Whilst driving to Judah and Jebal Hamrah we came across two Lesser Kestrels perched on fence wires in the very early morning. This was the first time I have seen the species in Jebal Hamrah.
Lesser Kestrel is an uncommon passage migrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia that migrates in small flocks. They are normally seen in areas where insects are common such as pivot irrigation fields where good numbers can sometimes be seen in spring.
Small flocks are sometimes seen flying over at some height and not landing suggesting many move through the area unseen. Numbers are significantly lower in the autumn than the spring.
Most birds occur in Saudi Arabia from the middle of February to mid-April in spring, and between the end-September and mid-November in autumn.
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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