Birds of Saudi Arabia

18 July 2012

Yellow-spotted Agama again - Sabkhat Al Fasl

Another hot day at Sabkhat Al Fasl, and another day with a few sightings of Yellow-spotted Agama. As mentioned previously these lizards like to climb on top of the tallest shrubs (2 metres) and sit there either enjoying the sun or advertising themselves to females by flashing their blue throats, which return to normal colouration if disturbed. The lizards try to pretend they are sticks if you get close to them and rarely jump from the shrubs. This allows close approach and a good opportunity to photograph them. As can be seen from the photographs the colouration and patterning is quite different from above and below.

17 July 2012

Egyptian Nightjar - Dhahran Hills

Birding the 'patch' has turned up a few good birds in the last few days with the best being an Egyptian Nightjar seen towards dusk on 15th July. I was talking to Phil at the side of the Percolation Pond when the bird flew across to the side of us and over the pond before doubling back and landing out of sight. We went for a walk to see if we could relocate it on the ground and luckily it flew a short distance and landed out in the open where it stayed and allowed a few photographs before again flying off into cover. This is the earliest date I have seen a bird in Dhahran but they have been seen in ecent weeks at Sabkhat Al Fasl (Jubail). They were regarded as vagrants by Bundy, Birds of the Eastern Province of Sadui Arabia (1989) but they are now a scarce migrant, summer and winter visitors.

Egyptian Nightjar

Whilst looking for the Nightjar we found a Steppe Grey Shrike in very worn plumage, but interest in this bird was soon lost as soon as we saw the Egyptian Nightjar again. The pond also held two Little Bitterns (adult male and juvenile) showing the birds had again bred in the reeds of the pond for the second year in a row. Five Green Sandpipers, four Wood Sandpipers and one Common Sandpiper were present along with three Little Ringed Plovers and four Kentish Plovers. A single European Bee-eater and two Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters were hunting from trees at the edge of the pond and the two Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters ere also seen mating. Other migrants included 10+ Barn Swallows and six Sand Martins. Three Gull-billed Terns and four Little/Saunder's Terns were also present.

16 July 2012

Tern Ringing – Al Jarrim Island (South)

A 02:45 hrs start from Saudi Arabia for a day’s ringing on Al Jarrim Island meant we were able to board Ali’s boat just after 04:00 hrs for the one hour journey to the islands. You need Coast Guard permission to go to the islands so after calling into the Coast Guard boat and getting permission we set off and arrived at 05:00 hrs on the island. This is ideal timing as it is just getting light and the temperatures are significantly down (32 Degrees Celsius compared to 42 Degrees Celsius at 12:00 hrs). Ali’s boat is a very fast fishing boat with two 200 HP two stroke engines so although thirsty on fuel is quick. The aim of the day was to ring Bridled Tern Chicks and then when it got a little warmer round up some Lesser Crested Tern Chicks and ring them.

Bridled Tern

It proved very successful as although we only had three ringers, Brendan, Nicole and I, we had three helpers in Ali, Hussain and Ahmad (two nephews of Ali). As a result when we went looking for Bridled Tern chicks we had a helper each, Ali with Nicole, Hussain with Brendan & Ahmed with me. This was very advantageous as the birds hide under the low vegetation having a preference for the thickest and thorniest bushes. We managed to ring 278 Bridled tern chicks which are about half the total on the island as we estimate there are 600 pairs breeding. Most have a single chick although a few have two and some fail to raise any young. The last few pairs are still sitting on eggs but some of the terns were large enough to start flying in the next couple of days. We left the islands at 12:30 hrs when the temperature had risen after a very enjoyable but tiring day in the field.

Lesser Crested Tern chick roundup

Lesser Crested Tern (juvenile)

Lesser Crested Tern (adult)

At the end we ringed about 978 birds, with 278 Bridled Tern chicks and 700 Lesser Crested Tern chicks and I ringed 100 Bridled Terns and 264 Lesser Crested Terns. The way we catch the birds has evolved over the last couple of years and we are now much more proficient and catching and ringing them. The early start also helps as we do not get too hot and this weekend the birds were at a very good stage for ringing so we will try this weekend next year. The only issue with this being that it will be in Ramadan and although Ali said he will still, he will not be able to help so much due to the restriction on eating and drinking in daylight hours that occurs during the Holy month.

