Whilst birding the Jubail area in strong winds and the middle of summer few birds are generally seen. Waders can always be seen on the sabkha but they are restricted to breeding Black-winged stilts and Kentish Plovers as well as further inland Little Ringed Plovers that breed locally.
A single Greater Sand Plover was a bit of a surprise as they normally occur later than this record. Terns are common in the summer months with mainly Little Terns, White-cheeked Terns and Caspian Terns seen.
A surprise was the sighting in mid summer of an adult Ferruginous Duck possibly indicating a breeding attempt may be underway. I have never seen Ferruginous Duck in Summer in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
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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