European Robin – Deffi Park

Whilst birding Deffi Park at first light on 16 December I saw a European Robin feeding on the ground at some distance. After alerting Phil Roberts we tried to get closer for some photos. European Robin in the UK is a very confiding species allowing close approach, but this bird had not been taught well and was very timid. It quickly flew up high in a dense tree where we could not see it. Eventually we relocated it, but again it flew quickly into another tree. I managed to get a single poor photo (see below) of the bird before it flew off some distance and could not be relocated. This is only the second time I have seen the species in Saudi Arabia, with the first an adult bird near Salwa, between Al Kuwaifriah and Al Bartha 26 November 2021, of which I could not get any photos. The European Robin is a scarce winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with the following records from the Eastern Province of the Kingdom. One adult male Abqaiq lagoons 11 November 1983, one adult male Dhahran Saudi Aramco camp percolation pond, 16 December 1983, one adult male Dhahran Saudi Aramco camp percolation pond, 22 February 1984, One at Jubail Lagoons 15 November 1991, one Duffi Park, Jubail 15 February 2014, one Jubail 1-12 December 2015, one Sabkhat Al Fasl 9 December 2015, one between Al Kuwaifriah and Al Bartha 26 November 2021, one male Aqua Park, Jubail 10 September 2022 and one Deffi Park 16 December 2022.