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

Red-tailed Wheatear in pivot field - Al Wannan

Whilst birding the pivot irrigation fields around Al Wannan on 30 October I saw an odd-looking wheatear. I was looking directly into the sun, with the Wheatear in a field with very little plant growth. The bird was some distance away but gradually came closer and eventually right outside the car. Unfortunately, the light was miserable and the resulting photos did not turn out as well as they may have done. It turned out to be a Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia, a species normally found on boulders or jebals and not in irrigation fields and this is the first time I have located one in such habitat. The Red-tailed Wheatear is an uncommon winter visitor to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with birds occurring from late September until early April, especially in the vicinity of jebals, other rocky outcrops, dry scrub areas and semi-desert. It breeds in an area from northeast Turkey through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and western Pakistan while it winters to the south from southern Iraq, across the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-west India. 

Red-tailed Wheatear and a few other passerines – Dhahran Hills

The Red-tailed Wheatear is still present on the boulders behind the pond and looks like it may remain for some time. I have still not managed to get any proper photographs of the bird as I always see it in the late evening after work and the light is already poor. As a result the photos below were taken with a high ISO and are not as good as they could have been. Hopefully this weekend I will be able to take some better photos in better light if I can find the bird again. Other passerines are not that common but a few Common Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat and several Daurian Shrikes have been around. Other birds of note have been three Tawny Pipits in the spray fields that do an excellent job of hiding in the grass and keeping themselves well hidden and a few Eurasian Skylarks remain from the small flock I found a few days before. Other winter visitors seen include a few Water Pipits and several White Wagtails including some males still in full breeding plumage. Several Rose-ringed Parakeets have been seen in the late evening as whilst I have been watching the girls playing football in the main camp. These birds very rarely come to the Hills area so I do not often see them and have never managed to photograph the species in the camp even though they are common in the main camp, but this is not part of my ‘patch’ for birding. Also seen were two Western Marsh Harriers over the spray fields an adult male and a female.

Red-tailed Wheatear

Red-tailed Wheatear

Daurian Shrike

Western Marsh Harrier - female

Western Marsh Harrier - male

Red-tailed Wheatear back on the boulders – Dhahran Hills

Whilst birding the ‘patch’ on 11 November I saw the Red-tailed Wheatear that Phil had found at the weekend. I was busy with the family so unable to make it birding for the last few days so this was my first opportunity to look for the bird. Luckily it was still on the same boulders, an area where it or another bird has spent the last two winters. As the nights are drawing in as winter approaches the light is not good for photography in the evening any more with the below images the best I could manage. Hopefully the bird wil stick around all winter as in the last two years as they are great little birds to sit and watch. The Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia is a scarce winter visitor to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with birds occurring from late September until early April, especially in the vicinity of jebals, other rocky outcrops, dry scrub areas and semi-desert. It breeds in an area from north-east Turkey through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and western Pakistan while it winters to the south from southern Iraq, across the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-west India. Although they breed from 1200 – 4000 metres above sea level they winter down to sea level with this bird seen only 100 metres above sea level.

Wheatears returning –Dhahran Hills

Signs of migration have been increasing during the week with a few Blue Rock Thrushes and a nice male Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush seen. Other migrants have been several Common Quail calling from the spray fields as well as seven Red-rumped Swallows roosting in the reed bed on the settling pond. Daurian Shrike numbers are increasing slowly with a maximum of five seen on a single day and ten Black-winged Stilts and a Green Sandpiper arrived on the percolation pond. A small crake was seen but unidentified and a Lesser Whitethroat was also located in the bushes surrounding the pond. Apart from the Rock Thrushes the other species that has occurred in small numbers are wheatears. Some of these have wintered but others are migrants. The Red-tailed Wheatear remained on the boulders where it has spent the winter and was joined by at least three Pied Wheatears. A female Desert Wheatear was also seen in the boulder area and a few Isabelline Wheatears have been feeding around on the scrubby desert areas. Things are really changing bird wise now with most of the obvious winter visitors almost absent with just a few White Wagtails and one or two Water Pipits left.

