Birds of Saudi Arabia: Greater Spotted Eagle

Showing posts with label Greater Spotted Eagle. Show all posts

29 January 2024

Northern Lapwings – Al Asfar Lake

An early morning trip to Al Asfar Lake in January produced a few good birds including about ten Northern Lapwings. This is a common wintering species in the correct areas, mainly large pivot fields but also occurs in small numbers in wetland areas such as Al Asfar Lake. Other waders included three Bar-tailed Godwits, and good numbers of Ruff and Common Redshank. This location is an excellent site for Western Marsh Harrier where more than twenty birds spend the winter. Most are juvenile/female types but one or two males can occasionally be seen. Eagles were seen in small numbers with three Greater Spotted Eagles and a single Bonelli’s Eagle, perched on the electricity pylons. Several Daurian Shrikes are wintering at the location and a Pied Kingfisher was also seen in flight and perched briefly, adding to the locations where this species has been seen this winter. Two Great Grey Shrikes and two Tawny Pipits were about the best of the other species seen.

Northern Lapwing

Western Marsh Harrier

Greater Spotted Eagle

14 November 2023

Good numbers of birds of prey - Jubail

My recent trip to Jubail produced good numbers of birds of prey. We saw fifteen Greater Spotted Eagles, one Steppe Eagle and an immature Eastern Imperial Eagle. Well over twenty Western Marsh Harriers were present with at least two immature males amongst the female birds seen. One Common Kestrel, one Osprey, at least three Eurasian Sparrowhawks, three Crested Honey Buzzards and a male Pallid Harrier were also seen. Migrants remained low in. numbers with a few Daurian Shrikes, one Turkestan Shrike, many Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and White Wagtails, a single Desert Wheatear and two Tree Pipits. Greater Flamingo and Great Egret numbers have increased markedly over the last couple of weeks with Great Egrets now numbering over a hundred birds with more Great Egrets than Little Egrets.

Little Egret

Greater Spotted Eagle

Little Egret

Tree Pipit

24 October 2023

Returning Greater Spotted Eagles – Jubail

The first Greater Spotted Eagle I saw this autumn returned on 20 October when ten birds were recorded a similar number to last year on this date. The majority of birds that will spend the winter in Jubail and are almost always near wetland areas with large areas where they can hunt undisturbed. Birds can be seen perched on the power pylons as well as in the reed islands but are not so often seen on the ground. The area I birdwatch is an excellent location for seeing Greater Spotted Eagle, but it is always a joy to locate birds every trip. It is an uncommon winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with normally single birds seen unless at one of the favoured wintering wetland sites where ten plus occasionally occur.

02 March 2023

Khafra Marsh and nearby areas – Jubail

Whilst birding the Khafra Marsh and nearby areas of Jubail in February I saw a very nice immature Greater Spotted Eagle perched on the ground. This is a common winter visitor to Jubail in wetland areas with up to fifteen birds wintering in one particular site. They are often seen in flight or perched on power pylons but seldon on the ground at close range. The typical species were seen in the wetlands including a number of Squacco Heron and the reed beds were full of calling Clamourous Reed Warblers, Caspian (European) Reed Warblers and Prinias. The prinias at Khafra Marsh have a different call to those in other areas of Jubail and I am uncertain of their identity. There could be both Graceful and Delicate Prinia present but more work is needed to fully understand what is going on there. The farm fields held a nice flock of twenty plus Eurasian Skylark a species I had not seen previously in Khafra Marsh but a regular winter visitor to the Eastern Province. A Common Kingfisher was a nice sight perched in the open briefly and the resident Grey-headed Swamphens were seen in small numbers with others presumably hiding in the reed beds.

Eurasian Skylark

Graceful/Delicate Prinia

Greater Spotted Eagle

Squacco Heron

Common Kingfisher

Grey-headed Swamphen

20 February 2023

Winter species in Riaydh – Al Hair

Whilst birding Al Hair 10 February I saw a few common wintering species. This included Greater Spotted Eagle which favours the wet areas of the Al Hair river and occurs only from September to May. The White-throated Kingfisher which is a resident breeder and can be seen perched on overhead power lines and trees. A rarer species but still not uncommon was the Desert Finch which were seen in fields and on power lines in small numbers. Eastern Stonechat was seen in a couple of places along with Eastern Black Redstart. The pivot fields were quiet but had very large flocks of Spanish Sparrow and up to ten Western Marsh Harriers including a couple of male birds. Another bird of prey frequenting the pivot fields was a Steppe Buzzard. We failed to find any Streaked Weaver, which is normally common in the area, but it was dryer than normal so possibly this was the reason. The only other thing worth mentioning was a large group of well over one hundred Common Snipe, all of which flew before any photos could be obtained.

Desert Finch

Eastern Stonechat

Greater Spotted Eagle

Steppe Buzzard

Spanish Sparrow - female

Western Marsh Harrier

White-throated Kingfisher

28 December 2022

Birds of Prey – Jubail

The last visit to Jubail produced at least six Greater Spotted Eagles, mainly seen perched on the power pylons, but occasionally in the reedbeds as well. Other birds of prey seen included a single Long-legged Buzzard and well over ten Western Marsh Harriers including a male. One female remained perched in a tree which is unusual for the species as they normally fly before you can get close, so a couple of photos were taken (shown below). Other birds seen included a few wintering Daurian Shrikes, plenty of Squacco Heron and Little Egret as well as a number of Grey Heron and Great Egret and a few Greater Flamingo. Common Moorhen numbers are remaining steady but at much reduced numbers compared to those of several years previously and Grey-headed Swamphen remain common at the location. White Wagtail and Water Pipit numbers are slowly increasing as winter progresses.