Spring in the UAE

Camel racetrack.

An Arabian Red Fox den.

Despite all the destruction, they are still hanging on

 at this location.

On 2nd March I paid a morning visit to Al Wathba. At first it was foggy, but the mist soon cleared to reveal a beautiful morning. I walked most of the former fields, birds were scarce but I recorded the following:

Long billed Pipit

It is not often you get the chance to 

photograph this species.

Menetries Warbler

A nice male coming into breeding plumage.

Crested Honey Buzzard; 2 European Marsh Harrier; 12 Pallid Swift; Red-rumped Swallow; 3 Long-billed Pipit; 16 Tawny Pipit; 41 Water Pipit; 4 Steppe Grey Shrike; 2 Southern Grey Shrike; 7 Daurian Shrike; 2 Turkestan Shrike; 12 Desert Wheatear; 7 Isabelline Wheatear; 3 Pied Wheatear; 2 Bluethroat; 2 Siberian Stonechat; 9 Desert Warbler; 4 Menetries Warbler & Chiffchaff.

Abu Dhabi skyline.
Taken from Lulu Island.

Alexandrine Parakeet.

The only species I managed to photograph today!

On 7th March Maarten took Dick, Kevin & myself to Lulu Island. It was a lovely afternoon & we had a good walk around. Birds were scarce, best being:

Egyptian Nightjar; 29 Grey Hyypocolius; 4 Pied Wheatear; 8 Isabelline Wheatear; 7 Desert Wheatear; European Stonechat; Siberian Stonechat; Orphean Warbler; 3 Chiffchaff & 5 Desert Warbler.

Cattle Egret

Eurasian Collared Dove

Chiffchaff

Desert Lesser Whitethroat

On 9th March had a quick look around the MPG's. It was very quiet with nothing of note.

Ahmed & Clare

Ahmed, Clare Gabriel & Peaches.

Taken on a quick trip to London.

Enjoyed a weekend of rugby (Six Nations) & flew out of Abu Dhabi early on the morning of 13th March after a much longer stay than I anticipated. A big thanks to Clare & Ahmed for putting up with me!

A quick dash to Oman!

I needed to do a visa run for the UAE immigration & Khalifa put the idea of the Omani Owl into my head, so I needed no further encouragement! We met up in Al Ain on 12th February & crossed the border at Meyzad & drove to Jebel Akhdar. 

The fabled location!

Late afternoon.

It really is a very nice spot.

Khalifa & his trusty chariot.

Khalifa & I.

One of the ancient watch towers

 which used to guard the wadi.

We arrived on site around 4.30 pm, it was a bright sunny afternoon with a little breeze. Not bad conditions at all! Khalifa had done all the homework & we set about checking the area for an owl to be sunning itself! After about an hour, we both heard a series of owl calls high up about 500m from us. We rushed to the area but couldn't see the bird as it was calling from behind a ridge (& it was impossible to climb). One possibly two birds called for around nine minutes, then silence. Fifteen minutes later, one possibly two birds called in duet. It is difficult to be certain because of possible echos in the wadi.

Arabian Red Fox.

It got dark, nothing calling at all. We started the search by torchlight & after about one & half hours Khalifa thought he saw an owl fly, but I didn't see it & it was quickly lost to sight. We spent quite a while looking for it but without success. We then moved on about another 300 m & I picked eye shine up in the torch. It was the Owl perched in a tree, but partially hidden! We tried to get better views but it turned its head so no eye shine & we lost it. We spent another hour in the field but no further sightings or indeed calls. No photos I am afraid. We slept in the car & was woken by a large herd of goats in the morning!

An Omani dawn.

It is a long & windy road to the very top.

Small groups of feral donkeys roam the hillsides.

After again briefly searching the area we left to explore Jebel Akhdar. This is a spectacular location & it rises far above the surrounding plains & it is so big! Birds were thin on the ground but we recorded both Lappet faced & Egyptian Vultures; Humes & Red tailed Wheatears; Plain Leaf Warbler, plenty of Desert Lesser Whitethroat & Eastern Black Redstarts but little else.

Al Ain

Looking down into the village.

Fruit gardens

Male Eastern Black Redstart

Female.

Male Purple Sunbird

Arabian Toad

Found in the falaj system.

Terraced farm land.

An abandoned traditional house.

Omani homes often having elaborate doors or gates.

The more modern part of the village.

Khalifa in his natural habitat?

An unusual mosque.

We spent quite a bit of time in the villages of Al Ain (a different one from the one in the UAE) & Sayq looking for the Black throated Thrushes which had been seen recently. But no luck.

The hotel.

The hotel is in a fantastic setting 

on the edge of the canyon.

The view.

Yours truly!

Hume's Wheatear

The interior was equally spectacular.

The library.

We then retired to a spectacular hotel for a very nice, if expensive lunch amid grand surroundings. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the mountain & then we once again visited the Omani Owl site, but the wind had picked up & we neither heard nor saw anything. We then made our way back to the UAE & I arrived home at 1.30 am, tired but pleased with the trip.