Anderson’s Rock Agama – Tanoumah

Whilst birdwatching in the Tanoumah area, in the mountains of southwest Saudi Arabia, I came across a very well camouflaged Anderson’s Rock Agama. This species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, where it is found in west and south Arabia, from Taif (Saudi Arabia) in the north to Dhofar (Oman) in the east. It is found to around 2,000 metres above sea level. It is common in Saudi Arabia where it is a rock dwelling lizard mainly present in mountainous areas. Populations can be found on vertical rocks, rock steps and amongst boulders where they appear to prefer large boulders in the vicinity of water in precipitous wadis surrounded by dense vegetation. They do not however require water, obtaining moisture from their insect prey.

Cream Coloured Coursers – Jubail

Whilst birding Jubail with Phil we came across two juvenile Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor a locally common breeding resident of all scrub desert areas, but a species not often seen due to its habitat preferences. This was the first time I had seen the species in Jubail although Phil had seen them there once before. They occur throughout Saudi Arabia and in the Eastern Province, where I live, and breed in the northern plains and on the Dibdibah north of 27 degrees N, preferring lightly vegetated gravel and stony desert. During January and February a northerly movement takes place across a broad front and in July to early September post breeding dispersal occurs with juveniles accompanying adults in small flocks. Nine were seen together at the edge of Dammam Airport Pools on 8th July 2011.

Pied Avocet - Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in late June I found an adult Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta. Records at this time of year are scarce and always a pleasure to see. The Pied Avocet is an uncommon migrant and winter visitor to all coasts. Locally common along the southern Red Sea coast. Scarce inland but recorded at Tabuk, Riyadh, Al Hassa and Abqaiq. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994)  mentioned it as a passage migrant and winter visitor in variable numbers. Passes March to mid-May and late August to late October. Flocks of up to 40 have been recorded. Wintering groups of 10 plus now regular. In 1986 10 birds over-summered and two pairs nested in June and produced young. In 1987 a pair again bred but the nest was preyed upon by Brown-necked Ravens Corvus ruficollis. In the Eastern Province two pairs attempted to breed at Abqaiq 1976 & 1982 and three pairs in 1983. Generally a rather scarce visitor from August to March. Records throughout the year in the Jubail area but records in summer less common.

Striated Heron with Chicks in Bahrain – Record by Jehad Alammadi

Jehad Alammadi found the first record of breeding Striated Heron for Bahrain when travelling offshore. The bird was nesting between some poles in the seabed as shown previously. Jehad went back to the site and managed to photograph both the eggs and the eggs and chicks. Birds are uncommon in Bahrain and are vagrants to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. I thank Jehad for kindly allowing me to use his photos and for informing me of this very important record.

Egyptian Nightjar – Jubail

The Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius is an uncommon bird in Arabia although since 2006 birds have been located in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia near Jubail, every year in August with the highest count being fifteen birds together in August 2015 & September 2017. Birds have been seen every year since 2006 in Jubail with the earliest record on the 27 June 2014 until this year when Phi Roberts and I found a bird sitting on the main track under a bush on 16 June. There have been a number of early records this year including in Dhahran in March and at Khafrah Marsh in April. Hopefully, birds will be seen in larger numbers again through August and September as has occurred in previous years.

Collared Pratincoles – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area, I found and photographed three Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola along the edge of a flooded area of Sabkha on 2 June 2017. This is quite a late date for the species to be recorded in the Eastern Province of the country. The Collared Pratincole is an uncommon passage migrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a similar status in the Riyadh area where they occur from late March to May and in August and September. During the remaining summer months and in October it tends to be scarce and irregular. Records are more common in the autumn than spring in Riyadh with autumn movement from late July to late October, peaking late August to early September, when flocks of 40 plus (mainly juveniles) are regularly encountered. In the southwest, west and northwest of the country records are more common mainly at freshwater inland areas where flocks of over 100 have been recorded at Tabuk.

