Dubai area, United Arab Emirates

Transcription

1 Dubai area, United Arab Emirates 25 th to 27 th February Ben Miller Introduction Be it a work trip, long-haul stop-over or a day or two pass out during a family holiday, Dubai seems to be the sort of place birders end up with limited time on their hands. This is what happened to me in February 2015, a three-day work trip from which I managed to escape a few times for a little birding. This short trip report is shared to offer encouragement to those who find themselves in a similar situation. I was initially in two minds whether the effort to get out would be worth it, yet I found some great birding and very easy logistics. My first trip to the UAE, I found the birds a nice mix of Western Palearctic familiarity and Arabian peninsula specialities, plus a range of predominately south Asian species I d only previously seen in India, like Grey Francolin and Purple Sunbird. This variety was further enhanced by the start of spring migration with birds like Pied Wheatear starting to appear, and some high quality Eastern breeders in for the winter, like Isabelline Shrike, Citrine Wagtail and White-tailed Plover. Logistics and sites Birding the Dubai area is easy, mainly thanks to Tommy Pedersen s excellent UAE birding website ( Building work is still extensive across the Emirate, so use the site directory and Forum on this website for trip planning details, as older reports or books will be out of date. Do remember when reading this website, though, that while some sites are not what they once were and hence the locals might be rather negative about them, they can still offer visitors excellent birding. Al Warsan Lakes is a great example - don t be put off that it s no longer the Wimpy Pits as it still offers good birding. I hired a car from Avis for my last 24 hours, pre-booked from the UK for just 21. A 8 airport dropoff surcharge was whacked on locally, though the half tank of fuel I used cost just 7.50 to replace. Driving was very easy, and with 3G signal everywhere I went all you need is Google Maps. One last point - if natural, atheistic beauty is important to where you go birding, you might want to give the Dubai area miss. The urban sites are mostly building sites, and the amount of rubbish everywhere is as striking as the locals apparent total lack of respect for the natural environment. Don t expect empty, peaceful desert in the Dubai area; rather, anticipate power lines and dune buggies. Still plenty of birds, though. Wednesday 25 th February I arrived into Dubai from London in the early hours, getting to my airport hotel just after 2am. After a short nap, I was up before 6am to be out at dawn and stretch my legs, and get a little birding in before starting work.

2 From the hotel window I noticed a small urban park next to the hotel, named Port Saeed Plaza. I headed here first, seeing a range of common Dubai birds including 2 Purple Sunbird, 4+ Graceful Prinia, 8+ Indian Silverbill, a Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Pied Starlings plus Common Mynas, House Sparrows, Collared and Laughing Doves. The highlight, though, was a cracking male Siberian Stonechat that gave great views. From here I walked a block west to Dubai Creek and through the Dhow Wharf. Black-headed Gulls were common while a couple of Caspian Gulls provided more interest. Other birds during this walk included 3 more Purple Sunbirds, 2 Hoopoe and an Indian Roller. Most noteworthy, though, was an unseasonal and unexpected European Nightjar I found roosting in a palm alongside the busy Dhow Wharf. With the time now approaching 9am I headed back to my hotel, and on to Jumeriah for work, ending the bird interest. Thursday 26 th February I stayed on the northern outer edge of the Jumeriah Palm, which provided two sightings of note in between work. Early on Thursday morning three apparent Saunders s Terns appeared among the Black-headed Gulls, fishing out from the hotel, within the palm. The upper-wing pattern of at least one bird was outside the range of Little Tern. The other sighting of note was of an immature Socotra Cormorant, whilst birds around the hotel grounds included the usual Purple Sunbird, Indian Silverbill, Common Myna and Laughing Doves. Eventually early afternoon I was finished work and free to go birding. My main target was Crab Plover, so I collected my hire car and headed up to Khor al-beida. As soon as I arrived on site, and much to my relief, I located a single Crab Plover, and enjoyed great scope views. The bird flew out of sight, though, 10 mins after I arrived and I didn t find another. Too close for comfort. I enjoyed the next hour though working through the assorted waders, seeing among others: Hundreds of Lesser Sand Plover, with a sprinkling of Greater Sand Plover, Grey Plover and Ringed Plover, and fewer Kentish Plover, 4 Curlew Sandpiper and many Dunlin, good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Curlew, many Greenshank, Redshank and Oystercatcher, 4 Western Reef Egret 1 Great White Egret, 3 Gull-billed Terns, 20+ Slender-billed Gull, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 male Desert

