Birds of Saudi Arabia: Eurasian Spoonbills

01 June 2014

Eurasian Spoonbills - Sabkhat Al Fasl

An early morning trip to Sabkhat Al Fasl last weekend resulted in a few straggling migrants and four Eurasian Spoonbills. A single adult Eurasian Spoonbill was seen almost immediately on arrival at the first area of water but if flew off and was only seen again briefly in flight once until I was just about to leave when I found four adults together on the flooded sabkha. The flooded sabkha also had quite a few White-cheeked and Little Terns flying around feeding allowing some nice photos to be taken over the very smooth water. This area also held a single Caspian Gull, one Slender-billed Gull and about 1000 Greater Flamingos that have stayed very late this year. There were still quite a few waders at one end of the sabkha including 30+ Terek Sandpipers, five Ruddy Turnstones, 10+ Lesser Sand Plovers, 100+ Dunlin, 100+ Little Stints, 200+ Kentish Plovers, five Common Redshanks, three Marsh Sandpipers, a Eurasian Curlew and 20+ Little Ringed Plovers. Passerines were thin on the ground with a few Red-backed Shrikes, two Whinchats and several Barn Swallows and Sand Martins seen. A House Crow, plenty of Crested Larks and a few Rock Doves or feral pigeons? Were also seen. A new bird for me for the site was an Alexandrine Parakeet that flew over early morning but this is just as likely to be an escaped cage bird as a wild arrival.