The number of Western Cattle Egrets around the camp seems to dropping from a high point of over 100 birds with many of the birds coming into full breeding plumages. Good views can still be had of the birds as they feed along the roadside grass verges finding insects in the soft ground after the […]
Author: Jem Babbington
Blue Rock Thrush and Eastern Black Redstart – Qatar
Vinu Mathew went to Qatar recently and visited a farm called Mekaines farm. Vinu said it was an amazing site with a lot of species there. Unfortunately he only spent only two hours there but there were Blue Rock Thrush, Eastern Black Redstart, Stonechats, lots of butterflies, lots of Shrikes, Gulls and Lapwings, Vinu mentioned […]
White-throated Kingfisher – Dhahran Hills
Whilst birding my local patch on 11 March I found an adult White-throated Kingfisher in the trees around Dhahran Hills swimming pool. The bird was very vocal and called regularly from its main perch of a very tall palm tree. This is the second White- throated Kingfisher I have seen on my patch after a […]
Sociable Lapwings in Saudi Arabia
Phil Roberts has written an excellent personal account of the finding of 18 Sociable Lapwings in Haradh in February 2016. The account is on the Birdlife website The Amazing Journey under this link http://www.birdlife.org/sociable-lapwing/2016/03/three-on-the-move-and-news-from-saudi-arabia/ This excellent website also shows where some of the Sociable Lapwings cross Saudi Arabia on route to and from their breeding […]
Dead Sea Sparrows still present – Jubail
The flock of eleven Dead Sea Sparrows found in the Jubail area on 26 February were still in the same general area on 4 March. This is only the second time this species has been seen in the Kingdom with the previous record also in the same area when a flock of 60 – 70 […]
Beema Yellow Wagtail – Jubail
The Yellow Wagtail is a common passage migrant through the whole of Arabia with many thousands passing through the Eastern Province alone. A number of different subspecies occur, often together with Jubail being a particularly good area for seeing large groups. The first subspecies to occur are Black-headed Wagtails feldegg and these are then followed […]
Blandford’s Agama – Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm
Whilst birding Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, near Jubail Phil saw a Blandford’s Agama Trapelus ruderatus resting in the top of a small bush. We have seen the species here on a previous visit but they are not often seen. They range from northeast Jordan and southern Syria, through northern and eastern Saudi Arabia, Iraq, […]
Wintering Masked Shrike still present – Deffi Park
I found a wintering Masked Shrike a few weeks ago in Deffi Park, Jubail that has been seen every weekend since by various birders and photographers. The bird has kept faithful to a very small area of the park, and is also very vocal, making it easier to see. The Masked Shrike is an uncommon […]