The Highs & Lows of Listing!

It has been a funny week. It started out with a load of old rubbish, ie birding at Mafraq Rubbish Tip! And why would anyone, want to visit this particularly unlovely spot? Well, to see a bird of course! Not any old bird, but an adult Mediterranean Gull, that had been found the day before, by Mark & Oscar. This is a rare winter visitor to these lands, and if you want to break records, you need to see it.
So, after work, I was there, among the rubbish, looking through around 4,000 Black -headed Gulls. I managed after twenty minutes or so of searching, to pick it out, circling within the flock. I was really happy, but my family less so, when I arrived home. They kept asking What's that smell? Where have you been? The car stinks! Don't you realise that I have to go to work in this, in the morning? With this acclaim ringing in my ears, I retired to bed!

1 species added (218 total) 45 kms travelled.

A couple of days later, I was birding the Al Wathba Camel Racetrack with Robin. Today, this spot, is a far cry from its former era. It is changed from a green oasis, to a brown barren, saltbush dominated plain.

The modern day Al Wathba.

Almost unrecognisable from the olden days.



Looking for birds, but not finding any!

Birds were thin on the ground, but just before dark, a Peregrine shot by. We toured the area after dark, but no Nightjars, or Owls tonight, despite the perfect conditions.

1 species added (219 total) 50kms travelled.

It is 10.30 am and I am at work in the office. The phone rings and my formerly organised day, is in tatters! A Dunn's Lark has been reported from some fodder drying fields, just south of Al Ain. Now, I have been done by Dunn's Lark before, infact, on quite a few occasions! This little desert nomad, has eluded me many times. If I saw it, it would be a world tick!

Notice, no Dunn's Lark to be seen!

Khalifa, trying very hard not to be seen!

Who can blame him wearing that?

I jump into my Ferrari (aka Toyota Yaris) and growl my way through the Abu Dhabi traffic, then I am on the open road and the Yaris shows its true nature! I arrive in just over an hour. Three hours before dark and I commence my search. I know where to look and find all the birds which should be there, bar one! Derrick, Huw & Khalifa are there as well. The light starts to fail - we are once again done by a Dunn's! It is a long drive home!

0 species added (219 total) 360kms travelled.

It's the weekend and Carol & I are off for two nights away, in the Fujairah Hilton Hotel. We are meeting up with our friends Robin & Anne. Of course, we are there to chill out & unwind from our hectic week. But, I thought I might get a bit of birding in as well! I hope Carol remembered to bring her knitting!

The lush oasis, bordered by the coast & mountains.

This is the reason the grass is here!



Robin & I arrive at Fujairah National Dairy Farm just after dawn. A Grey Wagtail is new for my year list. Birds are plentiful, but there seems to be nothing new in. A fine male Hen Harrier; 5 Pintail Snipe; 5 Blyth's Pipits; both European & Siberian Stonechats, 3 Oriental Skylarks; 7 Rose-coloured Starlings & 12 Corn Buntings were the pick of the bunch.

Blyth's Pipit - digiscoped by me.

I am not very good at this!

After a lazy time at the hotel, we all went for a quick excursion to Khor Kalba. Two Green Turtles were seen from the bridge.

The only patch of mangrove on the east coast.

Carol, Robin & Anne.



Several Arabian Kingfishers darted out from the mangroves, catching small hermit crabs from the mud.

The recently re-named, Arabian Kingfisher.



Khor Kalba is the only location in the UAE

 for this rare & endangered species.

The next day, a morning sea-watch, produced little, apart from a fine adult Pomarine Skua, with half-grown spoons! We the moved on, to look at some archeological sites near Maleha.

One of the excavated burial tombs.

Several archeological sites,

 lay at the base of Jebel Faiya.

 A closer look, at this isolated mountain.

A Red Fox den, dug in at the base of the mountain.

