A few migrants – Al Uqair

Whilst birding Al Uqair last visit the number of migrants had decreased significantly although there were still a few birds about. Red-backed Shrikes were the commonest bird seen with tens of individuals scattered around. Several Spotted Flycatchers were also seen along with a single Whinchat. Other interesting birds included several Common Redstart, Daurian Shrike, Masked Shrike and Spanish Sparrow. The nearby coast had very few birds bit a single Greater Sand Plover and several Kentish Plover were seen on the tideline.

Common Redstart

Daurian Shrike

Greater Sand Plover

Kentish Plover

Masked Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Spanish Sparrow

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Whinchat

Hundreds of Carmine Darter – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Dhahran Waste Water Lake in late May I saw hundreds of Carmine Darter Crocothemis erythraea. They are common in this area but I have never seen large numbers like this. The Carmine Darter is a common dragonfly throughout the Middle East, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman. The male is carmine red, while the female is a significantly drabber yellow-buff colour with two paler marks on top of the thorax. It is a medium-sized dragonfly approximately 52mm in length. The abdomen is wider than other members of the family, flattened and tapering to the end. It is widespread in the Arabian Peninsula where it prefers a habitat of rocky areas and dry watercourses as well as shallow, still, eutrophic waters such as small ponds, paddy fields, and desert pools, but it avoids oases. Adults only live for up to two months. Adults spend much of their time perched on vegetation although they have a fast, darting flight and hover frequently.

Collared Pratincoles – Dhahran Cricket Field

Whilst birding the Dhahran Cricket Field, I saw and photographed an adult Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincole. The bird was in the middle of the grass area meaning I had to walk out to get near to it, but luckily it was tolerant to people and allowed close approach. It was disturbed a few times by people exercising their dogs but on the first two occasions returning to the same area of the cricket field. On the last occasion, however, it flew off towards the percolation pond and I could not re-find it. The Collared Pratincole is an uncommon passage migrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a similar status in the Riyadh area where they occur from late March to May and in August and September. During the remaining summer months and in October it tends to be scarce and irregular. Records are more common in the autumn than spring in Riyadh with autumn movement from late July to late October, peaking late August to early September, when flocks of 40 plus (mainly juveniles) are regularly encountered. In the southwest, west and northwest of the country records are more common mainly at freshwater inland areas where flocks of over 100 have been recorded at Tabuk.

A few waterbirds – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Birding the lake has been a bit hard work recently with few birds to be seen and to good ones, not allowing photographs. The best birds in May were a single Corn Crake flushed from the edge of a small wet area and a flyover male Ruppell’s Weaver. Some of the local waterbirds were more photogenic with a number of them in moult as can be seen from some of the photos below. Numbers are dropping but there are still plenty of herons and egrets to see.

Black-crowned Night Heron - adult

Black-crowned Night Heron - juvenile

Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Great Egret

Great Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Steppe Buzzard – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

Whilst birding the Dhahran Waste Water Lake 18 May I came across a single Steppe Buzzard Buteo Buteo vulpinus. I did not see the bird as it was sitting on the ground behind some scrub but as it took off I got a few clse photos of it in flight although it was not in the nest position to show off all its plumage. This is the first time I have seen the species in the area for quite a few years so was very pleased with the sighting and it is later by almost a month than all my previous records in the Eastern Province. Steppe Buzzard is an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor that pass in March and April and again in September and October, merging with the occasional and sparse winter visitors which may appear in any or all months between the autumn and spring movements. 

Late Western Cattle Egrets – Dhahran Football Field

I surprise this morning on the Dhahran football fields were eight Western Cattle Egret. This is a common wintering species but normally by now they have all left. I have only seen one single bird in the last two weeks and none in the last week, so these birds may well be migrants passing through rather than our wintering birds remaining. As normal in Dhahran the birds were not frightened at all and allowed quite close approach even on foot. Some birds we starting to get some breeding plumage coloration with most still in winter type plumage.

Last of the Yellow Wagtails – Dhahran Cricket Field

Yellow Wagtails have been plentiful this spring, with hundreds seen on some days. Over the last week numbers have been declining but there are still tens to be seen most days including various sub-species such as Grey-headed, Yellow-headed and Sykes’s Wagtails. I have not been able to get to the area at first light recently and by the time I have arrived the light has not been so good but I still managed to take a few reasonable photos of some of them. The autumn is not as good as the spring for this species and birds are nt in as good plumage either so I have spent quite a lot of time enjoying the birds over the past month or so.