15 July 2012

Western Osprey attacked by Black-winged Stilt - Dhahran Hills

Phil Roberts went to the percolation pond in the morning of 12th July and saw a Western Osprey perched in the large dead tree to the side of the pond. There are a number of breeding pairs of Black-winged Stilts on the pond and as I have said previously they make great parents and chase away anything they feel is a threat. I have seen about fifteen of them gang up on an Arabian Red Fox that was getting too close to a nest last year and these photos show how they took on the much larger Western Osprey. I thank Phil for kindly allowing me to use his excellent photos.

Western Osprey & Black-winged Stilt (photo kind permission of Phil Roberts)

Other birds seen on the patch in the last few days include Clamorous Reed Warblers, Caspian Reed Warblers, five Little/Saunder's Terns, two Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, 10+ Barn Swallows and 10+ Sand Martins.

14 July 2012

White-winged Terns – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Another early morning trip to Sabkhat Al Fasl, as I do most weekends, resulted in a few good birds. The first bird I saw on entering the area was a Steppe Grey Shrike, which I will post details and photographs of later. Other birds seen on the way into the main water areas were two Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, one Barn Swallow and a Sand Martin. Terns were quite evident with about 40 adult Little Terns and two adult Saunder’s Terns with plenty of juvenile Little/Saunder’s Terns in their company. 68 Caspian Terns were on the main sabkha area with 30+ White-cheeked Terns with well grown juveniles. Three White-winged Terns were also present on the shallow water site with a fine adult summer just starting to moult into winter plumage.

White-winged Tern (adult summer)

White-winged Tern in flight (adult summer)

White-winged Tern (adult winter)

The Egyptian Nightjar, or possibly another bird as its plumage looks different to the bird I photographed last weekend, was present in almost the same place I saw one last weekend. A few waders were about including a Common Greenshank, six Little Stints (the first returning birds of the autumn for me at this site), 15 Curlew Sandpipers, 20+ Greater Sand Plovers and 23 Pied Avocets. Six Purple Swamphens were in the reeds, but only two Clamorous Reed Warblers were seen. A single adult Greater Flamingo was looking a bit lonely and single juvenile Little Bittern was seen in flight at the other end of the site to where I saw a juvenile a couple of weeks ago.

Egyptian Nightjar

Purple Swamphen

13 July 2012

Dammam - Al Khobar Wader Roost South

A trip to Dammam – Al Khobar Wader Roost South at high tide produced three adult Crab Plovers. The tide had pushed the birds well up under the bank and good views were possible. Wader numbers are still not high with the main species being Greater Sand Plover & Eurasian Curlew. The first Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints were showing today along with a few Terek Sandpipers, Lesser Sand Plovers and Common Redshanks. Other waders included a single Bar-tailed Godwit and three Whimbrels. Eurasian Curlew is a common passage migrant and winter visitor to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with a few birds staying the entire summer. The subspecies that occurs is the long-billed N. a. orientalis if you thought the birds loked slighty odd.

Crab Plovers (adults)

Crab Plovers in flight (adults)

Black-winged Stilt (adult)

Eurasian Curlew

Eurasian Curlew in flight

Terns were about in good numbers with 30+ Little/Saunder’s Terns, one Gull-billed Tern and 17 Caspian Terns and the Western Osprey was sitting on an offshore buoy surveying the scenery. The Greater Hoopoe Lark was still present in the same area but little else of interest was seen. Sevn Indian Reef Heron were feeding with all being white phase birds exceppting on grey phase and a single Indian House Crow was seen in the palm trees on the way into the site.

Caspian Tern

Saunder's/Little Tern (juvenile)

Saunder's/Little Tern in flight (juvenile)

Indian Reef Heron (adult white phase)

12 July 2012

Greater Hoopoe-Larks – Dammam/Al Khobar Wader Roost South

A trip to the Dammam – Al Khobar Wader Roost South at high tide produced a pair of Greater Hoopoe-Larks. I have never recorded proof that the species breeds here but they seem to be present in the summer months and the habitat was suitable. It is now no longer suitable for the species as the scrubby desert area behind the wader roost has now been flattened ready for building houses on. As a result the two birds were feeding along the edge of bank by the water edge as well as occasionally flying down to the salt-marsh area to feed. Greater Hoopoe-Lark is a reasonably common pecies in the Eastern Province but they are never easy to see and always make my day when they are located. They can be very timid at times but these birds allowed reasonably close views as I was in the car.

