Birding Jubail

A day out in the Jubail area produced a few interesting birds. As mentioned in a previous post whilst birding the Jubail area on 11 December I saw four Black-necked Grebes. A single bird was seen initially followed by two together and then a partially summer plumage bird made it four. I went back to the same location two weeks later and the numbers of Black-necked Grebes had increased to 21 birds. This is the largest count of the species seen in the Eastern Province for many years and as it is the start of winter numbers may continue building. The Black-necked Grebe is an uncommon but regular visitor to the Eastern Province from late August (normally November) through March but becomes scarce in April and May and rare in the summer. A few harriers including a male Pallid Harrier and several Western Marsh Harriers including a male were good to see as were tens of Common Kestrels. A Steppe Buzzard and an adult Greater Spotted Eagle completed the raptors. A few pipits including plenty of Water Pipits, several Tawny Pipits and a few Meadow Pipits were in and around any grass area found and several Eurasian Skylarks were also present. A single White-winged Tern was seen flying around a large lake and an Arabian Grey Shrike on a fence.

Arabian Grey Shrike

Western Marsh Harrier - male

White-winged Tern

Some winter birds – Bird records by Munzir Khan

Munzir photographed a few winter visitors recently including Northern Lapwing, Jack Snipe, Common Redshank and RAed-spotted Bluethroat at a marsh about 20 kilometres before Khafra Marsh. Both these species are winter visitors to the Kingdom. Northern Lapwing is a very difficult species to get close to in Saudi Arabia and Munzir has done very well to get such a good photo of the species. It is certainly better than any photograph I have of this species in the Kingdom. I thank Munzir for sending me the photos and allowing me to use them on my website. Northern Lapwing is an uncommon winter visitor to the Eastern Province occurring in varying numbers. This year appears to be a good year for the species however. Jack Snipe is an uncommon winter visitor to the Eastern Province, with Red-spotted Bluethroat being a common winter visitor. It is very difficult to get a photo of the quality of Munzir’s of the species, however.

Jack Snipe

Northern Lapwing

Red-spotted Bluethroat

Red-spotted Bluethroat

Common Redshank

Returning Pied Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area recently I came across a female Pied Kingfisher. This species is now becoming an uncommon winter visitor to the Jubail area with birds seen every winter for the last four years. The weather was very poor with overcast conditions so the photo is not the best but they are always lovely birds to see and often allow close approach. I also saw a White-throated Kingfisher a species that may now be resident in very small numbers in the Jubail area. Unlike the Pied Kingfisher the White-throated Kingfisher rarely allows you to get close so the below is the best photo I could manage. Common Kingfishers are also back for the winter in good numbers so now we can see three species of Kingfisher in the same day if lucky in the Eastern Province.

Moustached Warbler trapped and ringed – Jubail

While ringing on Friday 17 November 2017 we trapped and ringed a Moustached Warbler, this is the fourth bird we have ringed at this site in two winters with the first being on 7 February 2014. This is the earliest bird trapped with the others in January (2) and February. The bird showed an appearance similar to the eastern subspecies A. m. mimica that occurs from eastern Turkey, Iraq, Transcaucasia, and the lower Volga east to Kazakhstan and northwest India. This subspecies differs from nominate A. m. melanopogon by having dull olive-grey upperparts, not rufous-brown with the black of the crown less intense, more heavily streaked olive. The underparts are largely white with the flanks rather pale pink-brown similar to Sedge Warbler A. schoenobaenus. The Moustached Warbler has been recorded as a local breeder in the Central region and Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with the first breeding site in Saudi Arabia located at Hufuf in the Eastern Province. Records of Moustached Warbler are now quite widespread from the Eastern Province, with the first record at Sabkhat al Fasl seen in 1990 but there have been no breeding records from the site. There are breeding records from nearby where Brian Meadows found them at a small wetlands in Jubail as well as at nearby Khafra Marsh about 30 kilometers south. Pairs have been seen at Sabkhat Al Fasl in April and May indicating a strong likelihood of breeding although birds tend to be resident on their breeding grounds. We have not seen or trapped birds in the spring, summer or autumn at the site, and there is evidence of an influx of birds in winter to the area, suggesting they are a winter visitor to the site. Away from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, they are a scarce migrant and winter visitor mainly in the north of the country.

