The below
reports show the best birds seen in Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2015.
These birds were seen by many different birdwatchers and information sent to
me. There will be other good birds seen by other birders of which I am unaware
that are not recorded here I am sure.
Twenty
plus Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias
minor were at
South Jizan wastewater treatment wetlands 7 February to 4 March with fifty plus
Abdim’s Storks Ciconia
abdimii at the
same site on the same date. A Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala was at South
Jizan wastewater treatment wetlands 6 February with twelve at Sabya
wastewater treatment wetlands 7 February. A female European Honey Buzzard
Pernis apivorus was at Deffi Park,
Jubail 24 January an unusual winter occurrence. Two female Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis
ptilorhynchus remained
together at Dhahran Hills until the 19 January with one remaining until 22 April
with another female at Jeddah 10 February. A Southern Shkira Accipiter
(badius/brevipes) sphenurus was at Wadi Thee Ghazal 2 May. A country high count of Grey-headed
Swamphen Porphyrio (porphyrio) poliocephalus occurred at Sabkhat Al
Fasl totaling 73 birds on 29 May and an adult Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata was at the same site 22 May a first record for the
Kingdom. Two Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus were at Gulf of
Salwa 21 April with a flock of at least 30 Sociable
Lapwing Vanellus
gregarious in a field just south of Tabuk 20 February with another
satellite tagged bird wintering near the Jordon boarder. A Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes
minimus was unusual at KAUST 21 March. A Black-winged Pratincole Glareola
nordmanni was 120 km east of Madinah 10 April with another at KAUST golf
course 17 April. At least four Little
Terns Sternula
albifrons were on or around KAUST beach 8 - 15 May an unusual
occurrence on the west coast of the Kingdom. An
adult Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustuswas at Sabkhat
Al Fasl 29 May only the second documented record for the Eastern Province. A Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator
glandarius was south of Jizan 7 February to 4 March and a Bruce’s Green Pigeon Treron waalia at
KAUST golf course 24 April was well north of its normal range. Three White-throated
Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis were at Sabkhat Al Fasl 2 January
until 13 February one on a small pond at Dhahran Hills golf course 13 -18 February
and one in the Madina area 11 April. A Pied
Kingfisher Ceryle rudis was at Dhahran Hills golf course pond 13 - 18 February. A Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra
senegalus was at Wadi Thee Ghazal, near Taif 30 Aprilil, a northerly record
for this species. An adult
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach was at Dhahran golf course 14 February
– 4 April a new addition to the Saudi Arabian list. Four Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz
pendulinus were at SAF 5 December 2014 with two more at Ash Shargiyah
Development Company Farm, Fadhili 27 Marchch. A probable breeding pair of Thick-billed
Larks Ramphocoris
clotbey was in the
Riyadh area 1 May. The first breeding Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
for Arabia were found near Al Hayer, near Riyadh in February totaling 13 nests.
A Siberian Chiffchaff Phyloscopus tristis was trapped and
ringed at SAF 23 January, the first well documented record of the super-species
for the country and a Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella
naevia was trapped and ringed at SAF 27 Marchch. A Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala
was at Haql 23 February. An adult male Common
Blackbird Tudus merula was
trapped and ringed at SAF 23 January and remained until 20 February with
another present at the same site 31 January. A male Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis was near Tabuk 11 Aprilil a rare
vagrant to western Saudi Arabia. An immature White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga at KAUST 16 May was unusual as they are not
normally seen on the coast and both Kurdistan Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna and Red-tailed
Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia were at Wadi Rabigh 23 January. Two Arabian
Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus
percivali were seen near Taif 11 January and a single Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinus was on a farm just south of Tabuk 22 February.
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| Common Blackbird |
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| Common Grasshopper Warbler |
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| Long-tailed Shrike |