Birds of Saudi Arabia
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Al Hamra Palace is located on the north west of the city of Tayma, one of the oldest settlements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and even the whole Arabian Peninsula. It is named after Al-Hamra region, where it is located, which is known for its red formations. It is dated at the first milelennium BC, in the reign of the Babylonian emporer Taima. It is a stone-made building erected on a low rocky ridge overlooking the site of an ancient lake. The pottery found on the site indicates that this palace could date back to the 6th century BCE when Nabonidus, last king of Babylon, conquered the oasis city. It is divided into three sections, one of which was used for worship, and the other two to serve the residents of the palace. During the excavations of the Al-Hamra Palace several archaeological discoveries of importance were made. The most prominent are a broken stela with with a carved religious scene and part of an Aramaic inscription, relating to
Birds of Saudi Arabia
Title Picture
Whilst birding the Jubail area in early July we found at least nine Egyptian Nightjars in two different areas. Egyptian Nightjars are now an easily seen species during the summer months in the Jubail area with a maximum of sixteen birds seen in 2020 and numbers increasing almost every year since they were first found in 2006. In 2020 & 2021 birds have been recorded breeding in the area or very nearby. They often sit on the car tracks and fly when the car gets very close allowing flight shots if you are quick. You can get very close to them in the car without disturbing them as they are convinced their camouflage can hide them from anything so excellent photos on the ground are often possible. We do not try to photograph them in flight unless they are disturbed by the car as we do not want to disturb the birds unduly. The birds shown here are adults and are in heavy wing moult.
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8 Jul 2021
Part of a UNESCO listed world heritage site rich in rock art, including figures of men, animals, palm trees and feet impressions, inscribed skilfully in life size shape. Some of these petroglyphs date to 14,000 years BP with life sized camel figures being from the Thamudic period 3000 years BP. Jabals al-Manjor and Raat are rock escarpments of a now sand-covered wadi that is thought to have been a broad valley with flowing water during the early Holocene. Both Jabal al-Manjor and Raat contain a large number of human and animal figures, and other hills and outcrops within the buffer zone feature smaller concentrations. These sandstone exposures occur in a region that has seen numerous volcanic eruptions and lava flows in recent geological history. The large number of petroglyphs and inscriptions at these site complexes has been attributed to almost 10,000 years of human history. As the aquifer subsided, probably around mid-Holocene times, the for
Jabal Manjor - Shuwaymis
Part of a UNESCO listed world heritage site rich in rock art, including figures of men, animals, palm trees and feet impressions, inscribed skilfully in life size shape. Some of these petroglyphs date to 14,000 years BP with life sized camel figures being from the Thamudic period 3000 years BP. Jabals al-Manjor and Raat are rock escarpments of a now sand-covered wadi that is thought to have been a broad valley with flowing water during the early Holocene. Both Jabal al-Manjor and Raat contain a large number of human and animal figures, and other hills and outcrops within the buffer zone feature smaller concentrations. These sandstone exposures occur in a region that has seen numerous volcanic eruptions and lava flows in recent geological history. The large number of petroglyphs and inscriptions at these site complexes has been attributed to almost 10,000 years of human history. As the aquifer subsided, probably around mid-Holocene times, the formerly perma