BIRDING ABROAD LTD THE SOUTH OF OMAN AN ARABIAN ADVENTURE 2-10 FEBRUARY 2019

Transcription

1 BIRDING ABROAD LTD THE SOUTH OF OMAN AN ARABIAN ADVENTURE 2-10 FEBRUARY 2019 TOUR OVERVIEW: This fascinating country sits on the southern flank of the Arabian Peninsula. Blessed with a warm and sunny climate, the Sultanate of Oman maintains strong links with the UK and many ex-pats live and work there. It remains a peaceful and safe country to visit, one where the wild beauty of its landscapes and the warm hospitality of its people is legendary. This is a land of spectacular scenery; we will witness rugged mountains, deep gorges, stark wadis, endless miles of stunning white beaches, palm groves, coastal lagoons and the vast desert Empty Quarter dotted in part with modern farms which bring greenery to their arid surroundings. Situated at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa, the country was once at the centre of the rich Frankincense trading routes across the ancient world, attracting visiting nobility including, according to local legend, the Queen of Sheba herself. Importantly for birders, the country s geographical position means that the avifauna is also very rich, with an amazingly diverse bird list including a unique mix of Palearctic, Oriental and Afro-tropical breeding species, in addition to a host of much soughtafter migratory and wintering birds. We have previously visited Oman several times, and for 2019 our tour focuses on the Dhofar region in the south of the country, widely recognised as the ornithological jewel in the country s crown.

2 Whilst in Dhofar, we will focus our efforts on areas within an easy reach of our splendid beach-side hotel in the quiet outskirts of Salalah. From here we explore a variety of key habitats to reveal target breeding specialities such as Socotra Cormorant, Masked Booby, Brown Booby, Yellow Bittern, Verreaux s Eagle, Arabian Partridge, Spotted Thick-knee, Arabian Scops-owl, South Arabian Wheatear, Bruce s Green Pigeon, African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Shining Sunbird, Palestine Sunbird, Abyssinian Whiteeye, Arabian Warbler, Yemen Serin, Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak and Cinnamonbreasted Bunting. The south of Oman also plays host to hundreds of wintering eagles, most of which are Steppe Eagles, but with Eastern Imperial and Greater Spotted alongside for excellent comparisons. Coastal lagoons host numerous wader and heron species, whilst idyllic beaches and the rolling surf of the Arabian Sea will be alive with Sooty Gulls and Greater Crested Terns, and perhaps a passing dolphin or two. Just a couple of hours drive inland from Salalah is the small town of Thumrayt, a gateway to the desert plains of the vast Rub al Qali or Empty Quarter. Vegetated wadis attract Asian Desert Warbler, with flowering shrubs providing nectar for Nile Valley Sunbirds and sporadic springs giving much needed water for Sand Partridge and a variety of sandgrouse and larks. Date palms in the region host the rare and enigmatic Grey Hypocolius and we will search two areas where we saw them earlier this year. Attempts to farm the dry desert produce oasis-like green belts which are a magnet for hungry migrants and wintering birds. Huge circular fields growing alfalfa for use as cattle fodder, are watered by rotating gantries on wheels. These fields are regularly cut, attracting numerous small passerines such as Greater Short-toed Larks, Black-crowned Finch-larks and Isabelline Wheatears which in turn attract predators such as Pallid Harriers and Long-legged Buzzards. It is in such places that Sociable Plover occasionally winters, a threatened species of international concern. Sociable Plover a scarce winter bird to Oman s irrigated farmlands

