Devils Thumb – Judah

This rock formation is about 160 kilometres from Dhahran near the town of Judah also spelt Goodah. If the weather is clear it can be seen from some distance but as it was foggy when we arrived, we drove right past it without noticing. The rock formation can be reached relatively easily by car as although it is offroad the tracks are firm and can be easily driven as much of it is on gravel like terrain, especially near the rock formation itself. Nearby the escarpment is also quite beautiful and worth driving along the bottom of. There are various rough four-wheel drive tracks up to the top of the escarpment but some are extremely difficult to drive even with experience. 

Desert Larks – Jebal Hamrah

Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti is a common resident in rocky deserts and outcrops of all areas except the juniper summits of the Hejaz and Asir and probably the sand seas of the Empty Quarter and Nafud Desert. The best place to see the species close to Dhahran where I live is the Shedgum Escarpment. As we have seen birds here before Phil Roberts and I went to the Judah area, where there are similar escarpments to those at Shedgum but less degraded and much less disturbed. Here we located tens of Desert Larks often in pairs and almost all were of the pale subspecies azizi which is the palest form of all the subspecies and matches almost perfectly with the limestone rocks and scree of the escarpment. They prefer arid hills, stony or rocky slopes with sparse vegetation and can often be located by their constant calling. Birds were seen along the entire length of the escarpment and although never common should be located if looked for carefully enough.

Very early Savi’s Warblers trapped and ringed – Sabkaht Al Fasl

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl 23 February 2018 we trapped and ringed two Savi’s Warlers. These birds were the earliest ones we have ringed in Saudi Arabia with the previous records including eight birds from 20 March until 18 April and six in the autumn from 23 September until 24 October. Savi’s Warbler previously had a status, until this ringing project, as a scarce passage migrant but our ringing records show the species is in fact an uncommon passage migrant through the Eastern Province of the Kingdom at least. The subspecies fuscus we get in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is darker coloured, has more obvious under-tail covert tips and some streaking/spotting on the throat making it look more like a River Warbler than the nominate subspecies. The throat markings are not as dark and well defined and the undertail coverts more warm toned than in River Warbler and the supercilium is more obvious behind the eye. This record shows Savi’s Warblers occur on spring migration from late February onwards and this is backed up by a record of mine of three heard reeling in late February 2016.

Little Crake trapped and ringed – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl on 23 Febrayry 2018 I trapped and ringed an adult male Little Crake. This was a new ringing species for me and the first one we have trapped and ringed in Saudi Arbaia. The species is seldom recorded in the Eastern Province although is probably an uncommon migrant through the region. Previously it was regarded as a scarce but regularly recorded passage migrant in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, mainly in marshy areas or pools overhung by vegetation. Birds generally occur during spring migration from February to end of April with peak numbers in March where up to five birds were present in Dhahran Saudi Aramco Camp in the wet areas by the percolation pond in February and March 2012. Birds occur during autumn migration from September to October with a peak in October so this bird fits in well with the records. The grassy irrigated areas of Haradh have previously been the best place to locate the species where surprisingly high numbers have been located. Few birders visit this area now in the spring and autumn mainly visiting in the winter months.

White-spotted wintering in Saudi Arabia - Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl on Friday 23 February 2018 we caught a male White-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula which was a retrap of a bird caught earlier. The White-spotted Bluethroat is a scarce passage migrant to the region, unlike the Red-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica svecica which winters in good numbers. This is only the fourth time we have caught this subspecies in Saudi Arabia. The White-spotted Bluethroat breeds locally in central & southern Europe wintering mainly in west & central Africa with a few in the Middle East (mainly Israel) and north-east Africa. Identification of the Bluethroat sub-species is very difficult unless you see a male in breeding plumage. As a result, many birds seen in the winter months are indeterminate as to sub-species so unless you re-catch a bird in the spring that was caught in the winter it is not generally possible to tell if White-spotted Bluethroats winter in Saudi Arabia. This White-spotted Bluethroat was originally trapped on 17 November 2017 but as the bird was not in breeding plumage it was not identified as a White Spotted Bluethroat. This shows that this bird has spent the winter in Saudi Arabia indicating that the subspecies winters in Saudi Arabia. We also caught a White-spotted Bluethroat in Bahrain in March that had originally been caught in the winter showing that birds also winter in Bahrain at least occasionally.

