Water Birds – Jubail

Birding Jubail has been hard work over the last few weeks with very little if any migration noted. This meant that I concentrated on the water birds that are always present and easy to see. Wader wise the most unusual bird was a single distant Black-tailed Godwit. Common waders included Black-winged Stilt, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Little Stint & Ruddy Turnstone. Other common birds seen that use the water included Slender-billed Gull, Caspian Tern & Common Moorhen. A more unusual species seen was Glossy Ibis, where we located three birds together and a further bird in a different area. This is a species we see every year in Jubail but normally only once or twice a year so was a welcome sighting.

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Caspian Tern

Common Moorhen

Common Ringed Plover

Glossy Ibis

Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover

Little Stint

Little Stint

Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Slender-billed Gull

Ducks and more – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

My last few visits to the Dhahran Waste Water Lake have produced a few ducks of various species. The regular Ferruginous Ducks, that have been around for almost a month, were joined on one occasion by three Eurasian Teal and a female Northern Pintail and a female Garganey was also seen on one occasion. Hopefully duck numbers build up over the next month or so, with this being a good and safe place for them to rest and feed. A few waders have been dropping into to feed and rest on the waters edge, with Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank and Black-winged Stilt being the most common. Migrants around the edge of the lake have been lacking this autumn although the number of Rose-ringed Parakeet flying over appear to be increasing.

Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters passing – Jubail

Whilst birding in the Jubail area in late October I came across good numbers of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. This species migrates later than European Bee-eater with birds still passing in small numbers through to the middle of November. The autumn has been relatively quiet for most species but good numbers of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters have been seen every week since early August The birds are mainly flying over when their distinctive calls can be heard, but occasionally they rest up on dead trees, reedbeds and often sit on the ground. Birds are a mixture of adults and juveniles with juvenile appearing to outnumber adults about two or three to one.

Adult Indian Roller – Dhahran Hills

I finally managed to get a couple of photos of the Indian Roller that has been around for a while on 23 October. I found it hiding under the cover of a power generator, the same place where I originally located the bird, but it quickly flew and landed on a post before flying off again. I could not get close to the bird but hopefully will get lucky one day. Indian Roller has a status in Saudi Arabia as a rare winter visitor, with the only recent records I know being an adult, Mansouriyah, Riyadh, 21 December 1989; an adult, Thumamah, Riyadh, 8 October 1999 until 17 February 2000 and the wintering bird in Dhahran from 2020 returning each year. The bird is difficult to find and most times it is not seen but I have seen it four times, always on the cricket field, since I first found it on the Cricket Field on 22 September. It was also seen on the overhead power lines neat the Waste Water lake 19 October. Assuming this is the same bird returning again for another winter it should stay around until early spring.

Black-crowned Night Heron – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Dhahran Waste Water Lake over the last couple of weeks I have been seeing good number of Black-crowned Night Heron. They feed along the waters edge and are almost always on the far side of the lake, but occasionally fly around and give some opportunities to photograph them. There are about equal numbers of juveniles and adults and they often also associate with the local Squacco Herons. A single Great Egret is also always present along with up to ten Grey Herons. The Purple Herons that I was seeing in the summer, appear to have moved off though.

Returning Greater Spotted Eagles – Jubail

The first Greater Spotted Eagle I saw this autumn returned on 20 October when ten birds were recorded a similar number to last year on this date. The majority of birds that will spend the winter in Jubail and are almost always near wetland areas with large areas where they can hunt undisturbed. Birds can be seen perched on the power pylons as well as in the reed islands but are not so often seen on the ground. The area I birdwatch is an excellent location for seeing Greater Spotted Eagle, but it is always a joy to locate birds every trip. It is an uncommon winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with normally single birds seen unless at one of the favoured wintering wetland sites where ten plus occasionally occur.

Osprey – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Dhahran Waste Water Lake recently we flushed an Osprey from the waters edge, Luckily the bird flew around and gave some nice photographic opportunities as it flew past. This bird has been around fortwo months now and I have seen it fishing once at the lake where it caught a reasonably sized Tilapia. It has taken a liking to sitting on one of the danger signs and has also been seen flying over other areas of the camp on occasions. Osprey is an unusual species for the camp, although this one has taken a liking for the area and will hopefully continue to be seen.

Pipits & others – Dhahran Cricket Field

Due to the number of good birds on the Dhahran Cricket fields recently I have spent more time than normal down there. This has allowed me to get good views of several unusual species for the fields. I have seen at least three Tawny Pipits of which a couple gave extremely close views. A single Tree Pipit was also noted on two occasions, although this bird was not so confiding, and the photographs were not great. An Isabelline Wheatear has been present for the last few weeks and this also kept its distance but luckily a Northern Wheatear was close enough for photography. The Whimbrel numbers are decreasing and now only two birds are present, but again these birds do not allow close approach and fly as soon as they see anyone. European Hoopoe numbers however are still high, and these birds are relatively tame. Trying to photograph the birds is relatively easy on the ground but in flight is a different situation and it’s not easy to get good photos.

Gull-billed Tern

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Tawny Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Tree Pipit

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel