A minimum of three calling Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei were heard and seen
in a large vegetated field near Sabya 2 June. A Striated Heron Butorides striata was at Dammam Corniche
seafront 12 February the fourth record for the Eastern Province. A Goliath
Heron Ardea goliath was at KAUST 16
January to 14 May, a first for the area and well north of its normal range. The
second Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel
for
Saudi Arabia was at KAUST 14 May. A Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus was present near Tabuk 25 March. The wintering
Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus
remained at Rabigh Dam until 29 January at least and at least fifteen Greater
Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
wintered
at Sabkhat Al Fasl until March. A Booted Eagle Aquila pennata was at Sabkhat Al Fasl, 8 January a vagrant to the
Eastern Province and another was at Tabuk 10 January where they are rare winter
visitors. The second Eurasian Hobby Falco
subbuteo
for KAUST was present 22 April.
 |
| Sociable Lapwing |
425 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus at Haradh 5 February where the largest recorded
flock for Saudi Arabia. A Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus
was at Haradh west pivot fields 5 February and a
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
was in the Empty Quarter near Shaybah 8 March. Sixteen Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius
were at Haradh 5 February
only the second record for the Eastern Province with three Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus in the same field
on the same date. Two winter plumaged Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus at Sabkhat Al Fasl 26 February. A single
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles
exustus at Sabkhat Al Fasl 12 February only the third record for the
Eastern Province and six at Al Hayer, Riyadh 3 June were also unusual.
 |
| Pied Kingfisher |
A juvenile Pharaoh Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus was at Sabkht Al Fasl 3
June an unusual site for the species with a pair with two young at Al Hayer,
Riyadh 3 June. Two male Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx
caprius were at Al Mehfar Park, Tanoumah 30-31 May, one of which was
trapped and ringed. An Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus
aegyptius was at Sabkhat Al Fasl 8 January an unusual winter record. Two
Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris
were trapped and ringed at Either Mangroves, Jizan Province 1 June. A
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon
smyrnensis was at Deffi Park, Jubail 22 January to 26 February with another
at Sabkhat Al Fasl 4 March. Six of the wintering Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis were at Sabkhat Al Fasl
until 4 March at least with one remaining until 15 April and another remaining
at Al Hair, Riyadh until 22 April.
 |
| Woodlark (courtesy Phil Roberts) |
 |
| Dead Sea Sparrow |
Three ‘mangrove’ white-eye sp Zosterops (abyssinicus?) sp, an as yet
unidentified White-eye, were trapped and ringed at Either Mangroves 1 June. A
reeling Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella
naevia was at NADA Dairy Farm, Hufuf 8 April. A Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe near Sarrar 15 January
was the fifth record of this species for the Eastern Province, although common
in the west of the country. Two African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus eximius were trapped and ringed in Al Mefah
Park, Tanoumah 31 May & 1 June. Two Woodlark Lullula arborea near Sarrar, Eastern Province 15 January, were only
the second record of this species for the Kingdom and a flock of eleven Dead
Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus at Sabkhat
Al Fasl 26 February to 4 Mar chwere also only the second record for the
country.