Whilst birding Jubail in January I came across a good number of Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita with groups of up to eight birds seen in various locations. The Common Chiffchaff is a common migrant and winter visitor to the entire Kingdom. They can become very common, especially in March and October with numbers reducing progressively from mid-February and stragglers remaining until mid-May. There does not appear to be a noticeable spring peak and then generally occur later in autumn and earlier in spring than the similar Willow Warbler. The race tristris Siberian Chiffchaff has only definitely been recorded twice, when birds were trapped and ringed in Jubail, although others were thought to have occurred previously but not documented properly. On 11 January I also heard and recorded a Siberian Chiffchaff, as well as saw it well but was unable to get any photos as it was in an area of tall grasses and tamarisk trees.
