Water Rail – Khafrah Marsh

Whilst birding Khafrah Marsh at the end of August we found a Water Rail feeding along the back of a wet pool area. This is a species that we seldom see and was the first time we have seen one at this location although we have heard them calling there before. The Water Rail is an uncommon winter visitor to the Gulf and Red Sea areas as well as Tabuk. In the Eastern Province it is a scarce breeding resident in small numbers in the Gulf Wetlands but a more common winter visitor. I have yet to take any good photos of this species in Saudi Arabia and did not improve my record with the ones below.

Grey-headed Swamphen & Water Rail at Dhahran golf course – bird records by Mats Ris

Mats Ris sent me an email and photos of a Grey-headed Swamphen and Water Rail he had seen at a small pond on the Dhahran golf course. Grey-headed Swamphen has only been recorded a couple of times in Dhahran so this is a very good record. The Grey-headed Swamphen is a common resident breeder at Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail and has recently (August 2011) expanded its breeding range to Khafrah Marsh a wetland site 30 kilometres south-west of Sabkhat where six adults and a young bird were found. The species favoured habitat is large Phragmites australis reed-beds with associated water which is available at all the sites the species has been seen at in Saudi Arabia. The range expansion appears to be quite quick as the first record for Saudi Arabia was on 8th August 2003 at Sabkhat Al Fasl core area 2 with breeding confirmed in 2007 and numbers increasing each year since this date. Other signs of the species expanding its range include a record from Dhahran percolation pond, 130 kilometres to the south of Sabkhat Al Fasl in October 2009 with two birds there in December 2014 and a sighting of one and possibly two birds at a farm well inland from jubail. The most recent records are three adult birds at the same site 4 September 2015 showing a very high likelihood of breeding here as well. It appears that the rapid population increase observed at Sabkhat al Fasl over the past five years has created pressures on territories and prompted some birds to move to alternative suitable habitats within the Eastern Province and thereby expand its range. This expansion now appears to have taken in Dammam as birds are regularly seen in the wetlands around the industrial city. I thank Mats for allowing me to use his photos on my website which are shown below.

Grey-headed Swamphen

Grey-headed Swamphen

Water Rail

Water Rail trapped and ringed - Jubail

The Water Rail is an uncommon winter visitor to the Gulf and Red Sea areas as well as Tabuk. In the Eastern Province it is a scarce breeding resident in small numbers in the Gulf Wetlands but a more common winter visitor. At Jubail birds can be heard calling in the early morning and when we last went ringing I mentioned to Nicole it would be great tp catch one as I had heard a few in different areas including birds calling near to a set of our nets. I was more than surprised when I found one in a net that was set on dry land between two reed beds. This was a new ringing species for me and the site and turned out to be an adult female bird. Although birds are regularly heard calling in Jubail they are difficult to see and even more difficult to photograph so trapping one allowed good photos to be taken as well.

Crakes and rails near Tabuk – Records by Viv Wilson

Viv has been seeing some good birds in Tabuk in recent weeks and recently has seen a few crakes and rails. He had a Spotted Crake feeding out in the open in a wet area and a Water Rail at the edge of a reed bed. He also saw a few other birds associated with wet areas including a smart Citrine Wagtail, a flock of Garganey, Glossy Ibis, Western Cattle Egrets, Western Marsh Harrier and a Pied Avocet. A few raptors were also seen including Pallid Harrier, Common Kestrels and Black Kites. Some non-wetland birds seen included Desert Larks, Northern Lapwing, Common Chiffchaffs and Sand Partridge.

