Plenty of migrants – Jubail

My last visit to Jubail in late March was quite productive with plenty of migrants seen. Shrikes were definitely on the move with 25 Daurian Shrikes, four Turkestan Shrikes, two Woodchat Shrike and a single Great Grey Shrike. A single Wryneck was hiding in the vegetation and hundreds of White Wagtail were gathering to depart to their breeding grounds. Wheatears seen included two Northern Wheatear, five Pied Wheatear, two Isabelline Wheatear and an Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. Small numbers of Eurasian Hoopoe, Red-throated Pipit and Common Chiffchaff were seen as was a single Citrine Wagtail. Late wintering species included two Greater Spotted Eagles and a few Western Marsh Harriers. A group of 50+ Pied Avocet may be preparing to breed or just staging before departing the area. A group of at least twenty Common Pochard was a slightly unusual sight, but they were quite distant and struggling in the large waves caused by the strong wind.

Citrine Wagtail

Eurasian Hoopoe

Great Grey Shrike

Marsh Sandpiper

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Woodchat Shrike

Late Egyptian Nightjar – Jubail area

Whilst birding the Jubail area 17 September we came across a late Egyptian Nightjar. Most Egyptian Nightjars depart the Jubail area in early September although the latest sighting was 23 September 2015, so this was a good record. Most of the hirundines from last week had passed through with only a handful of Barn Swallows and a few more Sand Martins. Good numbers of shrikes were present, mainly Red-backed and Turkestan with a single Daurian. Wheatear numbers had increased with good numbers of Pied Wheatear, one Northern and a single Isabelline. Spotted Flycatchers & Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters are still present and waders were increasing in numbers with the best waders seen being Broad-billed Sandpiper and Marsh Sandpiper. Overt two hundred Caspian Terns and a similar number of Grey Herons were both large counts for the location.

Marsh Sandpiper

Spotted Flycatcher

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Egyptian Nightjar

Wader passage – Jubail

Wader numbers in Jubail have fluctuated over the last month. It has been a poor season for Sand Plovers with very low numbers of Greater Sand Plover and virtually no Lesser Sand Plovers. Black-winged Stilt and Kentish Plover are local breeding residents and have remained in good numbers with very large numbers of Dunlin and Little Stint present. The numbers of Dunlin are the highest I have seen in my ten years in Kingdom. Smaller numbers of Broad-billed Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Snipe, Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Avocet, Ruff, Temminck’s Stint, Marsh Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper have all be seen.

Black-winged Stilt

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Common Greenshank

Common Sandpiper

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlin

Kentish Plover

Little Stint

Little Stint

Marsh Sandpiper

Pied Avocet

Ruff

Ruff

Wetland birds – Jubail

Whilst birding Jubail recently I came a cross a good selection of wetland birds. Waders were quite numerous with good numbers of Dunlin, Little Stint, Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff and Wood Sandpiper. Common Greenshank, Grey Plover and Little Stints were about in smaller numbers. The resident Grey-headed Swamphen was enjoying the large amounts of wet areas and where seen I a few places where they are seldom seen, as the water levels were very high inundating previously dry areas. Egrets were also around in varying numbers with Western Cattle Egret and Western Great Egret in small numbers and Little Egret in much larger numbers.

Common Greenshank 

Grey Plover

Grey Plover 

Little Stint

Dunlin

Little Egret

Marsh Sandpiper 

Ruff

Western Cattle Egret

Wood Sandpiper

Waders - Jubail

There was a good passage of Waders at the start of November with the largest number of Marsh Sandpiper I have recorded on a single day with well over 30 birds seen. Good numbers of the uncommon Temmincks Stint were recorded with a maximum of four seen on any one day. Most waders were either Dunlin or Little Stint but a few Wood Sandpiper and Common Snipe were also recorded. Normally Black-winged Stlts occur in large numbers but this winter numbers are significantly down on previous years.

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Temmincks Stint

Marsh Sandpiper

Common Snipe

Common Snipe