A weekend on the East Coast

The east coast, with the Hajar Mountains

 in the background.

The view from Jacky's apartment.

The man himself!

I drove over to Bidiyah on the east coast to stay with Jacky Judas for the weekend of 22nd -24th November. We hadn't seen each other for a while & had a lot of catching up to do! The next morning we drove south to Fujairah Port Beach & explored the small wetland there as well as the nearby sea & beach.

There are small pools of freshwater hidden here.

Common Moorhen, were plentiful 

in this small wetland.

Common Tern

Red wattled Lapwing

Black winged Stilt

Common Redshank

This individual had a yellowish tint

 to its legs & feet.

Common Greenshank

Common Sandpiper

Best birds: 

1 Grey Heron; 1 Striated Heron; 25+ Common Moorhen; 4 Black winged Stilt; 1 Red wattled Lapwing; 1 Common Snipe; 4 Common Sandpiper; 1 Green Sandpiper; 3 Common Redshank; 1 Common Tern; 1 Clamorous Reed Warbler; 1 Citrine Wagtail.

Looking inland from the beach in Fujairah.
How things have changed!

Jacky.

Persian Shearwater

Indian House Crow with the UAE flag!

European Black headed Gulls.

Slender billed & Black headed Gulls

Bridled Tern

Common Terns

Me, with a dead puffer fish!

A closer view.

Jacky, with a dead Moray Eel. 

A closer look.

Dead Socotra Cormorant.

Persian Shearwater.

It proved to be a rewarding couple of hours with 62 Persian Shearwaters sat on the sea, quite close inshore & quite a few terns around, including about 10 un-seasonal Bridled Terns.

All the dead animals & birds along this beach are a by product of fishing. They use fine mesh nets where everything is caught & many unintended species drown.

Best birds:

62 Persian Shearwater; 1 Western Reef Heron; 2 Great Cormorant; 14 Socotra Cormorant; 71 Slender billed Gull; 30 Black headed Gull; 10 Bridled Tern; 12 Lesser crested Tern; 69 Common Tern; 7 White cheeked Tern; 3 Kentish Plover.

The dramatic entrance to the wadi.

Fujairah Tennis Club Dam
This dam had just filled in response to recent rains.

It is normally dry.

Short toed Eagle

A rare resident in the UAE, 

as well as an uncommon passage migrant.

The changing light makes a huge difference 
to the plumage of the bird.

Potential prey for the Eagle!

Sparse vegetation in the bottom of the wadi.

Species diversity here is low.

Jacky birding the wadi.

Red tailed Wheatear

A common winter visitor in this habitat.

Hume's Wheatear

Best birds:

10 Mallard; 2 Northern Shoveler; 1 Northern Pintail; 1 Eurasian Wigeon; 5 Black winged Stilt; 1 Short toed Eagle; 2 Humes Wheatear; 1 Red tailed Wheatear; 1 Eastern Black Redstart; 3 Desert Lark; 27  Striolated Bunting.

Wadi Ham

Osprey

Great Egret

Common Redshank

Best birds: 

2 Little Grebe; 2 Great Egret; 2 Grey Heron; 1 Osprey; 17 Mallard; 4 Northern Pintail; 11 Common Teal; 1 Common Pochard; 31 Black winged Stilt; 3 Red wattled Lapwing; 1 Common Snipe; 1 Green Sandpiper; 8 Common Redshank.

Kalba Harbour, at low tide.

Me, checking out the waders
in the harbour.

Striated Heron

Lesser crested Tern

Common Greenshank

Sanderling

Best birds:

1 Striated Heron; 2 Great Cormorant; 74 Slender billed Gull; 23 Black headed Gull; 7 Sooty Gull; 4 Steppe Gull; 70 Lesser crested Tern; 2 Greater crested Tern; 76 Common Tern; 3 Sandwich Tern; 2 Whimbrel; 16 Eurasian Oystercatcher; 4 Grey Plover; 3 Common Ringed Plover; 49 Lesser sand Plover; 16 Greater sand Plover; 65 Kentish Plover; 4 Common Redshank; 1 Common Greenshank; 3 Common Sandpiper; 1 Dunlin; 4 Sanderling.

Arctic Skua

A quick look at Kalba Corniche in the evening produced 6 Persian Shearwater; 1 Arctic Skua; 1 Great Black headed Gull & 12 Saunder's Little Tern.

Wamm Farms.

Brown necked Ravens

Little Green Bee-eater

Variable Wheatear

Striolated Bunting

Purple Sunbird

Daurian Shrike

White Wagtail

Best birds:

1 Amur Falcon; 1 Black eared Kite; 1 Quail; 1 Ruff; 1 Common Snipe; 14 Brown necked Raven; 3 Eurasian Skylark; 1 Richard's Pipit; 8 Tawny Pipit; 6 Water Pipit; 2 Red throated Pipit;  1 Variable Wheatear;  1 Isabelline Wheatear;  4 Desert Wheatear; 1 Bluethroat; 4 Daurian Shrike; 1 Corn Bunting.