Red-tailed Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Migration slowly picking up – Dhahran Hills

The migration season starts very early in Saudi Arabia compared to my home country of England. In KSA the first migrants seen are in January with the most obvious being Pallid Swift. House Martins, Barn Swallows and occasionally in February Red-rumped Swallows all join the large flocks of swifts. The first passerines are difficult to tell as some birds of the early movers also winter here such as Daurian Shrike and Common Chiffchaff but numbers of these birds build up slowly throughout February with plenty of Common chiffchaff now on the ‘patch’. I have also see two Lesser Whitethroats but again I am not certain these are really migrants. Three birds that have wintered here and also occur, as migrants are the Crested Honey Buzzards that have been seen over the golf course and were seen again last weekend. I also saw an adult male in the trees of the percolation pond 19 February that was new to the area. The pond itself held a few new birds with the first Eurasian Coot returning for the first time since the pond was drained many months ago. Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe have also both returned to the pond, which is encouraging but there are no calls or song of Indian (Clamorous) Reed Warblers yet even though this is the peak time for hearing song. A bird that was certainly a migrant was a Pied Wheatear that I saw in close proximity to the wintering Red-tailed Wheatear, until they decided they did not like each other and the Red-tailed Wheatear drove the Pied Wheatear off. Other spring migrants I have seen recently were two Yellow Wagtails, one a male Black-headed Wagtail and a Little Crake at Sabkhat Al Fasl. Large numbers of gulls are again using the pond for washing mainly Black-headed Gulls although plenty of Large White-headed Gulls have also been arriving in the last week. These are mainly Steppe Gulls with a few Caspian Gulls and one or two Hueglin’s Gulls but they normally remain in the middle of the pond and not easy to photograph.

Pallid Swift

Pallid Swift

Daurian Shrike

Eurasian Coot

Pied Wheatear

Red-tailed Wheatear

Steppe Gull

Red-tailed Wheatear still present – Dhahran Hills

Birding the last week has remained slow although a few interesting birds have been seen. The Red-tailed Wheatear is still present on the large boulders and rocks behind the percolation pond but has moved a long way towards the perimeter fence. This birds is not a good model and never allows close approach, and this combined with the sun always appearing to be in the wrong place makes photographing it difficult. The pond itself has had a few Eurasian Teal, one Common Redshank and a Black-winged Stilt but not much else. The spray fields have produced a couple of interesting birds with the first Common Quail of the year on 2 February as well a Jack Snipe flushed at close range and giving good flight views. Up to ten Meadow Pipits are still hiding in the grasses and the NCT Stonechat is still present. Other birds have been fly over Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Western Marsh Harrier and 100’s of Pallid Swifts. The Settling pool has so much water it is almost overflowing, but 111 Western Cattle Egrets and three Common Moorhen are still present. Plenty of White Wagtails and Water Pipits are still using the edges to feed.

Red-tailed Wheatear 

White Wagtail

Red-tailed Wheatear – Dhahran Hills

Last night whilst birding the ‘patch’ I saw the Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia again on the rocky outcrop where it has spent the winter. The bird is in exactly the same place as a bird last year and thus may be the same returning individual. As it is winter and it gets dark early the bird is not easy to see and photograph but I went straight to the area after work and saw the bird straight away allowing me the chance to photograph the bird. Birds are scarce winter visitors to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with birds occurring from late September until early April, especially in the vicinity of jebals, other rocky outcrops, dry scrub areas and semi-desert. It breeds in an area from north-east Turkey through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and western Pakistan while it winters to the south from southern Iraq, across the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-west India. Although they breed from 1200 – 4000 metres above sea level they winter down to sea level. Birds have even been seen in the Empty Quarter in winter. In Saudi Arabia the status is an uncommon winter visitor and can be seen in all areas but is rare or absent from the Asir mountains, the Tihamah and the Southern Red Sea coast.

