Province
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Al-Hasa Bird Watching
| Al-Hofuf means 'whistling wind' and Al-Hasa means 'the wells'. The cool relief of so many trees has been a welcome stopping point for generations of travellers and migratory birds |
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Al-Hasa Lagoons near the towns of Hofuf and Abqaiq is the only large body of fresh water in the Eastern Province. It's caused by the over-flow from the Al-Hasa oasis.
There is a long, narrow river which flows from Hofuf and Abqaiq towards al-'Uqair. From time to time the river goes underground beneath sand dunes for several kilometers before resurfacing. There are many pools connected to the river, ranging in size up to 250hectares.
The countryside around the river and pools is a mixture of sand dunes, salt pans and beautiful, wind formed sand fields.
The larger pools provide a pleasant area, surrounded by reed-beds. Some pools are protected naturally by their inaccessibility, as they lie amidst sabkha and sand dunes. The lagoons have been identified as an "Important Bird Area" by BirdLife International.
The area is very popular with locals from Al-Hofuf. Shooting and hunting disturb the site regularly, particularly at week-ends.
The area is a lively ecosystem supporting a wide range of oasis fish, frogs and pond turtles. The fresh water and cool setting also attracts Asiatic Jackals.
Bird life includes the protected Houbara Bustards which pass through the area during the winter migration.
The ponds are a popular stop-over for birds on their annual migration. In winter you can see usually significant numbers of Black-winged Stilt and The Great Bittern. The area is also a breeding ground for Ferruginous Duck.
There have been reports of the Black Francolin using the ponds as breeding grounds. If the reports are not true, then it is likely that this species may actually be extinct in the Kingdom.
Other breeding species include Little Bittern, Ruddy Shelduck, Cream-colored Courser, Moustached Warbler (the only known breeding site in Saudi Arabia), and probably Savi's Warbler.
During a number of aerial surveys of the area, large concentrations of wintering and migrating waterbirds have been recorded, notably Grey Heron, Little Egret, ducks including Ruddy Shelduck, Common Crane and small flocks of Ruff, and Black-tailed Godwit.
Hofuf Museum
(has lots of information on geology)
Prince Sultan Street
Tel: +966-(0)3-580 3942
Open 8am-2pm Saturday - Wednesday
As part of the same complex water system you'll also find:
Ain al-Harrah 3 springs which creates a lake 350m by 90m
Al Haql hot water and women's bath houses |
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