Naturetrek Tour Report February 2006

Transcription

1 Naturetrek February 2006 Report compiled by Ian Andrews Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: W:

2 Jordan in Winter Day 1 Sunday 12th February Arrived at Amman on time in the late evening. Nadr sorted out the paperwork. Day 2 Monday 13th February Our drive out east to Azraq was first interrupted by a roadside Steppe Eagle, followed by a scheduled stop of Qasr Amra (jirds); 3 Imperial Eagles caused another rapid stop before we reached Azraq. At Shaumari raptors continued to perform, with close Imperial Eagle, and a good comparison between ring-tail Pallid and Hen Harriers. In the reserve we has good views of Long-eared and Barn Owls. After lunch we ventured further east into the basalt desert. A brief view of Basalt Wheatear was followed by a close flock of Temmincks s Horned Larks. Back at Azraq Wetland Reserve, we saw a few birds before dusk at Day 3 Tuesday 14th February An early morning walk round the resthouse produced the first of many Sardinian Warblers before we headed back west to the King s Highway via a brief petrol station stop that produced Graceful Warblers and Yellowvented Bulbuls. The drive to Dana took us through Wadi al Wala (where we watched roadside Long-billed Pipits) and a decidedly damp Wadi Mujib. A successful diversion to a warmer lunch stop at Burbayta gave us views of a flock of Alpine Swifts plus Lesser Kestrel, Blackstart, Desert Lark and White-spotted Bluethroat. Our walk on arrival at Dana showed it was cold but we managed views of a wintering male Finsch s Wheatear and a chance to admire the stunning view before the cloud descended and the rain began. Steady heavy rain all evening and night flooded into the lounge/dining room of our hotel that had a bedouin tent roof! but a cheerful group kept warm and enjoyed a fine meal. This unseasonally cold weather was to stay with us until we reached Aqaba. Day 4 Wednesday 15th February We awoke to a downturn in the weather and plans were hastily revised to drive east away from the snow and fog on the hills behind the village. We headed out on the road to Al Jafr and where the rain stopped we explored a low wadi, where we were rewarded with Hoopoe Lark, Temminck s Horned Lark and Desert Wheatear. Shawbak Castle was cold but thankfully clear of hill fog and then we carried on to Little Petra. The weather gave us a unique opportunity to witness the Nabetean water channels in action! Our first Sinai Rosefinches were a truly stunning colour and we observed Long-legged Buzzard, Common Raven (not common in Jordan) and Scrub Warbler on our walk round to the Stone Age excavations. Day 5 Thursday 16th February Petra was a unique experience dressed in all the layers of clothing we could muster, gloves and woolly hats, we were nonetheless given a superb tour by our local guide, Yousef. He had lead for Naturetrek before and pointed out such birds as the Morning Ear Wheat! After the Siq and Treasury a fascinating short cut through colourful narrow passages, caves and tombs took us to the Royal Tombs and Petra Church. After lunch, some of the group climbed the 841 steps to the Monastery and viewpoint over Wadi Araba. We saw Barbary Falcon, Fantailed Raven etc. Naturetrek April 06 1

