Qaryat al-Asba (Grafitti Rock 1) – Riyadh

Qaryat al-Asba (Grafitti Rock 1) is a sandstone rock standing just 200 meters from the main escarpment called Khasm Musayqirah. The site is located about 140 Km drive west from Riyadh City Center along the Makkah Road. The Musayqirah petroglyphs are on an inselberg (isolated hill) which makes it easy to locate in the large flat plains surrounding it. The southwestern part of this huge rock has a good collection of petroglyphs as well as its northeastern side where a smaller number can be found. This escarpment spreads along a north-south axis, near Riyadh and creates a natural dam that blocks the flow of water coming from the west and probably contributed to the formation of a lake when the climate of the Arabian Peninsula was more humid. The plain below the rock was a vast grassland during the Neolithic period that began when humankind first developed agriculture and settled in permanent enclaves. The rock of Musayqirah is one of few places where carvings of wild cattle, or aurochs can be found. Species such as the wild cattle that used to graze on the plain surrounding the ancient lake probably disappeared some 6 000 years ago, other animals like ostriches or gazelles were still found in the Arabian Peninsula at the beginning of the 20th century CE. Lions and ibexes were also present in Saudi Arabia until the Islamic era. It is interesting to notice that even among the earliest carvings found at Musayqirah humans are represented often interacting with animals, especially cattle. Writing is also found in Musayqirah with some Thamudic inscriptions on the southern wall, testifying to human presence at the time of the caravan trade through the Arabian Peninsula that reached its highest intensity during the second part of the 1st millennium BCE. Battle scenes that are also represented on the site are probably among the most recent ones as they involve domestication of horse and include metallic weapons. A large panel on the western side of Musayqirah is particularly famous because of the great amount of carvings and variety of representations it carries. There are found ostriches, ibexes, dogs, lions, camels, but also hunters, warriors, a human skeleton, horsemen, and even Thamudic inscriptions, to mention but a few. It is assumed that prehistoric people initially depicted animals that were part of their environment, life and economy. One of the very impressive images among the collection is a family of ostrich. Hyena-like animals, animals with long horns including ibexes, human figures and more could be found on the flat surface of these reddish black rocks. On the eastern side of the rock, near the top, is what appears to be a Neolithic scene. It depicts the extinct aurochs (wild cattle), as well as humans and “handprints” expanding the geographic range of Neolithic petroglyphs into Central Saudi Arabia, much farther east than previously known.

Migrants Arriving – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in early March I came across a good number of migrants including an early Woodchat Shrike, as well as a Masked Shrike and a Daurian Shrike both of which could be either migrants of overwintering birds. Other interesting species seen included a Spur-winged Lapwing, a species becoming much commoner in the Eastern Province over the last ten years and a large flock of 150+ Pied Avocet. A Grey Wagtail was located in a tree and the first Pied Wheatears of the spring were seen. As always, few Grey-headed Swamphens were seen during the visit.

Daurian Shrike

Grey Wagtail

Masked Shrike

Pied Avocet

Pied Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Grey-headed Swamphen

Spur-winged Lapwing

Woodchat Shrike

Elephant Grass – Talea Valley

Whilst birding the Talea Valley we came across a large stand of Elephant Grass Typha elephantina growing in some apparently permanent water. Elephant Grass is a plant species widespread across northern Africa and southern Asia. It is considered native in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Senegal, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Palestine, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Yunnan, Assam, Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Burma. It grows in freshwater marshes and on the banks of lakes and streams. T. elephantina is regarded as a distinct species, distinguished from other species of the genus by its robust habit, elaborate rhizome system and stiff trigonal leaves.

Black-headed & Flava Wagtails – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in late February I came across a good number of migrants including my first large numbers of Yellow Wagtails. Mid-February is the start of the spring passage for this species and Black-headed Wagtail feldegg and melanogrisia are often the first subspecies to occur with bema, flava and thunbergi following. The Black-headed Wagtail is part of the Yellow Wagtail complex a group of birds that are common spring and autumn passage migrants, sometimes in hundreds. Thy pass from mid-February to May and again from early August to mid-November with many races identifiable in the field including feldegg, melanogrisia, lutea, flava, thunbergi and bema. By April, flocks of more than a hundred birds are regularly recorded in cultivated areas. 

