Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse – Sabya Waste Water Lagoons

Whilst birding the Sabya Waste Water Lagoons 29 – 30 June 2015 I saw several flocks of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus. The largest flock was 15 birds with several flocks of ten or more. At one point I saw four birds on the ground and eventually managed to get reasonably close to them on foot and took the best photogerpahs I have taken so far of the species. This was at about 16:00 hours three hours before dark and the birds even though they knew of my presence remained still on the ground depending on their excellent camouflage to hide. The species is a common breeding resident on the Tihama and southern Red Sea coastlands, less common in the Northern Hejaz north to Rabigh with all records below 1000 metres. They are a relatively small species, with elongated central tail feathers, dark underwing, blackish belly and unmarked head. The male has a narrow pectoral band and chestnut brown belly darkening towards rear, whereas the female is more mottled above and shows a tricoloured ventral pattern. Races differ mainly in tone of upperpart coloration with the Arabian population P. e. erlangeri sandy coloured. They typically inhabit bare semi-desert, often with scattered thorny scrubs or trees including Acacia. They feed during the cooler hours of morning and afternoon and drink 2–3 hours after sunrise, while in very hot weather some individuals drink again before sunset.

Abdim’s Storks – Sabya Waste Water Lagoons

Whilst birding Sabya Waste Water Lagoons on 29 – 30 June 2015 I saw 26 Abdim’s Storks. The birds were originally seen in flight at high altitude but were later seen on the Sabya Rubbish Dump in association with plenty of Black Kites. Good views were obtained and the following day I saw the same group of birds on the waste water lagoons themselves, but in a back area where I had not visited before. Birds are known to breed on telephone pylons nearby but I had failed to see any despite trying on a number of occasions. This was a new Saudi Arabian species for me so I was very happy with the sightings. Abdim’s Stork Ciconia Abdimii is an uncommon resident breeding species of southwest Saudi Arabia and occurs from Africa south of Sahara, and southwest Arabia. They breed north of the equator, with most of the population spending the rest of the year in eastern and southern parts of Africa. The male is slightly larger and they have glossed purple and green upperparts with non-breeding adults having the bare parts duller and immatures browner and duller still. They are normally found in open grassland and also in areas of cultivation and often occur near water. They mainly nest in villages as is the case in Saudi Arabia.

Greater Painted Snipe - Sabya Waste Water Lagoons

The Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis only occurs in the far southwest of the Kingdom. It was discovered as a new species for the country by mike Jennings on 8 July 2010 when three were seen at a sewage lagoon east of Sabya with at least 8 there, including 2-3 together, 11 July 2010. Subsequently other birds have been seen including two flushed at Malaki Dam Lake near Jizan and two others seen well at Sabya Waste Water Lagoons near Jizan 31 March 2013 with a family group of four at Sabya Waste Water Lagoons 16 May 2013, which was the first confirmed breeding of this species in Saudi Arabia and Phil and I saw two at the same site 2 July 2013. As far as I am aware no further sightings have occurred of the species even though a few birders have looked at the main location for the species over the last two years. I, however, found a male bird sitting on the edge of one of the wastewater lagoons at the back of the Sabya site on 30 June 2015. This is a different location to that where they were seen previously although in the same main site. Despite a long time studying and watching the bird I did not see any other birds or signs of young, so breeding could not be proved by me this year. Male birds are the dull plumaged individuals in this species rather than male birds in most other bird species. It is excellent news that birds are still using this site.

Plain Tiger – Sabya Waste Water Lagoons

The Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus was first depicted in an Egyptian tomb 3,500 years ago, making it the first ever butterfly to be recorded in history. Its striking tawny-orange colouration serves as a warning to predators that this species is distasteful, which ultimately deters predators from attacking. Male butterflies are slightly smaller than females with the males identified by the presence of a black scent-producing pouch located in the lower-centre of the hind wing; on the underside of the wing it appears as a white-centred black patch. In addition, the males have a pair of brush-like organs hidden within the abdomen, which are used in reproduction. The Plain Tiger has an extensive range and can be found throughout the Old World tropics, from Africa to Southeast Asia as well as Australasia. Recently it has been discovered that there are three subspecies; Danaus chrysippus chrysippus is found in Asia and tropical Africa, Danaus chrysippus alcippus ranges from the Cape Verde Islands, across Africa to Oman and Saudi Arabia, and Danaus chrysippus orientis is predominantly found in tropical Africa and the surrounding islands including Madagascar and the Seychelles. They inhabit open, fairly arid areas and unlike other members of the Danaus genus, the Plain Tiger often flies in open sunlight, even at the hottest point of the day.

Breeding Shikra – Tanoumah

Shikra is a scarce breeding resident of the southwest of Saudi Arabia with a few scattered records of migrants elsewhere including Riyadh where a female was collected on 18 October 1938 that is now held by the British Museum (Natural History) at Tring, UK. The birds we saw were an adult male and female and a three juveniles still in the nest. An adult was seen perched in the tree top and another seen chasing a Long-legged Buzzard and later the same birds were seen near the nest as well as circling over. We got good flight views of the birds but they were no on view for long periods of time so getting good photographs was difficult. 

