sent me a number of photographs, taken on film but converted to digital images.  I have selected a number of unusual species most of which I have not seen, or not taken photos of in Saudi Arabia. I appreciate the time Cliff has taken to convert the photos to digital and send them to me

Eastern Greylag Goose - This pair was present in Dhahran's Lanhardt Lake (now replaced by the percolation pond) 9 November 1985 to 26 January 1986.  Initially four birds arrived 9 November 1985 but then two of the four birds disappeared.

Ruddy Shelduck - This species frequented the Abqaiq lagoons (now fenced off I understand) and was recorded in a all months between 29 October to 20 May during 1982-1985.  Thirty-seven were counted 12 January 1984.

Western White Stork - Nine birds were found at Dhahran's Lanhardt Lake 27 August 1984 and lingered for a few days.

Eurasian Bittern - This species appeared sporadically at Abqaiq Lagoons with a maximum of 4 present 20 October 1983.  All other records were in March.

European Scops Owl - This was a wild bird that someone pulled out of a shrub in Dhahran May 1983.  It was later released.  We never saw another.

Rose-ringed Parakeet - Commonly found in Dhahran Main Camp. I also saw this bird in Qatif and Abqaiq. I had flocks up to eight and they were conspicuous due to their color and call.  My thinking is that the population size was likely limited by nesting cavities.  I have one picture of a pair using a large conduit alongside a power pole as their cavity. This image is of the male.

Eurasian Golden Oriole - This male sang every morning from the acacia trees over our house in Dhahran. It was present 16 April until we departed on leave 16 June 1984. Until the time we departed, no female appeared. I've several other records from April-May and September to October every year we were in KSA.  This was the best shot I was able to get he was quite shy.