Carol & I, then moved on to Qarn Nazwa, and Carol managed to pull in, a male Desert Eagle Owl, with a little help from technology!

Carol, doing her bit to help my year list along!

A nice end, to a very pleasant weekend.

4 species added (223 total) 560kms travelled, over two days.







Robin, comes out of the closet!

The man himself. Guilty or not guilty?

 Let the evidence decide!

I have known Robin Willbond for a while now. He works for the same company as I do, here in Abu Dhabi. I know he is interested in the great outdoors, he loves hiking in the mountains and many of his holidays are to wild and exotic places, to indulge himself in his passion.

Notice the binoculars!

Not many blonde girls here then is there?



But, I suspect, he has a darker side to his persona. I have suspected for a while now, that he is in fact, a closet birder! These people are a funny species, never able to tell their family and friends what exactly they get up to in their spare time. Always making excuses like…

 I have bought these binoculars so I can spy on the beautiful blonde girl, who lives next door!

The closet birder, believes that this is more acceptable to people, than admitting that they actually watch birds for a hobby! They somehow equate birdwatching, with a kind of perversion, that one enjoys, but in private, something not to be discussed, or indeed shared by others. Birdwatching is undertaken by elderly men (usually retired military types), they wear funny clothes and have leather patches on their elbows.

Those of you who know me, know, that I am fair man, of open mind and generous heart. So, what proof do I have that this hitherto normal person, has changed. Changed so much, that his partner Anne, and daughter Jenny, rarely see him.

·        He speaks with a new vocabulary: words like dipped; mega; to flog a habo; crippler; dude; jizz; to grip off; a lifer; its plastic; string; a tick; a mega tick; is it a Sibe? All these weird words, he has been heard to speak, over the last few weeks.

·        He keeps his phone close at hand. When talking to family & friends, he glances casually at it, willing it to ring!

·        He registers his car, before he has to. In similar vein, he regualrly changes the tyres. Always ready for the quick gettaway.

Exhibit A: brand new tyres!



·        He has bought a fieldguide to the Birds of the UAE. He fondles it constantly and as he turns   the pages, a dreamy, far-away look, is in his eyes!

Does he yearn for dear Heidi?

No its this.....

Lappet-faced Vulture,

 the centre of his desires!

·        One day, I casually mentioned about binocualars, the very next thing, he had bought them. He gave a flimsy excuse like, he had vouchers for the shop and the nice blonde girl next door etc. But, I saw through his veil of deceit!

Exhibit B: using the binoculars!

He is even using them in the dark!

·        He constantly monitors the UAE birding website, for up to the minute bird news.

·        He asks questions like: do you think it is likely that a penguin could fly here from the southern oceans ? Is it a tarts tick?Is this good gen? And the most damming evidence of all, Can I put it on my list?

·        The people he hangs out with! Some strange ones here, I can tell you! For example, he talks more & more to the ginger ninja. The conversation is supposed to be about his daughters progress in Chemistry. But we are not fooled for one little minute!

You don't fool us mate!

Ladies and gentlemen, I think that there can now be no doubt, that this hitherto normal person, has transformed into a being, that people no longer recognise, or even wish to be associated with. He has hatched and is well onto the way of being a fully fledged member of the twitching community! There is only one thing in his favour. One thing that may be brought to his defence. The fact that he has never been on a pelagic trip off Kalba. Once he enters these murky waters, inhabitated by Pterodromas, his fate will be sealed!

I put it to you, members of the public, that this man is guilty! Collectively, the evidence is overwhelming. Even his very name is suspect! It is no longer acceptable to hide away in the closet. He should be outed and made to join the flock.

“It’s been a day of two halves, Brian!”

It is Saturday, I am in bed and it is daylight outside! First time for everything, I suppose! Nice egg butty & coffee for breakfast, a leisurely morning, then a picnic in the desert in the afternoon with a few friends.  A perfect day!