Ten species of Arabian Endemic at Al Mehfar Park – Tanoumah

During the weekend of 19-20 July, Phil Roberts and I went to the southwest of Saudi Arabia for a birding trip. This was a very busy and long weekend with little sleep as we were birding on foot all day and then looking for owls and nightjars all night. We birded the Al Mehfar Park area for most of the day on 20 June and saw plenty of good birds including ten of the thirteen Arabian Endemics that occur in Saudi Arabia including: Philby’s Partridge, Arabian Partridge, Arabian Scops Owl, Arabian Woodpecker, Yemen Warbler, Yemen Thrush, Arabian Wheatear, Yemen Serin, Arabian Serin & Yemen Linnet. The ones we failed to see were: Arabian Waxbill, Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak and Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl. As it started getting light we went to the more bare area of the site with large boulders in the hope of seeing Philby’s Partridge where we located several small groups totaling 16 birds. Other birds seen included; Five Arabian Scops Owls, four Eurasian Hoopoes, five Arabian Woodpeckers, three Fan Tailed Ravens, six Violet-backed Starlings, 15 Tristram's Starlings, five Yemen Thrushs, 10 White-spectacled Bulbul, Crested Lark, two Barn Swallows, two Pale Crag Martins, six Red-rumped Swallow, four Brown Woodland Warblers, six Streaked Scrub Warblers, African Paradise Flycatcher, Arabian Warbler, three Abyssinian White-eyes, four Arabian Wheatears, four Little Rock Thrushes, seven Gambaga Flycatchers, five Palestine Sunbirds, House Sparrow, Long-billed Pipit, three Arabian Serins 35 Yemen Serins, 30 Yemen Linnets and two Cinammon-breasted Buntings.

Arabian Wheatear - male

Arabian Woodpecker - male

Arabian Woodpecker - male

Little Rock Thrush

Palestine Sunbird

Philby's Partridge

Streaked Scrub Warbler

Violet-backed Starling 

Violet-backed Starling

Yemen Linnet

Yemen Serin 

Yemen Serin

Arabian Scops Owl at Al Mehfar Park – Tanoumah

Arabian Scops Owl Otus pamelae is regarded by many as a regional endemic and last year Phil and I saw a bird near Tanoumah. Al Mehfar Park in southwest Saudi Arabia, north of Abha at 1950 metres elevation, is a good place to try to see them and last weekend we heard one calling just aft it became dark. Eventually we had at least five birds calling. We were lucky enough to see at least two birds perched in the open calling and managed to get a few reasonable photos of the birds using a flash attached to the camera. Whilst looking for the owls we also heard Montane Nightjar calling but were unable to find any birds during our nighttime birding. The Arabian Scops Owl only lives on the western side of the Kingdom and particularly favours the Asir mountain chain from the Yemen boarder to north of Taif.

Arabian Scops Owl

Arabian Scops Owl

Arabian Scops Owl

Arabian Scops Owl

Arabian Scops Owl

Sallal al-Dahna - Tanoumah

Whilst in the southwest of Saudi Arabia Phil and I visited Sallal al-Dahna an upland valley at 1955 metres above sea level on the outskirts of Tanoumah. This is a good location to see Arabian (Asir) Magpie that is generally regarded as a sub-species of Eurasian Magpie but sometimes treated as a separate species. They are becoming increasingly rare with the total population estimated to be between 135-500 birds. The valley holds mature acacia and Juniper trees and has a permanent water supply at one end. Our visit was to try to get good views and photos of the Arabian Magpie. You normally locate the species by hearing its loud contact calls that to my ears sounds very different to the calls of Eurasian Magpie, and this was the case on both days we visited the site. We saw the birds late one evening and again after lunchtime and although we got reasonable views we did not get really close to the birds. There were at least two birds present and possibly three with one being a well grown youngster with browner overall plumage. Other birds seen In the valley included House Sparrow, Palestine Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Gambaga Flycatcher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Arabian Babbler, Brown Woodland Warbler, White-spectacles Bulbul, Yemen Thrush, Abyssinian White-eye, Fan-tailed Raven and Long-legged Buzzard.

Arabian Magpie

Arabian Magpie

Arabian Magpie

Arabian Magpie

Arabian Babbler

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Eurasian Griffon Vultures - Tanoumah Park

Tanoumah Park is positioned along the edge of the main escarpment and is reached by taking a left turn at the main junction in Tanoumah town. The park has a parking area with picnic tables and some trees and grass. The rocky edge of the escarpment has had Yemen Serin previously and is an excellent place to see Fan-tailed Raven and Eurasian Griffon Vulture flying over these cliffs. We had good views of two Eurasian Griffon Vultures flying over as well as locating a single bird sitting on the high rock face. This species is declining rapidly, with this location probably the best site in the Kingdom for seeing this species. The species is an uncommon, resident breeder, in the mountains of western Saudi Arabia with a few scarce records elsewhere in the Kingdom. In the Eastern Province where I live it is a vagrant with six records of seven birds.

Eurasian Griffon Vulture

Eurasian Griffon Vulture 

Fan-tailed Raven