Grey-headed Swamphen – Jubail area

Whilst birding Jubail last weekend we found a lot of Purple Swamphens some in unusual places due to the drainage of large areas of the wetland site. Other areas had the reed beds removed and now there is not many good areas for them to live. Graceful Prinia on the other hand still has large areas of reedbeds and scrub to move around in and are still plentiful. Eurasian and Clamorous Reed Warblers were also common in these same areas. Migrants were around in small numbers including Woodchat Shrike, Isabelle Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, European Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, Sand Martin and Yellow Wagtail. Less common birds for the site included Eurasian Oystercatcher, House Crow, Bar-tailed Godwit and Common Myna.

Isabelline Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Grey-headed Swamphen

Graceful Prinia

Seven species of Wheatear – Wadi Ad Dewasir

Whilst birding the Wadi Ad Dewasir area of central Saudi Arabia in November Phil Roberts and I found seven species of Wheatear. The most common was Isabelline Wheatear that were common in many of the spray fields visited. Desert Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Pied Wheatear and a single Eastern Black-eared Wheatear were also seen in the fields. Closer to the escarpment edge, in rocky areas with some cover, we found both Red-tailed Wheatear and Eastern Mourning Wheatear (persica). As Wadi Ad Dewasir is in central Saudi Arabia and bird numbers are relatively low the seven species of Wheatear made up 12% of all the species we recorded in three days birding the location.

Eastern Morning Wheatear

Eastern Morning Wheatear

Eastern Morning Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Red-tailed Wheatear

Red-tailed Wheatear

The Northern Desert – Nayriyah area

Whilst birding the northern areas of the Eastern Province in spring we found good numbers of Wheatears. Most were Northern Wheatears with several Pied Wheatears amongst them. We also located a couple of Eastern Black-eared, Desert and Isabelline Wheatears. Careful checking of any tree fence-lines produced a few warblers with a big fall of Common Chiffchaffs and Lesser Whitethroat and Eastern Orphean Warbler also located. Eurasian Hoopoe, Daurian Shrike and Eastern Stonechat were also seen on the fences or nearby.

Common Chiffchaff 

Daurian Shrike

Eastern Stonechat

Eurasian Hoopoe

Lesser Whitetroat 

Isabelline Wheatear - female

Isabelline Wheatear - female 

Pied Wheatear - male

Large numbers of Wheatears – Hanidh

Whilst birding the Hanidh area in early March we came across good numbers of Wheatears. They would congregate in good feeding areas, mainly were new green growth was abundant due to recent rains. Large areas of similar habitat were devoid of any birds so presumably insect abundance was good where we saw them. Most birds were Northern Wheatears with both males and females present but there was also two stunning male Eastern Black-eared Wheatears that I unfortunately did not photograph as well as a couple of male Desert Wheatears and a single Isabelline Wheatear.

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

A few Wheatears - Ushaiqer

Whilst birding the rocky desert near Ushaiqer I came across several Wheatear species. Isabelline Wheatear was seen a couple of times and Iranian Wheatear Oenanthe persicapreviously a subspecies of Eastern Morning Wheatear more often. The most common wheatear was White-crowned, which I have posted about already. Birds were not easy to photograph as they were constantly on the move. Several Blackstarts were also located in the area.

Isabelline Wheatear

Iranian Wheatear

Iranian Wheatear

Blackstart

Wheatears everywhere – Haradh

Whilst birding the pivot irrigation fields of Haradh in late January we came across large numbers of both Desert Wheatear and Isabelline Wheatear. The bird spent most of their time around the stony edge of the large pivot fields or in the field themselves where they tended to use sand banks to sit on. We saw thirty plus of both species, the largest number of Desert Wheatear I have seen in one place in the Kingdom. Desert Wheatear is common a resident species of the desert areas of the Kingdom and Isabelline Wheatear a common passage migrant, with possibly a few birds wintering. Migration starts very early in Saudi Arabia and these birds were probably on migration as other migrants such as Yellow Wagtails and Greater Short-toed Larks were in nearby fields.

Desert Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Seven species of Wheatear – Jebal Hamrah

Whilst birding the Jebal Hamrah area in March I came across seven species of Wheatear in a single day including Black-eared Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear, White-crowned Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, Pied Wheatear and Desert Wheatear. The week previously, I also saw an Eastern Mourning Wheatear, making a total of eight species in a week. The birds were found in varying habitats with the Jebals holding Hooded Wheatear and White-crowned Wheatear, the pivot fields holding Northern Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear and Pied Wheatear and the surrounding stony desert having both Black-eared Wheatear and Desert Wheatear. This location is proving to be a very good one for wintering birds as well as residents and passage migrants and is certainly worth looking at more regularly from my point of view.

Eastern Black-eared Wheatear

Hooded Wheatear - female 

Isabelline Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

White-crowned Wheatear

Winter Birding - Haradh

Phil Roberts and I went for our normal winter visit to Haradh. We saw a good number of winter visitors at the site including a large flock of 150 plus Kentish Plover feeding on the edge of a pivot irrigation field. We have seen the species here before but not in such a large flock. We always see good numbers of Desert and Isabelline Wheatears at this location and this visit was no different. An unusual sight was a Short-toed Snake Eagle, particularly as they are rare winter visitors, although more regular in the main migration season. Last year we saw a flock of over 60 Mallard in a spray field and had a similar sized flock in a similar location this year. Other birds seen included Tawny Pipit and Namaqua Dove.

Desert Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear 

Kentish Plover

Mallard

Namaqua Dove

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Tawny Pipit

Abyssinian Roller and Singing Bush Lark – Phil’s Fields

Whilst birding the southwest of the Kingdom this winter I went to Phil’s Fields which is a large pivot irrigation set up with three large fields. It is an excellent place to see good birds and I always see Singing Bush Lark and Zitting Cisticola there, and this visit was no exception. More unusual birds seen this trip included African Stonechat and Abyssinian Roller, both of which I have not recorded at the location and probably only occur in winter as this was my first winter visit to the site. Western Cattle Egret, Isabelline Wheatear, Green Bee-eater and Indian Silverbill were a few other more common species seen there. 

Abyssinian Roller

African Silverbill

African Silverbill

African Stonechat

Green Bee-eater

Singing Bush Lark

Singing Bush Lark

Isabelline Wheatear

Winter visitors – Jubail

Whilst birding Jubail recently I have come across a number of winter visitors to the region. Common Kestrel is an uncommon passage migrant but numbers build up in the winter months when they can be seen in various locations. Isabelline Wheatear numbers also increase as winter wears on and they can be seen along the edge of any habitat where at least some vegetation is present. Squacco Heron can be seen throughout the year but again numbers build up significantly during the winter with hundreds of birds seen on some occasions. Duck are more difficult to see and photograph as they are very timid, but I have seen a few Northern Shoveller in recent weeks in various sites. Other birds seen but not photographed include Montagu's Harrier, Pied Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher.

Common Kestrel

Isabelline Wheatear

Northern Shoveller

Squacco Heron