Whilst birding Jubail recently I came across a nice selection of water birds some of which I have not seen so often this year. Terns are always common in Jubail and Caspian Tern has been seen in numbers up to 100 birds in some visits. It is a local breeding species and can often be seen trying to catch fish from the flooded areas of sabkha.
Bridled Tern also uses the same habitat and they can often be seen fishing together when the massive size if Caspian Tern becomes more apparent. A bird I have seen few of this year compared to most is Garganey, although I saw two males together last visit. Grey-headed Swamphen is now spreading its range in Saudi Arabia bit the Jubail area is its stronghold and I saw one very confiding bird along the side of a wet ditch.
Little Egret on the other hand is normally an uncommon winter visitor to the Jubail area although this year numbers have ben high with plenty seen last visit including a number that have moved well inland from their normal haunts.
Other water birds seen included both Spotted Crake with three birds seen and a single Little Crake all of which were too fast for me to take any photographs.
Little Grebes are now in full breeding plumage and passage waders are still passing with photographs of Wood Sandpiper and Ruff taken.
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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