Whilst
birding the large Pivot Irrigation fields of Haradh on 14 October Phil Roberts
and I came across large numbers of Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus. This was a surprise as the species is seldom
recorded in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The largest
recorded flocks in Kingdom have been 61 at Todhia farm, 27 February 2009 and 15 birds at
NADEC Dairy Farm in Haradh 7 Februry 2013. We counted many flocks of over 10 in
various areas and had 106 together so we estimated a minimum of 150 birds and
probably many more. The species is an uncommon resident in the southwest of the
Kingdom but until nw has been a vagrant to the Eastern Province but the large
numbers seen in recent years makes it an uncommon passage migrant and scarce winter
visitor to the region.
