Wednesday 7 March 2012

The Baha list

I have worked out one or two identifications since I came back from Baha and so I am close to a definitive list of birds seen there. As I am now about half way through reporting on the visit in the blog I thought it would be a good idea to show the list. 

Palestine sunbird at Baha

The one and only valley which I visited yielded six endemics, ten lifers and at least forty two identified species. There were also twelve additions to my Saudi list which has now reached over 150.  In addition there was one large bird of prey which will never be identified and possibly up to two more species which may be added later.

Bird species
Special notes
Kestrel

Philby’s partridge
Endemic, lifer, Saudi first
Arabian partridge
Endemic, lifer, Saudi first
Rock pigeon

Dusky turtle dove
Lifer, Saudi first
Laughing dove

Namaqua dove

Alpine swift

Hoopoe

Arabian woodpecker
Endemic, lifer, Saudi first
African rock martin

Barn swallow

Red rumped swallow

House martin

Long billed pipit
Lifer, Saudi first
Tawny pipit

White wagtail

Yellow vented bulbul

Black redstart

Stonechat

Isabelline wheatear

Pied wheatear

South Arabian wheatear
Endemic
Little rock thrush
Lifer, Saudi first
Yemen thrush
Endemic, lifer, Saudi first
Blue rock thrush

Song thrush
Saudi first
Graceful prinia

Scrub warbler
Saudi first
White breasted white-eye
Lifer, Saudi first
Brown woodland warbler
Lifer, Saudi first
Chiffchaff

Willow warbler

Palestine sunbird

Turkestan shrike

Brown-necked raven

Fan- tailed raven

Tristram’s grackle

House sparrow

Ruppell’s weaver

Yemen linnet
Endemic
Cretzschmar’s bunting
Lifer, Saudi first

Apart from the two partridges my greatest pleasure was a song thrush and a pair of Arabian woodpecker. This must be one of the most southerly places in the world where you can see song thrush (only in winter of course). The woodpeckers will appear in one of the later blogs.



Palestine sunbird launches itself

The next blog looks at the wheatears and stonechats in the valley.

3 comments:

  1. Good stuff Rob a list to whet the appetite - it's nice to explore a location on foot and do it justice - look forward to the rest......

    Laurie -

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  2. Thanks Laurie. Plenty of good ones to come from Baha over the next few days. I'll be birding locally near Riyadh this weekend and the passage should be really on. So exciting times ahead.

    Rob

    PS Incidentally Kidderminster is my home town, not far from you

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  3. I know where i would rather be birding - and it aint Kiddy! The settling pools at Wilden are now a distant memory i'm afraid...

    Laurie -

    ReplyDelete