Six Garganey – Dhahran Percolation Pond

Whilst birding the Dhahran Percolation Pond at the end of March looking to see what ducks were present, I came across three pairs of Garganey Anas querquedula. The only other duck seen were seven Shoveler with the majority of ducks already departed. Garganey is a common migrant to all areas of the Kingdom with often hundreds seen together. In the Eastern Province, it is a common passage migrant, rare summer and scarce winter visitor. Generally, they occur during spring migration from mid-February to late May with peak numbers in early March. Numbers are much more common during autumn migration which occurs from late August to mid-October with a peak in September when flocks of twenty plus birds are quite frequent. Records are rare between late May and late August and only small numbers are seen in the winter months of November to early February. Birds normally occur on freshwater lakes, pools and lagoons away from the coast although in autumn birds are sometimes seen on the shoreline and occasionally, they have even been seen on the sea. 

Female Garganey – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area recently we came across a female Garganey Anas querquedula. The species is a common migrant to all areas of the Kingdom with often hundreds seen together. In the Eastern Province, it is a common passage migrant, rare summer and scarce winter visitor. Generally, they occur during spring migration from mid-February to late May with peak numbers in early March. Numbers are much more common during autumn migration which occurs from late August to mid-October with a peak in September when flocks of twenty plus birds are quite frequent. Records are rare between late May and late August and only small numbers are seen in the winter months of November to early February. Birds normally occur on freshwater lakes, pools and lagoons away from the coast although in autumn birds are sometimes seen on the shoreline and occasionally, they have even been seen on the sea. Birds normally stay at some distance from the shore as they are frightened of possible hunters but luckily the one shown below did not fly, as it appeared very tiered from migration and allowed close approach in the car allowing some photos to be taken before it was left in place to rest.

Ducks & Terns – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

My last visit to Dhahran Waste Water Lake produced a few interesting birds with the Ferruginous Ducks still present after more than a week. A single female Garganey was also located in amongst the hundred or so Little Grebes. Hopefully a few more species of duck will arrive over the next month or so. The trouble with photographing the duck at this site is they are always across the far side and never close. The only close photos I ever manage are if the birds are disturbed by mountain bikers or walkers and fly overhead. It is a good location to try to identify a rare duck, however, as they are never really that distant. Waders are still passing with Whimbrel and Kentish Plover of the Cricket Field and Black-winged Stilt and Common Greenshank on the lake edge. Terns are always a common sight at this location with Gull-billed Tern seen every visit and small numbers of Little Tern seem almost every visit. White-winged and Whiskered Terns also occur but less often than the other terns. This visit I saw a single White-Winged and a Single Whiskered Tern. Birds around the lakeside vegetation seemed to be only Eurasian Collared Dove and White-eared Bulbuls.

Common Greenshank

Eurasian Collared Dove

Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Garganey - female

Garganey - female

White-winged Tern

Garganey – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area recently I came across a female Garganey Anas querquedula. The species is a common migrant to all areas of the Kingdom with often hundreds seen together. In the Eastern Province, it is a common passage migrant, rare summer and scarce winter visitor. Generally, they occur during spring migration from mid-February to late May with peak numbers in early March. Numbers are much more common during autumn migration which occurs from late August to mid-October with a peak in September when flocks of twenty plus birds are quite frequent. Records are rare between late May and late August and only small numbers are seen in the winter months of November to early February. Birds normally occur on freshwater lakes, pools and lagoons away from the coast although in autumn birds are sometimes seen on the shoreline and occasionally they have even been seen on the sea. Birds normally stay at some distance from the shore as they are frightened of possible hunters but luckily for me the one shown below did not fly and allowed close approach in the car allowing some photos to be taken before it was left in place to rest.

A few migrants - Jubail

Birding the Jubail area in late August produced a few migrants including three Common Cuckoos, Turkestan Shrike, a group of seven Garganey, Barn Swallow, House Martin and several Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. A few waders were seen including Ruddy Turnstone a species that is not commonly seen and the scarce Spur-winged Plover of which we saw three together. Resident species included Greater Flamingo and Grey-headed Swamphen. The reed beds had many Indian (Clamorous) Reed Warblers and Gracful Prinias. Migration is just picking up and hopefully many more birds will be seen in the coming weeks.

