7th March 2012

Awaking up with the blue skies and the sound of birds in the hotel garden was brilliant. A pre-breakfast walk along the shore to watching Terns fishing was the only similarity between Fujairah and home in the North East.

As we drove out of Fujairah heading to Kor Kalba we stopped to watch the local fishermen hauling in the nets to bring their catches ashore. Flat backed trucks passed by brimming with small silvery fish and the local birds did not miss a dropped fish. Socota Cormorants fished offshore in and out of the nets dashing between the small boats. Onshore there were small groups of Gulls and Terns presumably disgesting their catch and resting under the heat of the sun. Near to our parked car we spotted Sooty Gull, Black-headed Gull, Steppe Gull and a Slender-billed Gull just starting to get a pink flush. Common Tern, Sandwich and Bridled Tern rested at the waters edge on what was a beautiful morning.

Kor Kalba
What a wonderful birding location! When we arrived the bridge crossing the river was closed much to our disappointment as we had come especially to see White-Collared Kingfisher. So unable to drive any further we put up our telescopes and scanned from the bridge. We were very lucky after 5 minutes of scanning a single Kingfisher was seen flying across the mud catching crabs before fly up to a favoured tree. A Striated Heron and an Indian Pond Heron could be seen slowly moving across the exposed mud, stopping at the occasional pool. Then in a flash a dark bird of prey flow very close in front of us and as we followed its flight we identified it as a Sooty Falcon - Wow.

After studying the map, we drove around the other side of the mangroves to see what else could be found and we were not disappointed. We parked up near a stretch of creek about 100 metres long for a couple of hours and the birdlife was amazing. As we heading back towards to road we also stopped at two small pools which were full of birds. Our records for Kor Kalba were as follows:
Redshank
Kentish Plover
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
White-collared Kingfisher (5 individual birds)
Laughing Dove
Great Sandplover
Bar-tailed Godwit
Indian Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Common Myna
Curlew
Green Beeeater
Black-tailed Godwit
Sooty Falcon
Common Kingfisher
Cattle Egret
Purple Sunbird
Swallow
Crested Lark
Willow Warbler
House Crow
White-cheeked Bulbul
Greater Flamingo
Black-winged Stilt
Temminck's Stint
White Wagtail
Crag Martin
Green Sandpiper
Desert Wheatear
Hooded Wheatear
Greater Spotted Eagle
Collared Dove
Lesser Sandplover
Ringed Plover

6th March 2012

Today we travelled over the Al Hajar Mountains to Fujairah via the Wamms Goat Farm area. Without the irrigation heads, birdwatching the over the grass lands would be difficult, but the birds accepted the artificial perches and showed well.


Al Hajar Mountains - lunch stop
Black Redstart
Spectacled Bubul


Wamms Goat Farm viewed from roadside
Cattle Egret
Isabelline Wheatear
Red-wattled Plover
Marsh Sandpiper
Southern Grey Shrike
Daurian Shrike
Indian Silverbill
Indian Roller
Hoopoe
Black-winged Practincole
House Sparrow
Swallow
Lesser Kestrel
House Crow
Crested Lark
White-cheeked Bubul
House Martin

Fujairah & Hotel Rotana
Sooty Gull
Purple Sunbird
Laughing Dove
Kentish Plover
Graceful Prinia
House Sparrow
Grey Plover
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Black-headed Gull

Species = 64

5th March 2012

Today we visited Al Safa Park which is a maintained family park with a healthy bird population who are used to people so ideal for those with cameras to get good photographs.
Common Myna
Pied Myna
House Sparrow
Bluethroat
House Crow
Hoopoe
Graceful Prinia
Indian Roller
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Syke's Wagtail
Black-headed Gull
Laughing Dove
Collared Dove
Mallard
Teal
White Wagtail
Common Bubul
Red-vented Bubul
Song Thrush
Species = 51

4th March 2012

Next stop was Mushrif Park which again is another hotspot for wildlife. This park is very natural and a world away from public parks in the UK. For a birdwatcher this park is far more species rich than anything a manicured park can hold.

Birds spotted were
Green Beeeater
Grey Francolin
Collared Dove
White-cheeked Bubul
House Sparrow
Laughing Dove
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Red-wattled Plover
Great-spotted Eagle
Black-bellied Sandgrouse
Black Redstart
Red-vented Bubul
Common Myna
Southern Grey Shrike
Mourning Wheater (Arabian Wheatear)
Marsh Harrier

Species = 43

Dubai 3rd to 11th March 2012

This was my first trip to the Middle East and Dubai/UAE was an amazing place. The city pushes the boundaries of engineering with every new building and the skyline captures the imagination.

The wealth of wildlife is there to be found whether that in in the city or out in the surrounding desert. The grass areas and water bodies are a mecca for birds, so the first place we visited was Ras-la-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary a Ramsar Site which is especially important for wintering birds on the East African - West Asian migration route.

From the two public hides we spotted the following birds:

Greater Flamingo

Black-winged Stilt

Avocet

Western Reef Heron (pale & dark phase)

Pintail

Red-wattled Plover

Spoonbill

Shelduck

Ringed Plover

Common Sandpiper

Black-headed Gull

Shoveler

Laughing Dove

Great-white Egret

Little Egret

Curlew

Little Stint

Marsh Sandpiper

Teal

White Wagtail

Egyptian Goose

Greater Sandplover

White-cheeked Bubul

Mallard

Grey Heron

Gull-billed Tern

Crested Lark

House Sparrow

Collared Dove

Kentish Plover

Species = 30

Photographs from the Burj Khalifa - 5th March 2012

A good day around Teesmouth today, despite missing the drake Ring-necked Duck on Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park. At Hartlepool Headland, I managed to add species to my year list including a Kumlien's Gull. This bird is technically a sub-species to Thayer's Gull and classed as a sub-species of Iceland Gull. Another highlight of the day was 3 Short-eared Owls hunting over the marshland and was a good end to the day.

2012 Year Lists
Birds = 110 (Pintail, Little Egret, Ringed Plover, Mediterranean Gull, Iceland Gull (Kumliei), Kittiwake)
Mammals = 6 (Harbour Porpoise)
Butterflies = 0
Moths = 0