Black-Headed Wagtail

Melanogrisia Yellow Wagtail

Melanogrisia Yellow Wagtail

Flava Yellow Wagtail

Hanging Trees with dead Stripped Hyeana & Arabian Wolf - Al Harajah

Whilst driving from Jizan to Najran, near Al Harajah, in the mountains we saw a Stripped Hyeana and an Arabian Wolf hanging from separate ‘hanging trees’. The use of ‘hanging trees’ to display the bodies of dead predators is widespread in Saudi Arabia and is also known in UAE and Yemen. Road signs and traffic signals are also used for the same purpose; many cases involve Wolf and Striped Hyaena Hyaena hyaena, as we saw but Caracal Caracal caracal, Rüppell’s Fox Vulpes rueppellii, Wildcat Felis silvestris, and Honey Badger Mellivora capensis have also been documented. Stripped Hyeana from southern Arabia are assigned to H. h. sultana and those from the north to H. h. syriaca, but characteristics are not sharply defined and the two forms are thought to intergrade in northern Saudi Arabia. They are widespread especially in the western Mountains where it has been recorded at several places especially south of Taif. In the northwest, it occurs in the Tabuk area, Jebel Al Lawz, Medina, Hesam (west of Tabuk), Jebel Madyen and Jebel Hijaz. It is also known from rocky areas near Riyadh. Declining sharply in all areas. Occurs in a wide range of habitats but apparently avoids extensive areas of loose sand. Needs rocky areas in which to site dens and that are not too far from water. Mainly active at night. They are routinely killed by poisoning, shooting and trapping. Traditional stone traps in the Hajar Mountains are called madhba indicating that their primary purpose may have been to catch Hyaenas. In parts of the region, there is a folk belief that witches ride Hyaenas, increasing their unpopularity. Other threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat due to quarrying for stone, tourist developments and expansion of settlements and roads.The subspecies of Arabian Wolf C. l. arabs occurs in the Arabian Peninsula and C. l. pallipes in Iraq and northern Arabia, with specimens intermediate in size recorded in Kuwait. The possible separation of these two forms has not yet been supported by genetic evidence. C. l. arabs is smaller with a less luxuriant coat. In Saudi Arabia distribution was formerly extensive, with confirmed records from all parts except the Rub al Khali and part of the northeast. Records are widespread except in Rub Al Khali with records from 12 protected areas. Wolves are considered rare in most places, however, in some mountainous areas of Saudi Arabia, local bedu regarded Wolves as numerous.

Birding An Namas

Whilst birding the western mountains we visited An Namas an area where we had seen nests of both Arabian Woodpecker and Arabian Magpie previously. The area where we had seen these has been badly damaged by road building and neither nest was seen this visit. We did however see a single male Arabian Woodpeckeras wells a few other good birds including Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Arabian Wheatear and Gambaga Flycatcher. This entire area is very good for finding breeding Little Owl, which can often be seen on the roadside walls. The area is not marked as a breeding area for Little Owl in Mike Jennings Arabian Breeding Bird Atlas, but a good number of birds are present throughout the entire area to Billasmer at least.

Abu Twoq Ancient Village Segid Island – Farasan Islands

Abu Twoq Ancient Village are a few diused old houses at the very far tip of Segid Island if crossing over from the main Farasan Kabir island by road bridge. There is a very small modern village at the ocation with the older buildings on the right hand side of the road as you enter the village. These buildings are made of stone/coral rock and give an idea of how life was many years ago on this island.

Plain Nightjar – Abha area

Whilst birding the Abha area I found at least two Plain Nightjar. Originally one was flushed from a wadi bottom and flew a short distance to a raised rocky area. One trying to locate the bird it flew again and this time I managed to see approximately where it landed. Eventually I located the bird but it was well hidden and difficult to photograph. Later a bird was seen by my daughter, who said it had flown into a nearby tree, where I found it sitting on a branch. It later moved to another tree where better photographs were possible. This is the first time I have seen Plain Nightjar in the daytime. The Plain Nightjar is a migratory bird breeding in the summer in Saudi Arabia. They breed in Africa (from Mauritania to Eritrea and Somalia) as well as southwestern Arabia, with the Arabian birds wintering in Africa. It is an uncommon breeding migrant seen from Taif sout to Malaki Dam Lake in Jizan. They have been seen in dry, rocky, mostly bare hills with some scattered trees and scrub where they have been seen up to 2500 metres above sea level.

Farasan Fort – Farasan Islands

The Ottoman fort, standing on an elevated ridge of coral-stone bedrock 1.3 kilometres northwest of Farasan town but it is enclosed within a protective wire fence and thus only visable from the outside. Its white-washed stucco construction had been maintained recently by the authorities. The fort is on a rectangular plan with access through a single door in the center of the southern (long) wall, which leads into a courtyard. The building itself runs along the north side of the yard, and has a veranda, while a small room stands at the yard’s eastern end. The main building comprises one large room with shooting positions, with an adjacent room at its west end allowing access to the roof. The fort was served by a nearby well which is outside the fenced area and thus visible. Although small, the building testifies to the Ottoman military presence on the islands in the early of the 20th century.

 

Icterine Warbler - Tanoumah

Whilst birding the Tanoumah area in late July 2020 we came across a juvenile Icterine Warbler. This is a rare passage migrant mainly recorded in the autumn in August and September although has also been seen in spring in March and April. This record is the earliest ever for Saudi Arabia with the previous earliest being one trapped in Riyadh 17 August 1975. Records are mainly from the Riyadh area and all refer to single birds. The bird we saw was very active keeping high in the trees and continually on the move. A few photos were taken the best of which are shown below, but its behavior and the light conditions made good photography very difficult. This is the first record of the species I know of for some years.