3 TOUR DESCRIPTION: The tour commences at Salalah airport on the late afternoon of Sunday 3 February. Our accommodation here, initially for three nights, is the nicely appointed and rather splendid Salalah Hilton Hotel. We will travel out daily from here using comfortable people carriers, the excellent road infrastructure affording us ready access to all the key sites. A series of coastal lagoons or khawrs are found on the coastal plain both east and west of Salalah, these being fed by a series of vegetated wadis known locally as ayns, which strike deep into the foothills of the Dhofar mountains. Acacia and Baobab trees grow here giving the area an African Rift Valley feel. Gorgeous empty beaches host a rich assortment of waders, gulls, terns and herons, whilst rocky promontories provide excellent look outs for sea-watching. It is amongst this diversity of habitat that Dhofar s speciality birds are to be found. To explore the Empty Quarter (or at least a tiny cross section of it!), we then drive north over the Jabal Al Qara Mountains and descend into a vast and impressive desert landscape, with the small town of Thumrayt acting as our gateway to this wilderness. Our base for a single night is a basic but clean and comfortable local motel in Thumrayt. Following our desert adventure in the Empty Quarter, we return to Salalah for a further three nights, stopping enroute in a wadi famous for its Frankincense trees, where we can see the celebrated trees close up. Such is the sheer variety and diversity of the habitats in the Dhofar region, that our days will be bird filled. Of particular note are the gigantic cliffs of the Jabal Samhan, an occasional haunt of the stunningly attractive Verreaux s Eagle, whilst nearby the colossal sinkhole at Tawi Atayr, is home to an isolated population of Yemen Serin. Wintering eagles congregate at a refuse dump near Raysut, whilst a small number of Crested Honey Buzzards and Yellow-billed Kites (of the form aegyptius, now classified as a full species occurring in Arabia and North-east Africa) are seen over lush palm plantations on the outskirts of the city itself. Indeed Salalah is synonymous with first class birding and there will be plenty to entertain us during our stay. At the end of the tour we take an internal flight back to Muscat which then connects with an international flight home to the UK. Arabian Scops-owl at Ayn Tabraq a recent split from African Scops-owl

4 PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES: A camera is certainly recommended to capture memories of the awe inspiring scenery and places of cultural and historical interest. Bird life is often confiding, so good results can be anticipated even for those with basic equipment and rudimentary photography skills. BIRD LIST: Highlights are many and will include a large number of the following; Masked Booby, Brown Booby, Socotra Cormorant, Yellow Bittern, Indian Pond Heron, Western Reef Egret, Intermediate Egret, Purple Heron, Abdim s Stork, Greater Flamingo, Cotton Pygmygoose, Garganey, Ferruginous Duck, Crested Honey Buzzard, Yellow-billed (formerly aegyptius Black) Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Pallid Harrier, Montagu s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Greater Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Verreaux s Eagle, Booted Eagle, Bonelli s Eagle, Arabian Partridge, Sand Partridge, Baillon s Crake, Whitebreasted Waterhen, Red-knobbed Coot, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Spotted Thick-knee, Cream-coloured Courser, Lesser Sandplover, Greater Sandplover, Pacific Golden Plover, Spur-winged Plover, Sociable Plover, White-tailed Plover, Temminck s Stint, Marsh Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Sooty Gull, Pallas s (Great Black-headed) Gull, Heuglin s Gull, Steppe Gull (barabensis), Slender-billed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Lichtenstein s Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, Bruce s Green Pigeon, Arabian Scops-owl, Singing Bushlark, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Bar-tailed Lark, Desert Lark, Hoopoe Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, African Rock Martin, Richard s Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Long-billed Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, White-spectacled Bulbul, Grey Hypocolius, Bluethroat, Blackstart, Isabelline Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, South Arabian Wheatear, Clamorous Reed-warbler, Asian Desert Warbler, Arabian Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, African Paradise Flycatcher, Nile Valley Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Palestine Sunbird, Abyssinian White-eye, Black-crowned Tchagra, Isabelline Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike, Steppe Grey Shrike (pallidirostris), Fan-tailed Raven, Tristram s Grackle, Rose-coloured Starling, Ruppell s Weaver, African Silverbill, Yemen Serin, Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak, Cinnamon-breasted (African Rock) Bunting. Pallas s Gull can be found on the beaches

5 MAMMALS & OTHER WILDLIFE: Though this part of Arabia has many interesting mammals, these are largely nocturnal, very shy or inhabit extremely remote areas, making it difficult for a touring group to chance upon them. We should see Indo-pacific Humpback Dolphins feeding just offshore in the surf. Rock Hyrax and Red Fox have been seen by birders and less commonly Ruppell s Fox and even Arabian Wolf. Egyptian Fruit Bat is not uncommon in places. ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: Full board accommodation is provided throughout, with in order: three nights at the Salalah Hilton Hotel, one night at the Thumrayt Tourist Motel and three nights back at the Salalah Hilton. The hotels are of an excellent standard, with very good international cuisine served in their restaurants, except at Thumrayt in the desert which is more basic, but still clean and acceptable. Here we visit a local restaurant with a good selection of food for our evening meal; some consider the food here to be the best of the tour! All rooms throughout are en-suite. We will take picnic lunches or lunch in local restaurants, where we can enjoy a rest and comfort break, some shade from the sun and revive ourselves for a while. WEATHER: The weather on the south coast of Oman in early February is typically dry, warm and sunny, with mid daytime temperatures between degrees Celsius. Even mornings are pleasantly warm, although in more mountainous areas, it is slightly cooler. In the Empty Quarter, conditions are similar but perhaps a little warmer, and we can expect temperatures nearer the 30 degrees Celsius mark by early afternoon. PACE & DAILY ROUTINE: Breakfasts will usually be taken between 7.00 and 7.30, depending on the morning s itinerary. Basic fitness is all that is required. Full days will be spent in the field, punctuated by cafe and lunch breaks and the occasional cold drink or ice-

