Return to Al Hayer dam

I last visited the dam area of Wadi Hanifah about 9 weeks ago. As I said in the last blog, the Persian wheatear was still there. However there were some subtle changes in the birds seen. Of course, the big change will be in another 9 weeks when the passage will be on.


One of the changes was the presence in small numbers of hypocolius. This was the first time I have seen them in Wadi Hanifah. 

There is some evidence that they have dispersed a bit since their arrival in central Arabia for the winter.

hypocolius near the town of Al Hayer

I find this area is a particularly attractive part of Wadi Hanifah. It is partly due to the fact there is no obvious vehicle access for picnickers. Their loss is my gain. 

part of the Riyadh river near the dam

The river is broad both sides of the dam but the reed cover is dense. I only saw three water bird species - moorhen, coot and grey heron. This may have been a result of the cover.

moorhen

The valley is surrounded on both sides by escarpments here. I actually had hopes of seeing an owl. The escarpments are pitted with seemingly ideal holes for owl hides.

grey heron

However once again I failed to see one though it is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. The grey heron were not always near the water. Sometimes they ventured onto the escarpments. I noticed, one of them has some sort of pigment problem and is partially white.

mix of rock dove and feral pigeon

Another reason for me to believe there must be owls there is the abundance of rock dove and feral pigeon on the escarpments. They can be good owl food! The area must certainly be worth a visit at dawn or dusk when most owl species are active.

old nest

Certainly some prey bird has nested in the area as the picture of an old nest high up the hillside certifies.

greater spotted eagle

On Thursday I did see two active birds of prey. One was a greater spotted eagle (which may be the same one we saw in the same place in October).

first winter marsh harrier

The other was a dark looking marsh harrier which is probably a first winter (or just conceivably a very dark adult female).

spanish sparrow

Another one of the changes since October was the presence of three or more large flocks of spanish sparrow. Spanish sparrow doesn't appear in the region until November but is now present in many places. The flocks near the dam were very mobile and very easily frightened. Close contact wasn't easy.

white cheeked bulbul

A few of the spanish sparrow mixed occasionally with the white cheeked bulbul.

white cheeked bulbul with streaked weaver

However the "best" mixed flock contained spanish sparrow, white cheeked bulbul and streaked weaver.  This is the furthest upstream (north) I have seen weavers since I arrived in Riyadh. They seem to be heading towards breeding plumage. 

little green bee-eater near the dam

This area is the best place I have found for "guaranteeing" seeing graceful prinia in the scrubby areas in the valley. However I was surprised not to see any blackstart this time round since they were so obvious on one particularly escarpment in October. I was less surprised not to see sand partridge. 

I wonder what spring will bring?

Bird species	27 October 11	5 January  12
Sand partridge	x
Grey heron	x	x
Purple heron	x
Greater spotted eagle	x	x
Marsh Harrier		x
Moorhen	x	x
Coot		x
Rock dove (feral pigeon)	x	x
Collared dove	x	x
Laughing dove	x	x
Little green bee-eater	x	x
Pale crag martin		x
Hypocolius		x
Desert lark	x
Persian wheatear	x	x
Blackstart	x
Blue rock thrush	x	x
Graceful Prinia	x	x
Asian desert warbler		x
Desert lesser whitethroat	x
White cheeked bulbul	x	x
House sparrow	x	x
Spanish sparrow		x
Streaked weaver		x

Persian wheatear still there

The last time I visited the dam of Wadi Hanifah near Al Hayer was in late October. Then I was with Tony, a British birder here on business. This time I went alone.

There were some changes in the bird species but tonight I am writing about something that hasn't changed. A Persian wheatear was still there on the rocky land next to the western escarpment. Its possible to presume it was the same one as Tony and I saw. However, it could be another as I have seen three others this winter in other locations along Wadi Hanifah.

Persian wheatear near Wadi Hanifah dam

Nevertheless, short of having a ringed bird this comes closest to showing a Persian wheatear has spent all winter in Wadi Hanifah at the same location.

back view of the Persian wheatear

I'll blog tomorrow about the other birds I saw near the dam. One was another wintering bird from the same part of the world as the wheatear.

The status of wryneck in central Arabia

Previous observers have described wryneck as a passage migrant through central Arabia.


Yet our small band of bird watchers have seen two wintering birds in the last three weeks. Clive Temple and I saw one on Wadi Hanifah between Al Hayer and Dirab three weeks ago. Clive and Abdullah Amrou saw one at Al Mansour farm near Kharj on Thursday.

wryneck at Al Mansour farm

The most recent of the two main historic recorders in the area also saw one in winter. This was out of only four seen in his (three year) time in central Arabia.

Put another way, collectively three of the six sightings of wryneck in the last few years have been in winter!

I think it is probably safe to upgrade its status to migrant and wintering bird.

Abdullah Amrou was very quick off the mark in order to photograph the wryneck at Al Mansour though he didn't have much time. Thanks to him for allowing me to show his record shots.

second picture of the Al Mansour wryneck

Incidentally Abdullah has just started a new blog at www.ksa-birds.blogspot.com mostly written in Arabic with some English translation. Please encourage him and visit it! 

Finally, I also have some good video footage of wryneck taken this summer in Tirana, Albania.  Please visit my previous blog entry

http://www.birdingforalark.blogspot.com/2011/06/grand-birding-at-tirana-grand-park-trip.html 

Spring birds of prey at Al Hayer

It's mid week again here in Saudi Arabia and once again Abdullah Amrou has let me raid his archives to show some birds from other times of year.

Today we are looking at some birds of prey at Al Hayer in the months of March and April.

lesser kestrel

Previous observers say lesser kestrel is a regular migrant but seem to suggest it isn't that common. However my observations and photographic records from wildlife photographers including Abdullah suggest it probably is commoner than perhaps thought on migration. Newly cut fodder fields and their supply of locusts! seem to be the best places to see them.

I'm not ruling out over-wintering either and I'm on the look out for them. 

female marsh harrier

Marsh harrier is most common at Al Hayer during the passage too. However plenty of them are also seen in winter and it is an unlikely but conceivable  breeder. Summer birding records of most birds are more limited than other times of year because of the heat so it may have been over-looked.

male marsh harrier

In winter the most common eagle in the Al Hayer area appears to be greater spotted eagle. By contrast in the more steppe-like landscape of the Kharj farming area (which is less than 40 kilometres way) steppe eagle is the most commonly recorded. In spring numbers of greater spotted eagle in Al Hayer briefly swell. The pictures shown were taken by Abdullah in March.

  

young greater spotted eagle

I am looking forward to spring to see my first full season of raptor migration in central Arabia.

second view of greater spotted eagle

I saw the Osprey arrive at Al Hayer in November and they are well-recorded to linger to spring. 

osprey

Finally for this blog, I would like to wish all my readers a happy and prosperous new year.  I would particularly like to thank people from the following top ten countries who have supported my blog since it first appeared 18 months ago. 

The list is cumulative and shows a few changes since the same time last year.

The first four positions are still the same but not surprisingly readers from Saudi Arabia have joined the top ten along with Russia. While France and Sweden have dropped down. 

League table of readers since the blog was launched

Libya

United Kingdom

United States

Bulgaria

Saudi Arabia

Germany

Morocco

Canada

Italy

Russia

Last year's list 

Libya   

United Kingdom          

United States   

Bulgaria           

Germany         

Morocco         

France 

Italy     

Canada           

Sweden

But wherever you are - Thank you and keep visiting!