Spotted Crake

Water Rail

Black Kite

Citrine Wagtail

Common Chiffchaff

Desert Lark

Desert Lark

Northern Lapwing

Pallid Harrier

Pied Avocet

Sand Partridge

Western Cattle Egret

Waders, Winterers and residents – Sabkhat Al Fasl

My last trip to Sabkhat Al Fasl produced a number of waders of various species including the highest number of Marsh Sandpipers I have seen for a while. Most waders were Dunlins with good numbers of Common Ringed Plover scattered amongst them. A few smart plumaged Kentish Plovers were feeding around the shoreline and a single Grey Plover was also present. Waders seen inland included Green Sandpiper and Common Snipe. Wintering species seen included good numbers of Greater Spotted Eagles and Western Marsh Harriers and a single Water Rail although others were heard calling from the reed beds. A few European Stonechats, plenty of Water Pipits and White Wagtails plus several Bluethroats were all seen along the edges to the reed beds. Squacco Herons were still around in good numbers as were Grey Herons and a singe Purple Heron was located in amongst them. Three species of Kingfisher were also seen including Common Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher and White-breasted Kingfisher and good numbers of Grey-headed Swamphens made up the good birds seen.

Marsh Sandpiper

Dunlin

Common Ringed Plover

Grey Plover

Common Snipe

Greater Spotted Eagle

European Stonechat

Pied Kingfishers

Pied Kingfishers

Pied Kingfishers

Water Rail

Squacco Heron

Grey-headed Swamphen

Grey-headed Swamphen

A White tailed Lapwing flock in Tabuk – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson saw a small flock of seven White-tailed Lapwings together in Tabuk in late November, this being the largest gathering of this scarce species recorded in the Kingdom as far as I am aware. White-tailed Lapwing is a scarce passage migrant and winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with records scattered throughout from the southwest to the northeast. Viv also saw a few other waders including Black-winged Stilts, Wood Sandpipers and Common Snipe as well as the much scarcer Water Rail a bird I am yet to photograph myself within the Kingdom. Other birds associated with wetlands seen included Grey Herons, Graceful Prinias and Great Reed Warbler a species passing through in large numbers at present across a wide front. Birds of Prey located included Western Marsh harriers, Common Kestrels and Black Kites, three species that are common winter visitors to the surroundings of Tabuk.

White-Tailed Lapwing

Wood Sandpiper

Common Snipe

Water Rail

Western Marsh Harrier

Great Reed Warbler

Graceful Prinia

Grey Heron

Black Kite

Water Rail at Sabkaht Al Fasl – Bird record by Dave Kilmister

Whilst Birding Sabkhat Al Fasl 24 May 2014 Dave Kilmister photographed an adult Water Rail along the reed fringes of the main scrape. This is an uncommon species in the Eastern province but is probably under recorded due to its secretive nature. In Saudi Arabia as a whole it is an uncommon migrant and winter visitor that breeds sparingly. There have been some interesting records in Saudi Arabia of this species including five different birds calling in reed beds of a wetland 12 February to 7 March 1990. In the Empty Quarter. This is the coutries largest desert with very little water and these birds were thought to be breeding here. Rob Tovey has recently photographed some birds on the Riyadh watercourse north of the city where they may also be breeding? In he Eastern province they are a scarce breeder to Gulf wetlands with Sabkhat Al Fasl being the best site. I have heard them many times in the early morning whilst setting up ringing nets but never managed to photograph them like Dave did. I thank Dave for permission to use his photograph of this difficult to photograph species.

Juvenile Namaqua Dove & Water Rail

Today at my local patch I saw a juvenile Namaqua dove sitting in a tree with an adult bird. This is further evidence that they have bred in Dhahran Camp this year. I also saw two Water Rail feeding around the muddy edges in the reeds of the percolation pond. This is a rare bird for Dhahran with only one previous record and is a new species for me on my local patch and the first there since 24th May. Water rail breed in Saudi Arabia in suitable habitat but is currently a migrant a very rare migrant to Dhahran percolation pond. Other good birds present included six Green Sandpiper, two Ruff, adult summer Little Stint, fifteen Little Ringed Plover and four Kentish Plover with Black-winged Stilt numbers significantly lower today.

Namaqua Dove (juvenile)

Water Rail