6 cream stop. Most walks are of a short distance on rather flat terrain, though some uphill walking on very gentle gradients is required, all done at a sensible pace. Should we encounter days where the temperature has taken a leap upwards, we may opt to take a longer break in the middle of the day, focusing our birding in the mornings and late afternoons. PRICE: The price is 1640 per person (based on sharing a twin room) for the main tour. This includes all bird-watching excursions with Birding Abroad leaders, full-board accommodation (starting with dinner on arrival in Salalah, ending with breakfast before we depart from Salalah back to the UK), local transport by people carrier and entry to nature reserves and archaeological parks. Single rooms are available at a supplement details available on request. Not included are return flights from the UK to Salalah, (which currently cost 560), your personal travel insurance, the cost of obtaining a tourist visa on arrival ( 40), all drinks excepting water which will be available throughout on the tour bus and any other items of a personal nature. Isabelline Shrikes are a common winter visitor INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS: Your Birding Abroad leaders intend to use the services of Oman Air for their flights from Heathrow to Salalah and back. On 2nd February, the outward flight departs Heathrow at 20:05, arriving in Muscat at 07:35 the following day, from here we connect with the 14:50 internal flight to Salalah (SLL) which arrives at 16:35. For our homeward flight on 10 February, we leave Salalah at 11:15, arriving in Muscat at 12:50. The onwards international flight to London Heathrow then departs at 14:00, arriving

7 back in Heathrow at 18:25. This will ensure we are home in the UK on the same day we set off from Oman, something our clients tell us is always their preferred option. We hope you will choose to fly with us on the flights mentioned above, but a quick browse of the internet will show that you have a number of choices in terms of the airlines that fly to Salalah. If you do choose to fly independently we ask that you tailor your plans to tie in with the ground tour plans commencing and ending in Salalah. GROUP SIZE: The tour will proceed with a three plus a leader up to a maximum of 10 plus 2 leaders. Sooty Gull large numbers gather on the beaches of Oman Day 1: Saturday 2 February DAY TO DAY ITINERARY Birding Abroad leaders take the overnight Oman Air flight from Heathrow. Day 2: Sunday 3 February Our flight stops in Muscat on the morning of 3rd from where we take an internal flight with Oman Air to Salalah arriving After collecting our hire vehicles, we will take a short drive to the comfortable Salalah Hilton Hotel in the quiet western reaches of town. Here we can relax after all the travel, with some bird watching around the hotel grounds if time and light permit. Typical birds of suburbia include Laughing Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, House

8 Crow, White-spectacled Bulbul, Ruppell s Weaver, Common Mynah, whilst flying past the beach front we might see our first Sooty Gulls and Greater Crested Terns. Night Hilton Hotel. Day 3: Monday 4 February After breakfast we travel west along the coast to visit the wadi at Al Mughsayl. Here we can explore the drier stretches of the wadi and take short walks to encounter our first Arabian Partridges, Desert Larks, Long-billed Pipits and Blackstarts. The khwar itself often hosts Cotton Pygmy-goose, Purple Heron and Yellow Bittern, whilst Clamorous Reed-warblers and sometimes Baillon s Crake can be spotted around the reedy edges. A nearby rocky promontory is a local tourist attraction as it contains an active blow-hole where water gushes from the narrow cracks to soak the unsuspecting onlooker. It is also a great site to check for passing seabirds and both Brown and Masked Booby and groups of Socotra Cormorants are regularly seen. Any clump of bushes can host parties of the ubiquitous Abyssinian Whiteeye, whilst the less frequently encountered South Arabian Wheatear should eventually reveal itself. The whole coastline is scenically very attractive and we will picnic here over lunchtime. In the afternoon we will head back through town to visit the nearby East Khawr. Where the khawr adjoins the beach front, the selection of waders typically includes both Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, Kentish Plover, Temminck s and Little Stints and even Long-toed Stint in some years. Nearby the Al Balid Archaeological Park is a pleasant place to end the day and it offers a good chance to observe Spotted Thick-knees sheltering watchfully in the shade of the trees. Flowering shrubs attract stunning Shining Sunbirds, whilst a paved walkway along the canal provides a good vantage point to watch wintering White-winged and Whiskered Terns as they return to roost. Both Squacco and Indian Pond Herons and even the small Malachite Kingfisher is occasionally seen here. Night Hilton Hotel.

