The walk home in Riyadh

Not only has most of the university farm on the way to work now been dismantled but also getting into the remaining gardens requires a big detour to avoid trenches and other construction.

Nevertheless on three occasions in the past two weeks I have made the detour on the way home.

There have been a few passage birds making the visits worthwhile.

spotted flycatcher on a  metal sign

On Wednesday I came across a spotted flycatcher which was my first this spring.

same spotted flycatcher on branch

It allowed close access which I put down to tiredness rather than tameness.

willow warbler

The same afternoon I saw two willow warbler. Again these were my first this spring.

second willow warbler

The chiffchaff I had been seeing all winter in this place had gone. Quite typically for the Riyadh area there is hardly any overlap in the period when both are around in spring.

wryneck

On Sunday I observed yet another wryneck.  There are so common in the Riyadh area in both passage seasons and also a few in winter.

wryneck from another angle

A couple of days earlier I found a female northern wheatear on my walk but actually it was next to the university car park rather than at the farm.

female northern wheatear

Female northern wheatear are quite difficult to separate from Isabelline wheatear and many people think individuals are the latter. However on the position of the supercilum alone this is a northern wheatear. Isabelline wheatear never have this strong a supercilium behind the eye.