One moment you are searching for endemics in the Seychelles, then sipping 12 years old Chivas Regal in the airport lounge & before you know it, one is back in Abu Dhabi! Managed to get a few hours sleep before Khalifa contacted me.
A White crowned Wheatear (formerly White crowned Black Wheatear) had just been discovered by Sarah & Stephen Taylor in Al Jaroof village high in the Hajar Mountains on the border of Sharjah, Fujairah & Ras Al Khaimah Emirates. Now what these guys were doing there I have no idea, as it is a pretty remote area. But a wonderful find people. Well Done!
White crowned Wheatear
(Oenanthe leucopyga)
A White crowned Wheatear (formerly White crowned Black Wheatear) had just been discovered by Sarah & Stephen Taylor in Al Jaroof village high in the Hajar Mountains on the border of Sharjah, Fujairah & Ras Al Khaimah Emirates. Now what these guys were doing there I have no idea, as it is a pretty remote area. But a wonderful find people. Well Done!
Adult.
White crowned Black Wheatear had eluded me in the 22 years that I had been birding in the UAE. Most records completely un-twitchable, as found on Das Island, where there is no access for normal people, or they just didn't hang around. This is the 14th record for the UAE.
My great friend the late Simon Aspinall managed to sneak one in & he always let me know about it! Khalifa had already seen the bird & sent me co-ordinates & a couple of photos of the location. So I phoned Maarten & we left Abu Dhabi just before mid-day on 10th November. However the gods were against us, as the heavens opened up & driving became somewhat difficult. By the time we reached Dubai the odds of us seeing this bird looked pretty slim. We pressed, on driving on flooded roads but then although dark & gloomy the rain stopped!
The view!
Really bad conditions!
My great friend the late Simon Aspinall managed to sneak one in & he always let me know about it! Khalifa had already seen the bird & sent me co-ordinates & a couple of photos of the location. So I phoned Maarten & we left Abu Dhabi just before mid-day on 10th November. However the gods were against us, as the heavens opened up & driving became somewhat difficult. By the time we reached Dubai the odds of us seeing this bird looked pretty slim. We pressed, on driving on flooded roads but then although dark & gloomy the rain stopped!
Al Jaroof Village
Photo supplied by Khalifa.
We arrived at the co-ordinates provided by Khalifa, but couldn't find the spot where the bird was! After a few minutes, we drove to the exact spot in a building site! They were building a villa there!
There it is!
Showy!
White crowned Wheatear
This individual was quite confiding.
Brilliant tail pattern.
It was feeding on spiders & beetles.
Maarten spotted the bird immediately, right next to the car & we spent the next forty five minutes getting good views of the bird. The weather was dark & dingy, so the light was terrible, but we made the best of it.
Mr. Happy!
We then got out of Dodge, as the weather threatened to close in on us again & you really don't want to be high in these mountains in conditions like this.
After an uneventful drive home, we decided on a celebratory meal in The Club in Abu Dhabi & so ended a very fruitful day.
Mr. Smug & Mr. Happy!
After an uneventful drive home, we decided on a celebratory meal in The Club in Abu Dhabi & so ended a very fruitful day.
This was my 410th species seen in the UAE.
This species is found across north Africa & also along both sides of the Red Sea & into central Saudi Arabia. It is mainly sedentary but there is obviously some local movement as witnessed by all the UAE records.
A big thank you to Khalifa for letting me know about this bird & providing directions & photos of the location. Cheers mate!
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