3 Wheatear Next stop was the breakwater at Umm al-quwain. Unfortunately there was no gull roost and other than a single fly-by Heuglin s Gull no large gulls, so no Pallas s Gull today. A fabulous Caspian Tern overhead provided consolation, as did the flocks of Socotra Cormorants off-shore, and another Desert Wheatear. I was now well ahead of my planned schedule, so much so that a trip out to Qarn Nazwa to try for the Pharaoh Eagle Owls was on the cards. I was making such good time I decided not to simply bash along the Emirates Road and E44, rather to take the more back roads to give the chance of coming across something of interest. My first aucheri Grey Shrike of the trip provided one such stop. I drove through the village of Nazwa, and as leaving the village just after the final roundabout I noticed a small field on the left being watered, with a pair of Red-wattled Plovers in attendance. I pulled over and got out to explore, finding a Grey Francolin but little else until I was about to jump back into the car. Putting my bins on a swift flying past, I was stunned to see the unmistakable square white rump, square ended tail and dumpy shape of a Little Swift, a rare migrant in the UAE. Arriving at Qarn Nazwa at 5pm I decided to focus on Wheatears, walking the gravel plane and the eastern slopes away from all the disturbance. I quickly found my target Persian (Red-tailed) Wheatear, and enjoyed great views of 4+ birds. Other birds included a male Pied Wheatear and a brief female pied-type, 2 Blue Rock Thrush, 2 Eastern Black Redstarts, 2 Brown-necked Ravens and an unexpected bonus flock of c.15 Pale Rockfinches, which gave great scope views feeding on the slopes of the rocky outcrop. I also bumped into fellow visiting Brit birder Phil Andrews and we set about a long vigil for owls. I must have used up my quota of luck today, though, as we drew a blank. Not a peep (or hoot). Heading back into Dubai I had one last bird to try for, the famous Pallid Scops Owls in Mushrif Park.

4 Trying this on a Thursday evening, with the park full of picnicking families, was never going to be a great idea, and the inevitable owl double-dip resulted. Friday 27 th February Up again before dawn, a first light two Pale Crag Martins were flying round my hotel in Dubai Silicon Oasis. I made the short journey to Al Warsan lakes, arriving finding the lakes teaming with birds. The undoubted highlight was a Wire-tailed Swallow hawking over the lake among the throngs of Pallid Swifts. Presumably one of the pair found by Mark Smiles on 7th Feb, though these had not been seen for nearly three weeks. The 14 th record for the UAE. Other sightings included 3+ Clamorous Reed Warblers, very vocal and showing well, 1 male Pied Wheatear, 2 Citrine Wagtails, 3 Marsh Harrier, c.8 Purple Heron, small numbers of Caspian and Heuglin s Gulls among thousands of Black-headed Gulls, 1 Red-rumped and 3+ Barn Swallow Singles of White-tailed Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt and Green Sandpiper 4+ Little Grebes, 3 Moorhen, 2 Great White Egrets and c.10 Grey Heron, 4+ Marsh Harriers, my first Bank Mynas of the trip, a pair of Garganey were the duck highlight, with other species noted included Pintail (1), Shoveler, Pochard, Mallard I had anticipated just making a quick visit to Al Warsan, but an hour and half later I eventually pulled myself away and headed for the Pivot Fields. My journey was, though, interrupted by my first Isabelline Shrike of the day, giving great views by the car. Arriving at the Pivots, I set to work walking the areas of short grass in an attempt to seek out an Oriental Skylark or Buff-bellied Pipit among the feeding flocks. In this endeavour I failed, but did see 4 Citrine Wagtail, 2 Black-headed Wagtail, 10+ White Wagtail, 10 Eurasian Skylarks and many Crested Larks, c.8 Water Pipit, 5 Tawny Pipit, 3 Red-throated Pipit, 3 Meadow Pipit Between walks I drove round the large Pivot as far as the nursery garden area (which produced nothing of note, other than some remarkably confiding Silverbills), and around the Pivots as a whole I saw 1 White-tailed, 1 Little Ringed and many Red-wattled Plovers, 4 Temminck s Stints, 3 Common Snipes, 1 male Siberian Stonechat, 1 Isabelline Shrike, 1 Black-eared Kite and a couple more Marsh

