Whilst birding
at Sabkhat Al Fasl last weekend I saw many Little Bitterns. The total number
for the day was 17 birds with pairs and individuals seen at many places around
the location. Normally birds are difficult to photograph and getting flight
shits is particularly unusual as the cover and reed beds make getting sharp in
flight shots a challenge. I managed to photograph a number of birds in flight
this trip though including a male and female flying across an open area of
water following each other. The Little Bittern is a locally common breeder and
an uncommon migrant and winter visitor seen throughout the Kingdom. The Birds of the Riyadh Region by Stagg (1994) mentions
a small but growing breeding population that has become established but birds
remain mainly as spring and autumn passage migrant passing mid March to June
and again from late July to mid November. In spring it is scarce and sightings
are usually of ones and twos. More numerous on autumn passage, especially
during September and early October when small groups may be encountered. In the
Eastern Province it is a locally common
breeding species in a few suitable areas, including Sabkhat Al Fasl. They are present
all year in breeding areas, whereas elsewhere it occurs fairly regularly from
March to early June and from August to October on passage. I have trapped and
ringed a number of birds in the last two years at Sabkhat Al Fasl with some
having brood patches showing breeding is occurring.
