Migrants - Jubail

A steady trickle of migrants have been passing through the Eastern Province in the last couple of weeks with several Red-backed Shrike appearing. Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Pied Wheatear, Tree Pipit and Western Siberian Stonechat were also seen in small numbers. Very few Yellow Wagtails have been around recently compared to recent years but small flocks of European and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters have been passing over mainly in the early morning.

Red-backed Shrike 

Red-backed Shrike

Common Redsatart

Pied Wheatear

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin

Tree Pipit

Western Siberian Stonechat

Western Siberian Stonechat - Tabuk

Whilst birding the Tabuk area I came across a few Western Siberian Stonechat. The birds were looked at closely and there did not appear to be any white extending down the tail feathers. The rump was also unstreaked. They were almost always seen in tall scrub at the side of large pivot irrigation fields. The species in an uncommon wintering species throughout the north and east of the Kingdom with numbers varying each year. Sometimes they are seen regularly but in other years only a handful are recorded.

Last wintering species still around – Khafra Marsh

Whilst birding the Khafra Marsh area in mid-March I saw a few wintering species still present. A few Western Siberian Stonechats were seen in the reeds and bushes along the side of a track with some resident Graceful Prinia for company. The waters edge held both Purple Heron and Squacco Heron as well as a nice Citrine Wagtail. Quite a few wintering Red-spotted Bluethroats were around but very difficult to photograph as were the Water Pipits seen in good numbers. Migrants were also around with up to ten singing Savis Warblers a notable record and plenty of Common Chiffchaffs. A nice Turkestan Shrike was present but kept its distance. Many of these winter species will be disappearing in the next month to be replaced by migrants and summer breeders.

Western Siberian Stonechat

Western Siberian Stonechat

Western Siberian Stonechat

Western Siberian Stonechat

Citrine Wagtail

Graceful Prinia

Graceful Prinia

Purple Heron 

Red-spotted Bluethroat

Squacco Heron

Western Siberian Stonechat trapped and ringed - Jubail

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl we trapped a female Siberian Stonechat of the sub-species maurus known as Western Siberian Stonechat. The bird was looked at closely and the rump and uppertail feather moved to see if there was any white extending down the tail feathers, but on this bird there was not. This was a new ringing species for Saudi Arabia although I had trapped and ringed ne in Bahrain some years ago and it was interesting to see the bird in the hand at close quarters. The rump appeared warmer in the hand than when seen in the field but it was completely unstreaked as would be expected. The white wing patch was also well developed on the bird. There has been a good passage of Siberian Stonechats of various types through the Eastern Province in the last few weeks so it was not so surprising to trap one.