Breeding Striated Heron in Bahrain – Bird record by Jehad Alammadi

Jehad Alammadi found the first record of breeding Striated Heron for Bahrain when travelling offshore. The bird was nesting between some poles in the seabed. Birds are uncommon in Bahrain a vagrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Eastern Province records include one remarkable inland record of a bird at Sabkha 40 on 30 May 2010 in the huge desert of the Empty Quarter. This is a species usually associated with the coast of Arabia and had never been recorded this far inland before and was the first record for eastern Saudi Arabia. It would have had to be a migrant, but its position at Shaybah raises the interesting possibility that it had travelled across eastern Arabia from the Arabian Sea en-route to the Arabian Gulf. The only other Eastern Province records, were one in Al Fanateer marina, Jubail on 15 February 2014 and one on 7 June 2015 at Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail. The increase in records in recent years may mean that birds are spreading northwards and the breeding record in Bahrain strongly supports this theory.

Little Terns – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area I came across a few Little Terns some of which had well grown young to feed. Some were resting on the muddy edge of some sabkha and other flying around. I took the opportunity to try to get a few flight shots of the birds as they flew about with the best photos shown below. In the Eastern Province the Little Tern is a common passage migrant and summer visitor that is scarce in the winter. Care must be taken not to confuse it with the very similar Saunder’s Tern that also occurs in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in the summer and breeds on offshore islands. It has bred in freshwater and brackish areas of eastern Saudi Arabia and possibly the Red Sea also. Birds are scarce inland but have been recorded in all areas including Riyadh.

European Roller – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in late May I came across two European Rollers of which one I was able to photograph and is shown below. Saudi Arabia has three species of roller on the country list. These are Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis a vagrant, Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus a breeding resident of the southwest region of the Kingdom and European Roller Coracias garrulus a common passage migrant from March to May and again from mid-July to late September when juveniles are also seen along with adults. Birds are regularly seen in the Eastern Province in all areas but are not particularly common in the Jubail area. They are seen almost every year in both spring and autumn in very small numbers at this location but they are always good to see.

Some late migrants– Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in early June there were still a few migrants around including over 30 Red-backed Shrikes, five Spotted Flycatchers and a single late Pied Wheatear. Red-backed Shrike and Spotted Flycatcher are typical late migrants with many records in June but Pied Wheatear have normally passes by the end of May. I also saw a single Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin a summer breeder, but a species rarely seen by me in Jubail. Wader numbers have decreased markedly but a couple of Wood Sandpipers were still about among the breeding Black-winged Stilts, Kentish Plovers and Little Ringed Plovers.

White-cheeked Tern breeding in Bahrain – Bird record by Jehad Alammadi

Jehad Alammadi found a number of nests of White-cheeked Terns on the coast of Bahrain recently and managed to take a few photos of the birds mating and sitting on the nest as well as of the eggs. White-cheeked Terns breed in good numbers on offshore islands in the Gulf but are less common breeding on the mainland. The island here we ring terns has only five breeding pairs of White-cheeked Terns but 400-500 pairs of Bridled Terns and 5000-6000 pairs of Lesser Crested Terns.

Yellow-spotted Agama – Record by Saud Randhava

Saud Randhava kindly sent me a photo of a Yellow-spotted Agama Trapelus flavimaculatus he took recently and has kindly allowed me to use on my website and is shown below. Copyright remains with Saus. Yellow-spotted Agama are a medium sized lizard about 30 centimetres in length and are also known as Blue-headed Agama for obvious reasons. Their tails are very long and thin and make up over half their body length and they move extremely fast over the ground. The Yellow-spotted Agama is a common species of lizard found in arid regions of the Middle East from Egypt: North of the Eastern Desert & Northern Sinai to the Arabian Peninsula including Saudi Arabia. They are readily distinguished from the Sinai agama Pseudotrapelus sinaitus by their heavier build, rougher scales and the presence of a gular sac that is darkened and inflated as a threat display. The ear opening is smaller and its dorsal margin is partially covered by pointed scales. In the summer these lizards often sit atop Acacia trees or prominent rocks as a territorial display and to regulate their temperature. They are quite aggressive with a mainly carnivorous diet of small insects. Their skin colour varies from reddish-brown to olive‐green, and is covered in a pattern of heavy yellowish-white spots. Their tails are normally pale yellow; however, male Yellow-spotted Agamas have the ability to go from this drab coloration to something much more vivid and spectacular. The dull reddish-brownish-green skin turns vivid blue, and the pale yellow tail glows brilliant flaming orange. Sometimes a male Agama will only change partially turning just the underside of his head blue, for instance. The colour change happens in seconds and fades just as quickly.