11 July 2012

Saunder’s Tern – Dhahran Hills

Saunder’s Tern is a common bird on the coast but is scarce inland. On Sunday Phil and I saw two juvenile terns flying about on the percolation pond which from a distance appeared to have a lot of black in the wing. Juvenile terns are difficult to identify at the best of times but this combined with the distance and the fact Little Tern is far more common inland than Saunder’s Tern left us leaving the birds unidentified. We later walked around the pond and got much better and closer views and the birds had rumps concolourous with their mantles indicating Saunder’s Tern. Other birds seen whilst walking around the pond included a juvenile White-eared Bulbul, indicating breeding has occurred again in the camp, and two European Turtle Doves. Numbers of European Turtle Doves seem to have increased slightly in the last couple of days with eight seen the day before. A real surprise was a first year Mauryan (Steppe) Grey Shrike on 8th July, which is a very early record for this migrant.

White-eared Bulbul (juvenile)

European Turtle Dove

Black-winged Stilt (adult)

Other migrants seen in the last few days included a single Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, 20+ Sand Martins, six Barn Swallows, three Little Terns, three Common Sandpipers, one Green Sandpiper, one Wood Sandpiper and one Common Greenshank. A minimum of 16 Little Grebes are currently sitting on nests on the pond which is the largest number ever breeding at this site. Conditions are ideal for the species to breed with lots of pond weed and low water levels and they have certainly taken advantage of this situation. Black-winged Stilts are plentiful with a minimum of fifty birds, mainly juveniles on the pond.

10 July 2012

Greater Sand Plover or Lesser Sand Plover? – Dammam – Al Khobar Wader Roost South

I went to the Dammam – Al Khobar Wader Roost South on 4th July and photographed this bird at high tide, where it was under a bank between the sea and the area where the new housing complex is going to be built. As it was high tide most of the birds had already been pushed off and were on the land behind the roost and all the mud flats were covered with water. As a result no feeding action was, seen just very close views from the car and then brief flight views as the rising tide made the area it was standing waterlogged. Separating Greater Charadrius leschenaultii and Lesser Sand Plovers Charadrius atrifrons is far from simple, with this bird being a case in point, is it a Greater Sand Plover (GSP) or Lesser Sand Plover (LSP) as it appears to have features of both species?
The photographs of the bird on the ground shows well the plumage, bill size and leg length.

Size
Typically, GSP is a bulky bird, while LSP is more delicate and usually looks smaller. The race columbinus of GSP, however, somewhat approaches LSP in size and can cause confusion, even among experienced observers. The sub-species of Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius atrifrons that occurs is C. a. pamirensis (C. a. atrifrons may possibly occur particularly on Red Sea coast but this bird was seen on the Arabian Gulf coast). The sub-species of Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii that occurs is C. l. crassirostris (C. l. columbinus occurs on the Red Sea coast and possibly northern Arabian Gulf). Unfortunately this bird was on its own and very close so size was extremely difficult to judge.
Leg colour
Leg colour is usually greyish-black or black on LSP and yellow-green or greenish-grey on GSP although LSP sometimes shows greenish-grey legs and GSP sometimes having greyer legs. The toe joints of LSP are concolorous with the rest of the legs, while GSP often (but not always) has darker toe joints. The leg colour of this bird is greenish-grey rather than greyish-black indicating GSP
Bill shape
Both species have a black bill, that of GSP (of the two eastern subspecies) being the heavier and longer. On GSP, the mandibles gently taper to form a long point whereas, on LSP, they taper more steeply and produce a blunt tip. A major pitfall is race columbinus of GSP which has a short and sometimes 'weak' bill, although it is never as blunt ended as on LSP. The bill shape of LSP varies with the Arabian Gulf subspecies from the western 'atrifrons group' having a more slender and pointed bill than the other subspecies, and in this respect their bill approaches that of race columbinus of Greater. This bird has a gently tapering bill without the blunt ended appearance of many LSP therefore indicating GSP but note that the subspecies of LSP that occurs in the Arabian Gulf is the more slender billed ‘altifrons group’.
Bill length
A character widely described as useful in the field is bill length in relation to the eye. Birds with bill length equal to or shorter than the distance between the base of bill and the rear of the eye are considered to be LSP, while those with a bill longer than this distance are thought to be GSP. This rule is not always regarded as a good one with Hirschfeld et al 2000 stated this rule may not always be reliable, as columbinus GSP can have a very short bill (approaching average length of LSP). Having said that birds with long bills are always GSP, but shorter-billed individuals can be either LSP or columbinus GSP. This is a short-billed bird and the bill appears to be equal to the distance from bill base to rear of the eye indicating LSP but this is marginal.
Length of nail on bill
In relation to total bill length, the nail (the 'hump' at the tip) is longer on GSP and shorter on LSP. On GSP, the distance from beginning of nail to bill point is longer than the visible bill between forehead and nail; it is shorter on LSP. On this bird the bill tip nail appears to be about equal to the forehead to nail.