3 Day 6 Friday 17th February Leaving Petra we soon entered a frosty hilly area (1600 m altitude) with spectacular rime frost growing on wires and trees well photographed in the morning sun. We descended to the warmer Rum desert and at Quwayra we stopped by the roadside to witness the spectacular sight of over 100 Steppe Eagles both adult s and immature at very close range. In Wadi Rum we still needed to wrap up for the chilly jeep drive, but the desert was as dramatic as ever in the bright winter sun. We saw more Sinai Rosefinches, White-crowed Black Wheatears and Tristram s Grackles. On arrival at Aqaba, we visited the allotments and public beach. The first bird we saw was a pipit, which with superb views we soon identified as an Olive-backed Pipit (only the 2nd record for Jordan!) with a Tree Pipit for comparison. Smyrna Kingfisher and 5 Desert Finches were a bonus. Day 7 Saturday 18th February After an early breakfast Fares Khoury (University of Zarqa?) and Mohommad (JSSD). took us to Aqaba Sewage Works, where they are establishing the Aqaba Bird Observatory. We explored the pools, bushes and trees and after a few hours amassed an impressive species list. Pipits were a focus of attention at one pool, and we saw Red-throated, Tree and Water Pipits. Gulls included Great Black-headed Gull and waders included the stunning Spur-winged Plovers. Some Common Cranes paused on migration and a single Greater Flamingo was swimming like a swan. Small birds included the brightly-coloured, resident Little Green Bee-eaters and several early-migrant Sedge Warblers. A Squacco Heron gave excellent views, but a Little Crake was not so obliging. A group of Arabian Babblers was tracked down as they fed in the peace forest by the Israeli border. Some Steppe Eagles flew overhead, 4 Black Storks battled north and a Barbary Falcon shot through. An evening visit to the allotments again added something new a White-eyed Gull on a buoy. Day 8 Sunday 19th February A pre-breakfast allotment walk gave us better views of more gulls, but all to soon we had to head off north to Amman. Our first stop was at some acacias and time spent looking at anything that moved in the trees turned up a wintering Cyprus Warbler and an Orange-tufted Sunbird. A singing White-crowned Black Wheatear put on a fine show too. Further north, we stopped at Fidan. A walk through the desert was quiet, but the acacia scrub produced more bee-eaters and a male sunbird. The picnic lunch was interrupted by a shout of pelican! sure enough there was an incongruous White Pelican circling overhead. We stopped by the Dead Sea for photographs (Rock Martin and Bonelli s Eagle as well) and our final birdwatching was at dusk at the Dead Sea Sparrow colony. Unfortunately, the wind kept the singing birds well in cover. We drove back up to Amman for our final night at the Shepherd Hotel. Day 9 Monday 20th February We drove to the airport and all made our way home. 2 Naturetrek April 06

4 Bird list February 2006 Common name Scientific name Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 20 2 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 1 3 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 1 5 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis 7 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 1 8 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Black Stork Ciconia nigra 4 10 Eurasian White Stork Ciconia ciconia 5 11 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 1 12 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 4 13 Common Teal Anas crecca Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Pintail Anas acuta Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 1 18 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 3 19 Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus 2 20 Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Common Buzzard Buteo buteo Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciatus 1 26 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni 3 27 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides Chukar Alectoris chukar H H 30 Common Quail Coturnix coturnix 2 31 Common Crane Grus grus 7 32 Little Crake Porzana porva 1 33 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Common Coot Fulica atra Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 4 37 Common Redshank Tringa totanus Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 6 40 Little Stint Calidris minuta 2 41 Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii 1 42 White-eyed Gull Larus leucophthalmus Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 6 44 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus 1 46 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus Rock Dove (Feral Dove) Columba livia Y F 30 Naturetrek April 06 3

5 February 2006 Common name Scientific name Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Barn Owl Tyto alba 1 52 Little Owl Athene noctua 1 53 Long-eared Owl Asio ottus 4 54 Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba Common Swift Apus apus Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 5 57 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 1 58 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 1 60 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis European Roller Coracias garrulus 1 62 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 3 63 Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes 2 65 Crested Lark Galerida cristata Temminck's Lark Eremophila bilopha Sand Martin Riparia riparia 1 68 Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica House Martin Delichon urbica White Wagtail Motacilla alba Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 1 73 Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis 4 74 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis 1 76 Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta 5 77 Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hoodgsoni 1 78 White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius Blackbird Turdus merula 5 81 Streaked Scrub-warbler Scotocerca inquieta 4 82 Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis 3 3 H 83 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis 2 86 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca 3 87 Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax 1 89 Robin Erithacus rubecula Bluethroat Luscinia svecica Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata White-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens Finsch's Wheatear Oenanthe finschii Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti Naturetrek April 06

6 February 2006 Common name Scientific name Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina Blackstart Cercomela melanura Arabian Babbler Turdoides squamiceps Great Tit Parus major Palestine Sunbird Nectarina osea Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius House Crow Corvus splendens Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis Fan-tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus Common Raven Corvus corax Tristram's Starling Onychognathus tristramii House Sparrow Passer domesticus Y Y 10 Y Y 20 Y 111 Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus H 113 Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Pale Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Common Linnet Acanthis cannabina Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra 1 2 Naturetrek April 06 5