9 Spotted Thick-knee a close relative of Eurasian Thick-knee with a primarily African distribution Day 4: Tuesday 5 February Our first site this morning is Ayn Razat, a few kilometres north-east of Salalah and a favourite picnic spot for locals where a natural spring gives rise to a permanent stream. Here the surrounding trees and scrub support African Paradise Flycatcher, Bruce s Green Pigeon, Black-crowned Tchagra and a large number of Cinnamon-breasted Buntings. We then move a little further east following the coast road to Khawr Rawri, which was once a coastal inlet for the ancient port of Sumhuran. We can walk around the present day ruins which date from the third century BC and in their heyday played host to none other than the Queen of Sheba herself. An air conditioned visitor centre provides excellent information boards, whilst the tranquil waters of the khawr itself (now cut off from the sea by a sand bar) attracts a variety of waterfowl including Red-knobbed Coot and Ferruginous Duck. We will check for Bonelli s and Greater Spotted Eagles soaring overhead, whilst the water s edge has waders including Black-winged Stilts and Marsh Sandpipers as well as Great White Egret, Western Reef Heron and with careful scrutiny, the occasional Intermediate Egret.

10 Retreating back to the visitor centre we can lunch on a terrace complete with a shaded awning. A drive in the early afternoon takes us higher into the Jabal Samhan where we will visit the Tawi Atayr sink hole, a dramatic geographical feature, and home to the localised Yemen Serin. South Arabian Wheatear is found here too, as is Bonelli s Eagle which often shows at eye level, drifting up from cliff faces within this, the second largest sink hole in the World. We conclude the afternoon s birding with a visit to the huge cliffs of Samhan, where we sit enjoying panoramic views of the coastal plain below. Fan-tailed Ravens and Tristram s Grackles play amusingly in the air currents, but should it show, the most impressive sighting will be of the mighty Verreaux s Eagle which rules the skies here. One pair breeds close by and they often perform their stunning display flight at this time of year simply dazzling! Verreaux s Eagle breathtaking in their display over Jabal Samhan Whilst we are nearby it is sensible to call in at Ayn Tabraq, where we will settle quietly at a sensible distance to watch for Lichtenstein s Sandgrouse which come to a water hole at dusk. This also puts us in the right area for listening to and hopefully seeing Arabian Scopsowl, which often show at close quarters and are quite common here. It is not uncommon to hear two or even three birds singing at the same time. Night Hilton Hotel. Day 5: Wednesday 6 February After an early breakfast, we must load our vehicles and head north over the Jabal Al Qara Mountains before descending into the arid desert plains of the vast Empty Quarter. Here we will drop off our luggage at the motel in Thumrayt and then head north again checking for Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse which come to drink and feed at traditional locations.

11 Asian Desert Warblers winter here in scrubby bushes and we should amass a good count of Hoopoe Larks. Our destination for the remainder of the day is an area of farmland largely composed of irrigated pivot fields. Entry is permitted and we will introduce ourselves to the local workers so they appreciate who we are and the importance of their farm for birds. Small parties of pipits can include Tawny and hopefully some Richard s and Red-throated, whilst larks are fronted by many Greater Short-toed and Crested. Mixed in with the larks and pipits are flava wagtails of a variety of subspecies. Such an array of prey attracts wintering harriers and both Pallid and Montagu s can often be seen alongside each other affording useful identification lessons, as well as Long-legged Buzzard. The huge circular fields sometimes attract Cream-coloured Coursers to their edges as well as the occasional Whitetailed Plover and, if we are lucky, the rare Sociable Plover which use such man made habitats across Oman for their wintering grounds. Night Tourist Motel, Thumrayt. Day 6: Thursday 7 February We rise early and set off west from Thumrayt for a one hour and half drive to Mudday, where the vegetated wadi is a regular wintering ground for the enigmatic Grey Hypocolius the aptly nicknamed desert waxwing. The birds can sometimes be shy and often disappear easily, so we must be patient and vigilant. Grey Hypocolius scarce and erratic winter visitors Flowering shrubs provide nectar for Palestine and the few Nile Valley Sunbirds which breed here. Any natural spring in the area or even a camel drinking trough, gives much needed water for Sand Partridge and Desert and Bar-tailed Larks. Southern Grey Shrike, Blackcrowned Sparrow-lark, African Rock Martin and Desert Lesser Whitethroats add to the bird