5 Harriers and Many Grey Francolin By now the wind was increasing and time was ticking, so I headed for my final pre-airport site, Mushrif Park. Tommy s website highlights the park is good for wintering sylvia warblers and as a watch point for raptors. With no real knowledge of the site, my strategy was just to walk the open forest looking for warblers, scanning for raptors every-so-often. This worked a treat for raptors, seeing 4+ Great Spotted Eagle and great views of 3 Shrika including a pair displaying. I failed miserably in seeking warblers, though, not even hearing a single Sylvia call. Birds seen in the park during my walk included my only Arabian Babbler of the trip, 2 Eastern Black Redstarts, 1 Isabelline Shrike, 1 aucheri Grey Shrike and very many Grey Francolin and Purple Sunbirds. And with that, it was back to work, then to the airport and home. Ben Miller, Herts, UK bamiller@talk21.com Trip List Little Grebe Great Cormorant Socotra Cormorant Grey Heron Purple Heron Great White Egret Western Reef Egret Cattle Egret Greater Flamingo Mallard Pintail Garganey Shoveler Common Pochard Black-eared Kite Marsh Harrier Shikra Greater Spotted Eagle Kestrel Moorhen Crab Plover Oystercatcher Black-winged Stilt Red-wattled Lapwing White-tailed Lapwing Tachybaptus ruficollis Phalacrocorax carbo Phalacrocorax nigrogularis Ardea cinerea Ardea purpurea Ardea alba Egretta gularis Bubulcus ibis Phoenicopterus ruber Anas platyrhynchos Anas acuta Anas querquedula Anas clypeata Aythya ferina Milvus [migrans] lineatus Circus aeruginosus Accipiter badius Aquila clanga Falco tinnunculus Gallinula chloropus Dromas ardeola Haematopus ostralegus Himantopus himantopus Vanellus indicus Vanellus leucurus

6 Grey Plover Ringed Plover Little Plover Kentish Plover Lesser Sand Plover Greater Sand Plover Common Snipe Bar-tailed Godwit Eurasian Curlew Common Redshank Greenshank Green Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Temminck's Stint Curlew Sandpiper Dunlin Caspian Gull Heuglin's Gull Black-headed Gull Slender-billed Gull Gull-billed Tern Caspian Tern Saunders' Tern Feral Pigeon Collared Dove Laughing Dove Rose-ringed Parakeet European Nightjar Pallid Swift Little Swift Little Green Bee-eater Indian Roller Hoopoe Crested Lark Eurasian Skylark Barn Swallow Wire-tailed Swallow Pale Crag Martin Red-rumped Swallow Tawny Pipit Meadow Pipit Red-throated Pipit Water Pipit White Wagtail Pluvialis squatarola Charadrius hiaticula Charadrius dubius Charadrius alexandrinus Charadrius mongolus Charadrius leschenaultii Gallinago gallinago Limosa lapponica Numenius arquata Tringa totanus Tringa nebularia Tringa ochropus Tringa glareola Arenaria interpres Calidris alba Calidris temminckii Calidris ferruginea Calidris alpina Larus cachinnans Larus heuglini Larus ridibundus Larus genei Gelochelidon nilotica Hydroprogne caspia Sterna saundersi Columba livia feral Streptopelia decaocto Streptopelia senegalensis Psittacula krameri Caprimulgus europaeus Apus pallidus Apus affinis Merops orientalis Coracias benghalensis Upupa epops Galerida cristata Alauda arvensis Hirundo rustica Hirundo smithii Ptyonoprogne fuligula Cecropis daurica Anthus campestris Anthus pratensis Anthus cervinus Anthus spinoletta Motacilla alba

7 Black-headed Wagtail Citrine Wagtail White-eared Bulbul Red-vented Bulbul Blue Rock Thrush Eastern Black Redstart Siberian Stonechat Pied Wheatear Rusty-tailed Wheatear Desert Wheatear Graceful Prinia Clamorous Reed-warbler Arabian Babbler Purple Sunbird Isabelline Shrike Arabian Grey Shrike House Crow Brown-necked Raven Bank Myna Common Myna Asian Pied Starling House Sparrow Pale Rockfinch Indian Silverbill Motacilla flava feldegg Motacilla citreola Pycnonotus leucotis Pycnonotus cafer Monticola solitarius Phoenicurus [ochruros] phoenicuroides Saxicola maura Oenanthe pleschanka Oenanthe chrysopygia Oenanthe deserti Prinia gracilis Acrocephalus stentoreus Turdoides squamiceps Cinnyris asiaticus Lanius isabellinus Lanius [meridionalis] aucheri Corvus splendens Corvus ruficollis Acridotheres ginginianus Acridotheres tristis Gracupica contra Passer domesticus Carpospiza brachydactyla Euodice malabarica