Areally smart Common Redstart of the sub-species samamisicus which is often known as ‘Ehrenberg’s Redstart’ was seen in Jubail recently. This sub-species breeds in the southern Balkans and Greece east to Turkmenistan, south Uzbekistan and Iran and winter in north-east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. They are slightly greyer and darker above, with a large […]
Tag: Common Redstart
Migrants – Jubail
A steady trickle of migrants have been passing through the Eastern Province in the last couple of weeks with several Red-backed Shrike appearing. Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Pied Wheatear, Tree Pipit and Western Siberian Stonechat were also seen in small numbers. Very few Yellow Wagtails have been around recently compared to recent years […]
Woodchat Shrike at Sodbury Common
With the Jims needing the Woodchat Shrike for a life tick we headed off up the M4 this morning in search of that tick. Arriving on Sodbury Common at 7ish we got lucky as we pulled up next to the finder and received detailed advise on where to look as he walked on to work […]
Common Redstart – Jubail
The below photos were taken in the spring in Jubail but I did not post them at the time. Normally birds keep well hidden but this individual was quitehappy being out in the open feeding along the side of a track. The Common Redstart is a common passage migrant throughout Saudi Arabia and passes through […]
Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh
Phil Roberts and I went to Haradh recently and found plenty of good birds despite the temperature being 1 degrees Celsius the coldest day for many years in the region as well as a bitingly cold northerly wind. Some birds were winter visitors such as Mallard, Northern Lapwing, Desert Wheatear, Eastern Imperial Eagle and Tawny […]
Disappearing Nightingales
Taking photos of Common Nightingales can be tricky but flight shots are pretty rare and I was really pleased to capture a sequence of photos set on 1/2500th of a second of such a bird in ‘hovermode’, something that to me at least is a pretty rare sight. During the breeding season and with young […]
Portland Bluethroat and Sub Warbler
We had quite a drive this morning for a day on Portland birding for spring migrants. Having set off early we we in the obs garden at 7.30am but there was no news of yesterdays Bluethroat or Western Subalpine Warbler. I headed off up the hill into the fields in search of anything that might […]