12 list. After brunch back in Thumrayt, we will head back towards Salalah, stopping briefly at a Frankincense plantation which is open to the public where we can learn more about the significance of this much venerated tree. We will arrive back in Salalah by around 16.00, pausing for a refreshing ice-cream on the eastern edge of town where we can sit and relax to watch the skies. Here Crested Honey Buzzard and Yellow-billed Kites often drift over from the nearby palm plantations, before we return to the Hilton for three further nights. Night Hilton Hotel. Day 7: Friday 8 February All the best birding trips include a sewage lagoon and a rubbish dump, so after breakfast today we make the short journey west to Raysut. We will have a look around the water treatment plant for just over an hour checking the sewage lagoons for a multitude of species, hopefully including a few Abdim s Storks which sometimes join the commoner White Storks in large numbers. Waders will include Ruff, Wood and Green Sandpipers, Temminck s and Little Stints, Red-wattled and Spur-winged Plovers, Common Snipe and with luck the scarcer Pintail Snipe. Citrine Wagtails are quite common and wintering species such as Wryneck and Bluethroat lurk in the surrounding vegetation. By mid-morning the temperature will have risen sufficiently to encourage raptors which forage at the nearby city dump to take to the skies. Several hundred Steppe Eagles are joined here by both Eastern Imperial Eagles and Greater Spotted Eagles, and a mighty eagle fest will unfold before our eyes. Whilst this is not the prettiest place of the trip, the views of the eagles are fantastic. Eastern Imperial Eagle - southern Oman plays host to several species of wintering eagle

13 The khawr at Raysut leads down to the seashore, where we will enjoy a pleasant walk. Along the tide-line we can expect both Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, Terek Sandpipers, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit, whilst Ospreys float overhead and a selection of herons, gulls and terns (including Caspian and Gull-billed) often come to feed and rest. Lunch will be taken at a harbourside fish restaurant before we return westwards to Al Mughsayl to scour the khwar as evening descends in case a lurking Baillon s Crake is out and about. Night Hilton Hotel. Day 8: Saturday 9 February Our last full day will begin at Ayn Hamran which provides a superb setting for the majority of the Dhofar passerine specialities. This is a particularly good place for Arabian Warbler and the Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak, both which occur sparingly in the region and can be elusive. Moving on, Wadi Darbat is one of the most beautiful of all the Dhofar wadis, offering excellent bird watching in magnificent surroundings. The wide valley floor is well wooded providing homes for all the specialities, and the presence of permanent water in the form of a series of small lakes only adds to the attraction. African Paradise Flycatcher regularly encountered in the vegetated wadis As we drive to and fro, the beaches are swarming with huge flocks of gulls, predominantly Heuglin s and Steppe Gulls (barabensis) which loaf alongside many Sooty and the occasional Pallas s. All give fantastic views to delight any gull lovers. Throughout the day we will make a special effort to consolidate on our views of all our target species, to take photographs and soak up the sheer number and variety of great birds. Just on the outskirts of Salalah are the remnants of the famous Jarziz Farm. Here we will find groups of Chestnut-

14 bellied Sandgrouse and the possibility of more wintering Sociable and Pacific Golden Plovers. A variety of pipits could be on show and by the date of our visit, Singing Bushlark will hopefully be in song. Other birds in the vicinity include parties of Rose-coloured Starlings, African Silverbills, Namaqua Dove and both Desert and Isabelline Wheatears. Night Hilton Hotel. Day 9: Sunday 10 February After a leisurely breakfast, we will drive the short distance to Salalah airport in preparation for our 11:15 departure to Muscat. An efficient connection sees us onto the international flight back to the UK, departing Muscat at 14:00 and arriving at London Heathrow at 18:25.