Band-winged Grasshopper – Wadi Grosbeak

Whilst in Wadi Grosbeak near to Bani Saad in the Taif area recently I saw a number of small well camouflaged grasshoppers that could have been a type of Band-winged Grasshopper Sphingonotus savignyi classified under the family Acrididae. They are sometimes elevated to full family status as Oedipodidaeand inhabit primarily weedy fields containing little water. These species are colourful, usually with hindwings that are yellow or red and edged with black. Others have black hindwings with pale edges. This particular grasshopper was quite small and coloured to match the rock/soil type it was present amongst. I have seen these grasshoppers from just north of Abha through the area where I photographed the grasshopper below to Wadi Thee Ghazal north of Taif.

Arbabian Spotted Eagle Owl young - Tanoumah

Whilst in Tanoumah in June I managed to see and photograph an Arabian Spotted Eagle-owl. I went back to the same area in July and at another location about two kilometres away I saw another bird perched on a wall of a partly built building. On getting out of the car the bird could be herd calling and when seen properly turned out to be two young Spotted Eagle Owls. I managed to take a few photos of the bird and after some time they left the tree they were in a flew onto a nearby rock face. We left after a short while as we did not want to disturb the birds. The birds seen are the endemic sub-species to southwestern Arabia milesi,which are significantly isolated in southwest Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman. It is more tawny in colour and smaller than nominate and tanae both from Africa, and its vocalizations differ (though fuller details required) and is possibly specifically distinct. 

Desert Locust – Tanoumah

The Desert Locust Schistocerca gregariasituation can form plagues and threaten agricultural production in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, something it has done for centuries. The desert locust is potentially the most dangerous of the locust pests because of the ability of it to form swarms and to fly rapidly across great distances. I found a single adult near Tanoumah where the locust was very well camouflaged. There have been no records of swarms in Saudi Arabia this year as far as I am aware.

Egyptian Nightjar - Khafrah Marsh

Whilst birding Khafrah Marsh south of Jubail, Phil Roberts and I found ten Egyptian Nightjars in various areas of the site. Birds were initially seen sitting under small bushes with others flushed as we walked through the vegetation. Birds here were much less confiding then those seen in other areas of Jubail, but I got a few photographs before we left as we did not want to disturb the birds too much. Egyptian Nightjars are now an easily seen species during the summer months in the Jubail area with sixteen birds seen in 2018 and one site and now ten at another site within 25 kilometres. Birds generally turn up in early June and depart in late September and are almost always associated with areas of water and reeds with associated small Tamerisk bushes.

Fairy Mantis – Tanoumah

There are a number of different mantis species in Saudi Arabia and when I was birdwatching in Tanoumah with Phil Roberts I found a Fairy Mantis Oxyothepis nilotica. It was not easy to photograph with the below photos the only good one I got. I have only seen this type of mantis once before in Saudi Arabia and that was at a site only a few kilometres form where I photographed the individual shown below.

Eurasian Hobby – Jubail

Whilst birding near Jubail in September I found an adult Eurasian Hobby sitting on the small tree in the early morning. The weather conditions had been foggy and large numbers of birds had been grounded by the weather most of which appeared to be Spanish Sparrows. I assume the Eurasian Hobby was part of the movement halted by the weather as the bird appeared to be tired and allowed close approach before moving off only a short distance. As the bird was tiered we left it in piece after getting a few photos and as the light was poor due to the fog the below photos are not as good as they may have been. I have only seen Eurasian Hobby a few times before in Saudi Arabia with all records being in Dhahran Camp with the exception of a single bird seen at near Jubail. Most records are from the spring migration period, so this record was a slight surprise. The species is an uncommon passage migrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia where it often hunts small birds and insects over wetlands and fields. Birds are mainly seen in the early morning and late evening.

Juniper – Tanoumah

Juniperus procera is known locally in Arabic as arar and as Juniper in English and is an afro-montane tree often reaching 30-35 m high and is the largest tree of its genus. The trunk is straight but sharply tapered, often with a pronounced twist and the bark is pale brown to reddish-brown, thin, fibrous, with thin shallow longitudinal fissures, exfoliating in thin papery strips. The leaves are grey or glaucous when mature; about 1 mm long and as the plant ages, the leaves gradually change until the foliage is characteristic of the mature tree is produced.  The fruit is berrylike, reddish-brown to blue-black, waxy and is 4-8 mm in diameter when ripe. Juniperus is the classical Latin name of the junipers, from the Celtic word for rough, referring to the texture of the bark. The specific name, ‘procera’, is Latin for tall or high. The species flowers and seeds only periodically every several years, with the tree wind pollinated. The photos below were taken at Wadi Thee Ghazal near Taif in the mountains of western Saudi Arabia last weekend. The height was almost 2000 metres above sea level and there were plenty of large mature Juniper trees some of which were in fruit as shown in the photos below. Many birds were enjoying the fruits of the tree including Song Thrushes and Tristram’s Starlings.

Greater Hoopoe-Lark - Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm

Whilst birding Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, Fadhili, in late August I came across a Greater Hoopoe-Lark. This is probably one of the best locations for seeing the species in the Eastern Province. The birds are almost always on the move so getting excellent photos of them is not so easy. Luckily this bird stood on top of a sand dune for a short while allowing some photos to be taken in good light. The Greater Hoopoe-Lark is a common breeding resident in all sandy desert areas of the Kingdom including the Empty Quarter, the desert regions of the Southern Red Sea and the Tihamah. They are uncommon in the North-west. They are common in the Eastern Province but normally seen in small numbers except in winter when large gatherings can occur near pivot irrigation fields and surrounding desert areas. 

Desert White – Wadi Wadj

Whilst birding Wadi Wadj in Taif I came across a Desert White Butterfly Pontia glauconome.This is a striking white butterfly of arid regions occurring in deserts and on mountain slopes and foothills with sparse vegetation, up to around 2000 metres above sea level. The Desert White is a widespread species, ranging from North Africa through Arabia and the Middle East to Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is a small white butterfly (10-15mm) whose antennae are clubbed, ending in a white tip. The inside of the forewings are black tip with white dots. Underside of both wings has characteristic yellow veins, with light brown colour pattern. Large round compound eyes with black dots. These butterflies are seen regularly in the mountains in the Taif area but are less common in the Eastern Province where I live.

Summer Records of Crested Honey Buzzard

Whilst birding the southwest this summer Phil Roberts and I found two Crested Honey Buzzards in different areas. The first was an adult female seen flying just overhead in the Bani Saad area and the second a few weeks later was an adult female at some distance at the bottom of Wadi Wadj in Taif. The species has only been seen three time previously in the summer in the Kingdom, an adult male in Dhahran in two sperate years and a female near Tanoumah in the sout-west of the Kingdom. These new records mean that birds have been seen along most of the Asir mountain range in summer and show a few birds may regularly summer there. The area has very poor coverage outside Abha and Tanoumah so it is worth keeping an eye out for this species if in the area birdwatching.