Whilst birding the pivot irrigation fields near Tabuk in early October we found hundreds of Black Kites. Many birds will be on passage at this time of year but many more will saty throughout the winter. Some birds looked like typical Black Kites and others like the very similar subspecies Black-eared Kite. The Black Kite […]
Tag: saudi arabia
Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and more – Jubail
There have been numerous small flocks of Bee-eaters passing over Jubail in recent weeks most of them European Bee-eaters. Recently a few Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters have been seen including some birds that have spent time perched on the ground or any other perches they could find. I found two birds sitting on a potentially not so […]
Juvenile Western Osprey – Jubail
Whilst birding the Jubail area on 22 September I came across a Western Osprey. Initially it was seen flying over the reed beds but soon disappeared from view. After a few minutes, the bird was seen again in flight but this time flew and landed on a post nearby. Unfortunately, the bird was directly into […]
Harlequin Quail – Near Jizan
Whilst birding the area just north of Jizan on 7-8 July 2017 I saw at least six Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei with many other birds calling. This species had not been recorded in Saudi Arabia for many years, until I found some in the same area in 2015. On the 6 July Phil Roberts and […]
Sooty Gulls – Jizan Fish Market
As I am very interested in gulls, we stopped at the fish market in Jizan where we knew from past experience that photography was possible. We only managed to get there late one evening and again in the early afternoon but saw plenty of gulls at both times. Many wait around on the ground for […]
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 […]
Pharaoh Eagle Owl – Jubail area
I saw a pale B. a. desertorum Pharaoh Eagle Owl earlier in the year and took a few photos of it shown below. The Pharaoh Eagle Owl is distributed throughout much of North Africa and the Middle East, with two recognised subspecies. The subspecies Bubo ascalaphus ascalaphus occupies the northern part of the species range, […]
Summer Greater Spotted Eagle – Jubail
Whilst bird-watching in the early morning of 4 August 2017 at Jubail, Eastern Province Saudi Arabia, we saw a second calendar year Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga.This is a very early record for the species and will relate to a bird that has spent the summer here. A point to note is that injured or […]