Whilst birdwatching the Jubail area recently I came across a very pale headed Sykse's Yellow Wagtail beema amongst a number of Eastern Black-headed Wagtails. This bird is the palest headed beema I can remember seeing and was very active feeding along the edge of the flooded sabnha. The Yellow
Wagtail is a common passage migrant through the whole of Arabia with many
thousands passing through the Eastern Province alone. A number of different
subspecies occur, often together, with Jubail being a particularly good area
for seeing large groups. The first subspecies to occur are Black-headed
Wagtails feldegg and these are then
followed normally by Eastern Yellow Wagtail melanogrisea and then beema. This year has been no different
with the first Black-headed Wagtails occurring in January and the first beema in early March. Numbers should now
increase with more and more birds and subspecies occurring. Yellow Wagtails are
quite confiding but trying to get really good photos is challenging as they are
fast moving and you have to get the light in the correct position as well as
try to get some catch-light in their eyes otherwise their dark eyes look
‘dead’. If you can manage this then they make great subjects as they are very
beautifully plumaged birds.
