There have been numerous small flocks of
Bee-eaters passing over Jubail in recent weeks most of them European
Bee-eaters. Recently a few Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters have been seen including
some birds that have spent time perched on the ground or any other perches they
could find. I found two birds sitting on a potentially not so comfortable
barbed wire perch. They remained on the perch allowing close views, suggesting
they may have been fresh in tired migrants. Although the perch is not so
photogenic the desert background makes the colours of the birds stand out
nicely. The species is a common passage migrant through the Eastern Province of
Saudi Arabia with good numbers of birds passing in the spring as well as the
autumn.