Red-tailed Wheatear – Dhahran Hills

Phil found a Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia a few days ago on the same pile of rocks on the camp as the one last year used. It was quite timid and did not allow close approach but I did managed to get a few photos the next day of the bird, but the evening light was poor. This is only the second Red-tailed Wheatear I have seen on the patch and I hope this one will spend the winter in the same area. Red-tailed Wheatear is a scarce winter visitor to Saudi Arabia where they have been recorded in all areas of the country, including the Empty Quarter. The same status is true for them in the Eastern Province where birds occur from late September until early April, especially in the vicinity of jebals, other rocky outcrops, dry scrub areas and semi-desert. It breeds in an area from north-east Turkey through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and western Pakistan while it winters to the south from southern Iraq, across the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-west India. Although they breed from 1200 – 4000 metres above sea level they winter down to sea level.

Not many signs of spring yet – Dhahran Hills

There are very few migrants about at the moment with most birds being seen being winter visitors. A group of seven House Martins, three Barn Swallows and six Pallid Swift were migrants moving through; with the House Martins being the first of the spring but very little else has been obvious. A few birds like the Stonechats and Shrikes are difficult to tell if they are migrants of local movements of wintering birds. Four Siberian Stonechats, one Caspian Stonechat and one Common Stonechat are in the spray fields along with a Daurian Shrike. A very smart adult female Western Marsh Harrier has been hunting over the spray fields and percolation pond in the last few days and duck numbers are building up. Eurasian Teal numbers are over 20 birds now, with seven Garganey and seven Gadwalls. White Wagtail numbers are decreasing as birds presumably move off for the breeding season elsewhere after having spent the winter in Dhahran. A female Desert Wheatear has taken up residence along the perimeter fence area which is another species that may be a migrant or may be a locally moving winter visitor. The Red-tailed Wheatear was still present in the same place and has now been about for over a month. One winter visitor who’s numbers are increasing on the pond is Great Cormorant with over 300 birds now using the trees surrounding the pond to roost.

Daurian Shrike

Daurian Shrike

Daurian Shrike

White Wagtail

White Wagtail

Red-tailed Wheatear

Red-tailed Wheatear

Red-tailed Wheatear – Dhahran Hills

The Red-tailed Wheatear that has been around since the 6th January at least is still present in the same area of boulders. It moves around slightly but has stayed in a one kilometre square area since I first saw it. This was a new species for me on my local patch when I first saw it and is always nice to see, especially this time as I had failed to locate the bird on the last couple of visits to the area. It will be interesting to see how long it stays as spring migration should be starting in earnest in the next couple of weeks.

Red-tailed Wheatear still present – Dhahran Hills

A trip to the ‘patch’ today produced the Red-tailed Wheatear again. This time the bird had moved some distance from it’s normal area to the large rocks along the perimeter road. Again the light was poor as it was late evening but the bird was close and I managed to get one decent photos before it flew off further from the car. The bird has been about for three weeks now and hopefully will stay longer. A couple of new birds for the year were seen today, a Common Kestrel chasing Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons over the nearby airbase and two Marsh Sandpipers on the settling pool. Other waders on the pool included a Wood Sandpiper and 15 Black-winged Stilts and a lone Black-headed Gull was keeping them company. The spray fields held one Siberian Stonechat, two Daurian Shrikes and five Tawny Pipits and the percolation pond had five Gadwall. 20+ Pallid Swifts were again over the pond as it was getting dark.

Red-tailed Wheatear

Daurian Shrike

Red-tailed Wheatear again - Dhahran Hills

I have been trying to see and photograph the Red-tailed Wheatear that I saw a few days ago in recent days. I have seen the bird each time I have visited the ‘patch’ but it has been quite mobile and until yesterday did not allow me to get any decent photographs. Yesterday I saw the bird on the main track to the percolation pond by the scrubby desert and managed to get a few decent shots. Mike Pope a birder from Kuwait, who was visiting Saudi Arabia, mentioned to me he had seen the bird a few days before I saw it in roughly the same place. He did not manage to get any photos, which is a pity as he is an excellent photographer. Red-tailed Wheatear is meant to be a confiding species allowing close approach, but this bird did not read the manual and is tricky to get near.