Off early to Al Khairah Forest Park where Philby’s Partridge was scoped from the hillside above us. Several Arabian Waxbills were almost constantly on view, as were numerous Yemen Linnets, a few Arabian Serins, Yemen Thrush, and a pair of Little Rock Thrush.
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| Al Khairah Forest Park |
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| Yemen Linnet |
We followed this rush of activity with Arabian Wheatear, Ruppell’s Weaver, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting and a few Gambaga Flycatchers all at our first stop.
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| Gambaga Flycatcher |
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| Ruppell's Weaver |
We checked out Wadi Shabraqah and other sites during the morning, seeing many of the same species including even closer Gambaga Flycatchers with one on a nest, and many Eurasian Hoopoes. Lunch in a scenic wadi saw us being joined by a Grey-headed Kingfisher, but we were losing a little optimism at our prospects of finding Arabian Grosbeak by now. And that was the whole point of us coming here rather than flying further south to Abha!
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| Thee Ain Ancient Village |
We then drove just under an hour to Thee Ain Ancient Village and picked up several new trip birds quite quickly: Black Scrub-Robin, Arabian Sunbird, Bruce’s Green-Pigeon, African Palm Swift, Arabian Babbler, Graceful Prinia, Blackstart and some Tristram’s Starlings.
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| Black Scrub-Robin |
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| I was amazed how good this Graceful Prinia looked!!! |
Returning to Al Khairah Forest Park we nailed an Arabian Scops-Owl in daylight and heard several Abyssinian Nightjars on the slopes above.
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| Arabian Scops Owl |
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