Paul Wells found a Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus around the edge of the
golf course on 3 November whilst doing his local patch. This is a species I
have not seen in Saudi Arabia yet and a great find. The species is a scarce and
sometimes rare passage migrant and winter visitor to all areas north of Jeddah,
Riyadh and Hofuf. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) says it is a rare
winter visitor and mentions only two records of one collected near Khafs 24
February 1935 and one at Riyadh Air Base, 4 November 1979. The birds of the
Eastern Province (Bundy et al 1989) says it is a winter visitor with the
following records: one found dead at Abqaiq 12 December 1975, one on a ship in
the Gulf 18 October 1979, one Haradh, 29 November 1979, one Abqaiq 3 December
1982 and a minimum of eight near Wari’ah, Diddibah 12-13 February 1987. The most recent record I know is of one near Zulfi 1 December 2016. Paul
managed to get to within 15 metres of the bird and take the below photographs
that he sent to me and has kindly allowed me to use on my website.
