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 Pipit whilst others were spring migrants such as Common Redstart, Common Chiffchaff, Mauryan Grey Shirke.
We also saw a few interesting resident species such as Long-legged Buzzard, Spur-winged Plovers that appear to have colonized the pivot irrigation and farm areas of Haradh in recent years as well as Spanish Sparrows and Namaqua Doves.
A few winter harriers were still present including Marsh Harrier and Pallid Harrier and there were plenty of Common Kestrels as well.
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Mauryan Grey Shrike](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pg27W9VCqgU/WJ9F_o4ciwI/AAAAAAAAaPE/2LELYcmpQ9w6uynlwVlkH8lH4KJRuaT2gCLcB/s1600/Mauryan_Grey_Shrike.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Desert Wheatear](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4FB1PXB4Oak/WJ9GGB-yHiI/AAAAAAAAaPM/neV6qMGXfUQBYJIiHqgLPnEgjlbo3QRMwCLcB/s1600/Desert_Wheatear.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Eastern Imperial eagle](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CThuvQJIbfA/WJ9GB5bvKTI/AAAAAAAAaPI/KjgAZf-BY6Yz4sRd4WGeXiPkKIfED23YwCLcB/s1600/Eastern_Imperial_eagle.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Greater Hoopoe Lark](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9wy8i9o5ZZE/WJ9GIHyRJqI/AAAAAAAAaPU/PXxr1iuweXAPN7MTEJ0b0sbuib8EzWTGACLcB/s1600/Greater_Hoopoe_Lark.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Mallard](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkUjDFfVOzw/WJ9GIMQWEGI/AAAAAAAAaPQ/JewCyVfUaVsoPxUNnZ7DEBjpcnLI-YQ8ACLcB/s1600/Mallard.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Northern Lapwing](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d-pGWMrtFLM/WJ9GRhguReI/AAAAAAAAaPg/cvNtSiEkxBoOGEHCIRmUPEKE_Ad-yxPUACLcB/s1600/Northern_Lapwing.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Spur winged Plover](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gyf4tOrVSUo/WJ9GPzWCd2I/AAAAAAAAaPc/6VK9_d0W77UeJZOt9R7L6XnvEThCP3LqwCLcB/s1600/Spur-winged_Plover.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Tawny Pipit](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A9KlsRTb-PY/WJ9GS49gjnI/AAAAAAAAaPk/uNhx4BQEurc9NPPRtXZEiwhtZyXCu0kgQCLcB/s1600/Tawny_Pipit.jpg)
![Winter visitors and passage migrants – Haradh Jem Babbington](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Jem_Babbington_square-e1326016039596.jpg)
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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