Birds of Saudi Arabia: Some southwest specialities

I visited Phil’s Fields three times in July 2017 and saw a lot of good birds in the area. Some of the birds seen were summer visitors from Africa and others specialities of the southwest of the Kingdom. The area is a set of three large pivot irrigation fields and surrounding trees edging the fields and scrubby land to the side. The pivot irrigation equipment is always good for birds to perch on when they are disturbed from the fields and this visit I saw a large flock of Indian Silverbills, twenty Western Cattle Egrets and a couple of Arabian Babblers. The fields are the best place I know of for seeing both Zitting Cisticola and Singing Bush Lark but is also good for White-throated Bee-eater and White-spectacled Bulbul. Other birds seen included House Sparrow and a fly over Yellow-billed Kite. This site is an excellent birding location and one I visit every time I am in the area and it always turns up good birds.