Winter visitors – Jubail

Whilst birding Jubail recently I have come across a number of winter visitors to the region. Common Kestrel is an uncommon passage migrant but numbers build up in the winter months when they can be seen in various locations. Isabelline Wheatear numbers also increase as winter wears on and they can be seen along the edge of any habitat where at least some vegetation is present. Squacco Heron can be seen throughout the year but again numbers build up significantly during the winter with hundreds of birds seen on some occasions. Duck are more difficult to see and photograph as they are very timid, but I have seen a few Northern Shoveller in recent weeks in various sites. Other birds seen but not photographed include Montagu's Harrier, Pied Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher.

Common Kestrel

Isabelline Wheatear

Northern Shoveller

Squacco Heron

Northern Lapwing in Dhahran Hills – Bird record by Paul Watson

Paul Watson sent me an e-mail kindly informing me of a Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus present on a bit of grassland in Dhahran Hills. I had not seen the species before on my local patch but was unable to look for the bird until the next day when luckily it was still present in the same area. It lingered for over a week until late November as Mats Ris also alerted me to the birds presence a few days later. Northern Lapwings have been seen at least once whilst I have been on the camp but I was away and did not see it so this was a nice addition to my local patch list. The Birds of the Eastern Province 1989 mentioned Northern Lapwing were a scarce and somewhat irregular visitor with records from November to early April but chiefly from November through January.  In 1979-71 up to 15 wintered in Dhahran but this proved to be exceptional, showing how large this flock was. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, high counts have been at 425 at Haradh 5 February 2016, at Al Safi Dairy farm, Central Province, where at least 111 individuals were seen 25 January 2001. Birds of Thumamah 1988-1994 said maximum numbers were 100 in the winter 1992/1993. Its status in the Kingdom is as an uncommon winter visitor to all areas north of a line from Hofuf, through Riyadh to Hail. Small flocks of birds have been seen this November at a couple of sites near Jubail with the largest count being 26.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters – Jubail

This autumn there have been large numbers of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters passing over Jubail as well as many other areas of the Eastern Province. The species is a common passage migrant through the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with good numbers of birds passing in the spring as well as the autumn. Numbers are commoner in the autumn when they outnumber European Bee-eater whereas the opposite is true in the spring. This year birds have been seen eating insects on the ground with a favourite insect the Migratory Locust. The juvenile below eating the locust moved the insect around and hit it on its perch until its wings were removed before eating it.

Black-necked Grebes back for winter – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area on 11 December I saw four Black-necked Grebes. A single bird was initially seen followed by two together and then a partially summer plumage bird made it four. The Black-necked Grebe is an uncommon but regular visitor to the Eastern Province from late August (normally November) through March but becomes scarce in April and May and rare in the summer. It is usually local in coastal waters but counts of over 40 have been recorded in Half Moon Bay on the Arabian Gulf. Small numbers occur inland and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia and away from the Eastern Province, birds have occurred in Riyadh, Tabuk and the Red Sea, as well as in the Jizan region. They are always great to see, but more difficult to get photographs of as they tend to stay some distance away and rarely come close.

Pallid Harrier and Glossy Ibis – Jubail

Whilst birding Jubail area recently I have seen a few species that are less than common at the site. Harriers are normally not seen with the exception of Western Marsh Harrier which is common, so seeing a few Pallid Harriers was a surprise. Glossy Ibis is also not common and only seen once or twice a year, despite the area being one of the best, if not the best, wetland in the region. Western Great Egret was scarce at the location but has become common at the right time of year, with hundreds seen together occasionally. White-winged Tern and Dunlin are common passage migrants to the location.

Pallid Harrier 

Glossy Ibis

Western Great Egret

Western Great Egret

White-winged Tern 

Dunlin

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater a new ringing species – Jubail

Whilst ringing in Jubail in November we trapped and ringed a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, a new ringing species for me. This was my 60 species ringed in Saudi Arabia. Birds are common in the area of our nets at the right time of year but as they are generally high-flying birds we seldom if ever catch them. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is a common passage migrant seen in spring from March to May and in autumn from mid-August to November. Small numbers can sometimes be seen in June and December. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is normally commoner than its close relative the European Bee-eater in autumn but less common in spring.