Rose-coloured Starling on Taif to Riyadh road – Record by Saud Randhawa

Saud Randhava a local birdwatcher from Taif recorded an adult Rose-coloured Starling Pastor roseus whilst driving along the Taif to Riyadh road on 22 April approximately 500 kilometres from Riyadh. Rose-coloured Starling is a rare winter visitor to the northern deserts and the Gulf region. It has been seen in the Harrat al Harrah Reserve in May as well as in the North-west where one was seen at Yanbu wastewater oasis 18 August 2000. Birds of Thumamah 1988-1994 state it is a scarce early autumn migrant. Two juveniles in alfalfa fields 13 August 1989. Juvenile 11-14 September 1989. Two juveniles on dairy farm 20-22 August 1990. Six juveniles in alfalfa fields 19-21 August 1993. The Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) state is was a vagrant. 5 records only. 2 on 21 May and another on 28 May 1982 at Mansouriyah. 40 at the same location on 26 January 1990 (DM). One was at Kharj fish and turf farm, Riyadh. In the Eastern Province it is a rare migrant with less than twenty records. It has been seen from August to October with a well marked peak in the second half of August almost all being juveniles and single birds. There has only been on spring record at Abqaiq 1 May 1981. Records from the Eastern Province have been from Abqaiq, Dhahran, Dammam and Haradh. I thank Saud for allowing me to use his details and photos my website.

Breeding Little Terns in Bahrain – Bird record by Jehad Alammadi

Jehad was looking for chicks or eggs for the Little Tern close to the area where the White Cheeked Tern gathers in Bahrain at the start of the breeding season. He found them in the beginning of the mating season when they were laying their eggs. Despite extensive searching he only found one pair of Little Tern with their nest. He kept well awat from the nest but was surprised that the bird leaves the nest well before anyone approaches. The birds remained away for a relatively long time and then returned close to the nest as many as ten times without sitting on the eggs. Finally they returned to the eggs in the nest, which consists of a small hole with two large eggs relative to the bird's small size. Little Tern does breed along the coast and inland but I have never seen a nest of one, although I do not search for them as hard as other people. I thank Jehad for sending me the details and allowing me to use his photos on my website.

A pretty good morning at Jubail – Bird records by Phil Roberts

Phil Roberts went to Jubail in May and had a pretty good day there. He mentioned that Red-backed shrikes were out in force and he saw a total of 22 birds. In addition he had four Lesser Grey Shrikes, five Turkestan Shrikes and a Daurian Shrike.  Other migrants included Willow Warblers, a female Blackcap, three Whinchat, four Common Redstart (all female), 10 Spotted Flycatchers, five Common Whitethroat, one Upcher's Warbler, one Collared Pratincole, a solitary Yellow Wagtail (flava), 20 European Bee-eaters and a Red-throated Pipit.  Other interesting birds included a solitary Marsh Harrier, two Eurasian Spoonbill, seven Little Bittern, one Rufous Scrub Robin, a flock of 21 Common Greenshank and the first returning White-cheeked Terns (approximately 10). 

Whinchat

White-eared Bulbul

Turkestan Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Common Whitethroat

Common Greenshank

Red-throated Pipit

Spotted Flycatcher