I have seen at least fifteen Greater Spotted Eagles Clanga clangathis winter in the Jubail area. Birds winter at a number of sites in Saudi Arabia with the Jubail area the best for the species in the Eastern province. In winter birds are almost always near wetland areas with large areas where they can hunt […]
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater – Jubail
This autumn there have been large numbers of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters passing over Jubail as well as many other areas of the Eastern Province. The species is a common passage migrant through the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with good numbers of birds passing in the spring as well as the autumn. Numbers are commoner in […]
Yemen Warbler – Tanoumah
I have visited the southwest highlands many times this year and have managed to take a few reasonable photos of Yemen Warbler a species that is not so easy to photograph. Yemen Warbler Sylvia buryi is a common, but local, resident of the south-west highlands in bushy areas especially on the Raydah escarpment, and slightly […]
Results of the Best Photo of the Month December 2018
We are delighted to announce the results of our latest photo competition. Candy McManiman wins First Prize for her brilliant image ‘To the Dark Side of the River’. Peter Beesley wins Second Prize for his outstanding image ‘Bullfinch on Berries’. Third Prize goes to Alan Jonker for his inspiring photo ‘Tree Leopard’. See detailed results […]
Garden Waxwings
Sunday started very lazily and my fry up breakfast was interrupted when Jr Jr pointed out there was a big flock of Waxwings in the garden. There were 80 of them and they made short work of the remaining apples in the garden (this is the first time any apples have remained on the trees […]
Sleepy Owls, Hoodies and Dogs On Skateboards
December has been a slow birding month for me so far. I’ve been reading the local eBird lists and noticed that birders have noticed that the species lists have dropped down to 10-20 species per outing. One reason I prefer fishing to birding is that I’ve never been “skunked” while birding. There have been many […]
Appreciating Cardinals
It has been raining and gray here for days that feel like weeks. It seems to make the red cardinals stand out even more than usual. It reminds me of something Terri Guillemets wrote: “Winter is the slow-down Winter is the search for self Winter gives the silence you need to listen Winter goes gray […]
Front row view of a Tiger trying to make a kill
We were on our last drive into the Nagarhole National Park when we heard Chital alarm calls deep inside theKabini Tiger Reserve. We rushed back to the area, only to have missed a Leopard that the other Jeep had just sighted. We were cursing our luck when we heard the Chital alarm calls again, and […]