In the early hours of the morning, when mist still lingers above wetlands and fields, Chadi Saad is already in the field. Notebook in hand, binoculars at the ready, he moves quietly through reedbeds, agricultural margins, and river corridors, recording what many pass by unnoticed. As Director of the SPNL Birdwatching Observatory in Hammana Reserve, Chadi Saad plays a central role in documenting Lebanon’s birdlife and translating observation into conservation knowledge.
At first glance, a checklist is a simple thing, a list of species, a date, a location. But in the hands of Chadi Saad, it becomes something far more powerful: a snapshot of ecological life, a trace of movement across landscapes, and a building block in the long-term understanding of Lebanon’s biodiversity.
Between mid-November 2025 and early January 2026, Chadi Saad carried out an intensive sequence of bird observations across the Beqaa Valley, submitting a steady flow of checklists that together form a detailed record of winter bird activity in one of Lebanon’s most important ecological regions. His observations span wetlands, agricultural lands, river corridors, and semi-natural habitats, revealing how birds navigate a landscape shaped by both nature and people.
Much of this work focused on the Ammiq Wetland complex and its surrounding areas, a critical hub for resident and migratory birds. Over multiple visits to Houch Aammiq, sometimes on consecutive days, Chadi documented species richness ranging from under ten species to well over twenty species per checklist. These repeated observations are essential in conservation science: they allow patterns to emerge over time, distinguishing fleeting presence from consistent habitat use.
On 4 January 2026, Chadi submitted multiple checklists within a single morning. One survey at Ammiq Wetland recorded nine species, while another, conducted southeast from Horsch Aammiq toward the Litani River, documented eighteen species along a broader ecological corridor. Together, these observations highlight how birds use both core wetland habitats and the surrounding landscape mosaic to feed, rest, and move.
Earlier surveys in December 2025 extended this picture. At Domaine de Taanayel, Chadi recorded eleven species during a midday visit, while an earlier morning survey in Houch Aammiq and its surroundings revealed a much higher diversity, with twenty-one species observed. On the same day, a later checklist captured ten species in the same area, demonstrating how time of day, weather, and bird movement can dramatically influence observed diversity.
Chadi’s fieldwork also took him beyond the central wetland. On 4 December, he surveyed the area of Nabaa al-Assal, Bwarej, and Habl al-Knisseh, adding ten species to the growing dataset and reinforcing the importance of springs and upland features as part of the broader Beqaa ecological network. Earlier visits to Chabraqiyet Aammiq and Tal El-Akhdar further enriched the regional picture.
The rhythm of Chadi’s work is one of consistency. Throughout November 2025, he returned repeatedly to Ammiq and its surroundings, recording species counts of twenty-five, twenty-one, nineteen, and twenty-eight species across different days and times. These numbers are not merely indicators of richness; they are evidence of a landscape functioning as a living system, supporting birds through seasonal change.
Even outside daylight hours, observation continued. On 11 November, Chadi recorded a nighttime checklist in Anjar, noting two species, a reminder that biodiversity monitoring does not end at sunset and that nocturnal species form an often-overlooked part of the ecosystem.
Taken individually, each checklist may appear modest. Taken together, they form a powerful dataset that strengthens conservation planning, habitat management, and ecological connectivity efforts in the Beqaa Valley. Chadi Saad’s work demonstrates how patient, repeated observation transforms moments in the field into long-term knowledge.
In a region facing growing environmental pressures, this kind of dedication matters. By returning again and again to the same landscapes, by recording what is present rather than what is assumed, Chadi Saad ensures that Lebanon’s birds are not only admired, but counted, mapped, and remembered. Through his checklists, the Beqaa’s skies tell their story, one observation at a time.
