Whilst birding the Jubail area recently we came across a female Garganey Anas querquedula. The species is a common migrant to all areas of the Kingdom with often hundreds seen together. In the Eastern Province, it is a common passage migrant, rare summer and scarce winter visitor. Generally, they occur during spring migration from mid-February to late May with peak numbers in early March. Numbers are much more common during autumn migration which occurs from late August to mid-October with a peak in September when flocks of twenty plus birds are quite frequent. Records are rare between late May and late August and only small numbers are seen in the winter months of November to early February. Birds normally occur on freshwater lakes, pools and lagoons away from the coast although in autumn birds are sometimes seen on the shoreline and occasionally, they have even been seen on the sea. Birds normally stay at some distance from the shore as they are frightened of possible hunters but luckily the one shown below did not fly, as it appeared very tiered from migration and allowed close approach in the car allowing some photos to be taken before it was left in place to rest.