Garganey

Greater Flamingo

Grey-headed Swamphen

Grey-headed Swamphen

Ruddy Turnstone

Garganey – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area recently I came across a number of Garganey Anas querquedula. The species is a common migrant to all areas of the Kingdom with often hundreds seen together. A few birds also occur in the winter months. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) stated they are a spring and autumn passage migrant, generally numerous. Occasional winter visitor in variable numbers. Passes February to early May, peaking late March/early April with flocks sometimes exceeding 100. Return passage is much lighter and occurs mid-August to late October with groups seldom exceeding 20. In the Eastern Province, it is a common passage migrant, rare summer and scarce winter visitor. Generally, they occur during spring migration from mid-February to late May with peak numbers in early March. Numbers are much more common during autumn migration which occurs from late August to mid-October with a peak in September when flocks of twenty plus birds are quite frequent. Records are rare between late May and late August and only small numbers are seen in the winter months of November to early February. Birds normally occur on freshwater lakes, pools and lagoons away from the littoral although in autumn birds are sometimes seen on the shoreline and occasionally they have even been seen on the sea. Birds normally stay at some distance from the shore  as they are frightened of possible hunters but luckily for me one flew right past and landed close to the shoreline allowing some photos to be taken before it was frightened off by a passing security vehicle.

Water birds around Jubail

Whilst birding Jubail recently I came across a nice selection of water birds some of which I have not seen so often this year. Terns are always common in Jubail and Caspian Tern has been seen in numbers up to 100 birds in some visits. It is a local breeding species and can often be seen trying to catch fish from the flooded areas of sabkha. Whiskered Tern also uses the same habitat and they can often be seen fishing together when the massive size if Caspian Tern becomes more apparent. A bird I have seen few of this year compared to most is Garganey, although I saw two males together last visit. Grey-headed Swamphen is now spreading its range in Saudi Arabia bit the Jubail area is its stronghold and I saw one very confiding bird along the side of a wet ditch. Little Egret on the other hand is normally an uncommon winter visitor to the Jubail area although this year numbers have ben high with plenty seen last visit including a number that have moved well inland from their normal haunts. Other water birds seen included both Spotted Crake with three birds seen and a single Little Crake all of which were too fast for me to take any photographs. Little Grebes are now in full breeding plumage and passage waders are still passing with photographs of Wood Sandpiper and Ruff taken.

Caspian Tern

Whiskered Tern 

Garganey

Grey-headed Swamphen

Wood Sandpiper

Ruff

Little Grebe

Little Egret

Gadwalls, Mallards, Northern Shovellers, Garganey, Ferruginous Ducks and Grebes – Dhahran Hills

The percolation pond was full of ducks a week ago but then they almost all disappeared. On 12 December a few ducks had returned but they were very different in composition to the ones that had been there previously. I counted 40 Gadwalls which is the highest count by far I have had on the ‘patch’ of this species. Also with them were three Garganey, three Ferruginous Ducks and two Northern Shovellers. Also with the duck were a large number of Little Grebes and five Black-necked Grebes, the largest count of this species I have seen on the patch as well. It looks like winter may prove to be good this year after a slightly disappointing autumn. I also saw four Little Egrets and a Squacco Heron on the pond but these have been around for several weeks along with two Western Marsh Harriers and a Gull-billed Tern. As it was the weekend I got to the pond when the light was reasonable and therefore managed to get a few photos of them.

Gadwall

Gadwall, Northern Shoveller & Garganey

Gadwall & Garganey

Gadwall

Gadwall

Gadwall

Mallard

Little Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

Increasing numbers of ducks – Dhahran Hills

Small numbers of ducks have been using the percolation pond for the last few weeks with the majority being Garganey. On 10 September there was an increase in numbers with the count of Ferruginous Ducks being the highest number seen together on the pond since I have been in Saudi Arabi. A few days ago there were three birds but on 10^th September this had increased to 11. They remained mainly on their own, in a group, but were occasionally seen associating with one or two Northern Shovellers, whose total number was 13. Apart from the ducks already mentioned two Garganey were also seen on the pond. Again these birds were all very flighty and would not allow close approach at all, but always flew around and landed back on the pond allowing a few flight photographs to be taken. Other interesting birds seen on the pond included 10+ Sand Martins, several Yellow Wagtails and three Common Sandpipers. The only other migrant of note seen was a couple of Isabelline Wheatears and one Northern Wheatear.

Ferruginous Ducks

Ferruginous Ducks

Ferruginous Ducks

Ferruginous Ducks

Garganey

Garganey

Northern Shoveller