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Black-winged Kite - Khafra Marsh Whilst birding Khafra Marsh in December 2020 we found an adult Black-winged Kite, only the sixth record for the Eastern Province. Records previously from the Eastern Province were one at Dhahran Saudi Aramco Camp spray fields 29 March to 17 April 2012 with another 20 April 2014, one Ash Shargiyah Development Company Farm, Fadhili, near Jubail, 4 September 2015. A pair were at Khafrah Marsh in 2019 with a juvenile also seen, suggesting possible breeding. A single was at Mulayjah near Nayriyah 13 March 2019. All birds sub-specifically identified in the north an...

Whilst birding Jubail we saw a very confiding Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin  Cercotrichas galactotes a species that normally spends its time well hidden in vegetation. The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is an uncommon breeding migrant and uncommon passage migrant with birds arriving in late March and staying until late September or early October with most sightings during the first week of May. Birds of the Riyadh Region by Stagg (1994); mentions the species is a common breeding summer visitor, widespread throughout the region. Numbers in the Kingdom have increased significantly in recent years in...

White-headed Duck – Khafra Marsh An overcast and dull day, 4 December 2020, meant that very little was seen in Deffi Park, Jubail and the nearby wetlands that were flooded and not birdable. As a result, we went to nearby Khafra Marsh to see if we could find anything. On arrival I scanned the open area of water and found a male Tufted Duck in eclipse plumage and then noticed a slightly smaller duck behind it. It had its tail upright and so I got Phil onto it suggesting it was likely to be a White-headed Duck. Phil had his scope so we set it up and got good views for thirty minutes of an imm...