Whilst ringing in Jubail in November we trapped and ringed a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, a new ringing species for me. This was my 60 species ringed in Saudi Arabia. Birds are common in the area of our nets at the right time of year but as they are generally high-flying birds we seldom if ever catch them.
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is a common passage migrant seen in spring from March to May and in autumn from mid-August to November. Small numbers can sometimes be seen in June and December.
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is normally commoner than its close relative the European Bee-eater in autumn but less common in spring.
Jem Babbington
Jem Babbington is a keen birder and amateur photographer located in Dhahran, Eastern Saudi Arabia where he goes birding every day. Jem was born in England and is a serious local patch and local area birder who has been birding for almost forty years and has birded in more than fifty countries. Jem is learning to ring birds in Bahrain as a perfect way to learn more about the birds of the area. Saudi Arabia is a very much under-watched and under-recorded country.
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