Whilst in the Jubail area recently I saw plenty of Common Starlings
Sturnus vulgaris at local camel pens. These camel pens hold good numbers of
livestock and attract large numbers of House Sparrows but also a few Common Starlings
in the winter. This winter there appear to be more birds than normal possibly
as a result of the cold weather in the north, where Phil Roberts told me there
was snow whilst he was in Jordon on 27 January. The species is not easy to photograph
in the Kingdom so I was glad to get good views and a couple of photos even
though the conditions were not idea as there was a very strong wind and large
amounts of dust in the air. They are a winter
visitor that is common in the Eastern Province Gulf but rather uncommon and
erratic in Tabuk, Riyadh and Jeddah. I would like to Thank Arnold Uy for
letting me know the location of these birds.