Hamerkop at Rabigh Wadi – Bird record by Marios Mantzourogiannis

Marios Mantzourogiannis is a bird photographer and bird watcher from the west coast of Saudi Arabia at KAUST. He went to Rabigh Wadi on 22 February 2018 and found a Hamerkop. This is a locally common breeding resident in Saudi Arabia at all permanent watercourses of the Tihamah, Asir and Hejaz, in the south-west, even at high altitudes, but it does not occur as far north as Rabigh so this is a very interesting record. I thank Marios for sending me details of this bird and for kindly allowing me to add his photo to my website.

Summer time birding - Tanoumah

Last summer I visited Tanoumah, and have just sorted out my photos from the trip. Below are a few species I managed to see and photograph including Abyssinian White-eye, Brown-necked Raven, Common Kestrel, Crested Lark, Little Rock Thrush, Tristrams Starling and Violet-backed Starling. I also saw a few Arabian endemics including Arabian Serin, Arabian Wheatear, Yemen Serin and Yemen Warbler.

Abyssinian White-eye

Arabian Serin

Arabian Wheatear

Brown-necked Raven

Brown-necked Raven

Common Kestrel

Crested Lark

Little Rock Thrush

Tristram's Starling

Violet-backed Starling

Yemen Serin 

Yemen Warbler

Raydah Escarpemnt - Abha

A winter visit to the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment early in the morning produced good views of a number of species. Arabian Babbler, Arabian Warbler and Shining Sunbird are common at most times of year here but Ruppell’s Weaver is less common. White-browed Coucal is seen with less frequency but are resident in small numbers in the valley. They are extremely difficult to photograph properly and the ones seen this trip were no exception. They are very good at disappearing into thick foliage or hiding in large trees making things difficult photography wise.

Arabian Babbler

Arabian Babbler

Arabian Babbler

Ruppell's Weaver

Shinning Sunbird 

Shinning Sunbird

White-browed Coucal

Greater Spotted Eagles – Jubail

At least fifteen Greater Spotted Eagles Clanga clanga were recorded at a wetland site near Jubail this winter. Birds winter at a number of sites in Saudi Arabia with the Jubail area the best for the species in the Eastern province. In winter birds are almost always near wetland areas with large areas where they can hunt undisturbed. Another good site is the large wetland area of Al Asfar Lake near Al Hassa. They occupy a fragmented range, breeding mainly in Estonia, Poland, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, mainland China and Mongolia. Passage or wintering birds occur in small numbers over a vast area, including central and eastern Europe, North Africa, East Africa, the Middle East, the Arabian peninsula, the Indian Subcontinent, south Asia and South-East Asia. The Greater Spotted Eagle is suspected to have undergone at least a moderately rapid decline over the last three generations as a result of habitat loss and degradation throughout its breeding and wintering ranges, together with the effects of disturbance, persecution and competition with other predators. The species is listed on the Red Data list as Vulnerable as the species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future.

Migratory Locust - Haradh

Whilst at Haradh I saw a Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria in a large pivot irrigation field. Normally they occur in small numbers throughout Arabia, but rarely form into swarms. There are two colour forms, brown and green with the green colour forms mainly solitary adult females. Under favourable breeding conditions they can form into vast groups, with young ‘hoppers’ often all marching in the same direction. They are very strong fliers and migratory specimens have been recorded as far away as Great Britain. The migratory locust is the most widespread locust species in the world, and the only species in the genus Locusta. It occurs throughout Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.