From the flight shot (sorry for the poor quality) a number of features can be seen.
Length of feet beyond tail (in flight)
In flight, the feet always project beyond the tail on GSP, while they are invisible or just barely visible on LSP, but this can be difficult to assess subjectively. The legs of this bird do extend beyond the tail but only slightly, not as much as in many GSP I have seen but I am not sure the legs are being held in a level plane? Is this a LSP pointer?
Wing-bar
There are also differences in the wing-bars of the two species. On the primaries, the rear edge of GSP wing-bar bulges, while it is straight and of even width on LSP. On this bird the wing-bar looks fairly even although it may bulge slightly? Again closer to LSP
Sub-terminal tail-bar
GSP tail has a dark sub-terminal bar which contrasts well with the paler base and (in fresh plumage) a white terminal band; the tail of LSP looks more evenly sandy-brown, and the slightly darker (narrower and more ill-defined) sub-terminal bar is generally obscure or virtually impossible to see in the field (fig. 8). The tail may often be important when identifying single vagrants. GSP also has more white on the tail sides than LSP. This bird does not appear to have a dark sub-terminal bar on the tail and the tail sides, although difficult to see exactly do not appear to have white on the tail sides? Features suggesting LSP although it does have a white terminal band suggesting GSP.
Tarsus/bill-length ratio
Millington (1988) proposed a formula involving tarsus length (from knee to foot) divided by bill length (from tip to where feathering meets culmen) for identifying the two species from photographs, the ratios being 1.59:1 for GSP and 1.85-1.99:1 for LSP. Although this formula seems to be fairly accurate, the ratio is difficult to determine, as the angle from which the photograph is taken needs to be considered. From my measurements it appears to have a ratio of 1.57 making it a GSP.

Weighing things up more things point to Greater Sand Plover than Lesser Sand Plover but I am not certain on its identification. If anyone has any thoughts on this bird please feel free to comment as maybe I am missing something obvious?

Erik Hirschfeld, C. S. (Kees) Roselaar and Hadoram Shirihai (2000): Identification, taxonomy and distribution of Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers. British Birds 93:162-189
Millington, R. (1988). Greater Sand Plover in Cumbria. Birding World 1: 250-252.

09 July 2012

White-cheeked Terns – Abu Ali Island

After birding Sabkhat Al Fasl I went to Abu Ali Island again. Even though it was still very windy, I hoped that I may relocate the Black Kites again, but I had no luck despite extensive searching. I then went down to the large pool at the far end of the island that has a sand bar where White-cheeked Terns have bred this year. I saw many adults and now some of the young are big enough to fly and have made it off the island to the edge of the pool. The strong wind was keeping the birds grounded most of the time, but one or two youngsters were flying but finding it very difficult in the wind.

White-cheeked Tern (juvenile)

White-cheeked Tern (adult)

Other birds seen on the pond included 50+ Greater Flamingos, one Greater Sand Plover, one Whimbrel, five Indian Reef Herons and one Great Crested Grebes. As the tide was in I had a look along the bits of shore I could see and tried to find some waders as 120 Crab Plovers have been seen at this site previously. I only saw one Eurasian Oystercatcher but hundreds more White-cheeked Terns were resting on the sand out of the wind.