Adult winter plumaged male Citrine Wagtail – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst birding at Sabkhat Al Fasl on 31 January I located a winter plumaged male Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola feeding around a wet area by some reeds and tamarisk bushes. This was the second male we had seen that day with the first being at the other end of the site and at some distance so no photographs were possible. This species is a scarce winter visitor to the Eastern province with most birds seen at either Dhahran or Sabkhat Al Fasl probably because these are the better-watched sites in the region. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia it is also a scarce winter visitor with records of summer plumage adults seen in late March but the majority of birds are first winters seen in August to October. Adult winter plumaged males are rarely seen and even more rarely photographed in Saudi Arabia so I was happy with my results.