But there is a nagging doubt in my mind. I can’t really settle to do anything. I am thinking about those quackers, in the Green Community. I have been twice, dipped twice, a perfect record! Carol announces (out of the blue), that she has an appointment at the hairdressers. Now, this can take anything from two, to fours hours! Before one can say have a nice time dear, she is in the car driving to Abu Dhabi and two minutes later, I am driving to Dubai, again!

When I was there yesterday, I met Mike Barth, he said he wanted better photos and would check out the pool this morning. I am passing Ghantoot, at just under the speed of sound, when the phone rings. It’s Mike, and both birds are there. Yes! The Toyota Yaris, tries to go faster, but fails miserably. Mike, (bless him) waited over 35 minutes for me to arrive, before approaching the pool. These birds are quite famous for waving their wings goodbye, as they depart, at the slightest disturbance. Thanks for waiting mate, I really appreciate it!

I arrive & meet up with Mike. I resist the temptation to slam the car door, or even honk the horn, to let him know I am there! We both peer between the reeds, Mike spots them, I spot the back of his little bald head!
Seconds later, I forgive him, as he waves one finger & points to a spot, just hidden from where I am standing. My neck extends like a giraffe’s, and I am now looking, at a fine male, Red-crested Pochard. For the first time that morning, I can afford to smile. It is in the bag! Photos are taken and on cue, the birds depart, for their unknown destination.

The prize. At last! Got ya!

See ya!

  The female, following the male.
He must have the Visa card!

The whole area is anything but a green community! The natural desert has been totalled trashed by ugly developments of all kinds. Jon Iversen who lives there (& the finder of the quackers), describes the area as scabland! You see ,the real estate agents have got it wrong. Come buy rent & live in Scabland, far better than the Green Community. People would be buying in droves!

Tiny patches of natural desert, are home to a colony of Red Thumb fungi (Orobanche cooperi). It  is among the UAE's few edible plants, with a long history of use as food and drink. It is also a parasitic plant, with no chlorophyll and thus, no green foliage, but dark purple, cone-like blooms. Its other common names, include tarthuth and desert broomrape.

Edible? A rival to KFC?

Mike and I talk. I tell him my plan for the afternoon. He asks to tag along. No problem. We arrange to meet around 3.30 pm. I arrive home in MBZ City and get all the stuff ready for the picnic, Carol arrives with a wonderful hair-do! But, will it scare off the Bar-tailed Larks? Which of course, is the main purpose of this little get-together!

The habitat.

More habitat! Bar-tailed Larks like the little rocky ridges

 & the more stony desert, between the sand dunes.

The searching! 



We meet up with Andrew T. Mike and his wife, Lynden, arrive a little later. I decide to walk around, the others to drive. Greater Hoopoe-lark falls on to my year list. But no sign of the little uns!

Nice, but not what I am looking for! 

I receive my second call from Mike. He informs me he has found a small flock of birds, they could be Desert Larks, or, our main prey. I inform him that Desert Larks aren’t found here, only in the distant mountains. So please, come & pick me up! (the two girls were using my car, as a base for chatter & frolicking in the dunes)! A short time later, we spot the Bar-tailed Larks. Excellent work Mike! You are starting to get the hang of this birding thing!

The little beauty!



Andrew - looking a little bit like Bill Nighy!


Bill Nighy, look for the field marks.
Do not confuse the two!

Andrew & Carol, looking at something really funny!

 I fear that it might be me!



We return to the girls, for beer and much needed food. Mike & Lynden have to leave, they are going to a Billy Ocean concert in Dubai. I must have looked doubtful, because Lynden, even does a little Billy Ocean dance for me!

Bar-tailed Larks and then this!

Really?

How do you turn a duck, into a soul singer in an hour & half?

Put it into the oven, until it's Bill Withers!

(I am not clever enough to think of a Billy Ocean connection)!

Answers on a postcard please to......

Stop press!

A new species of owl, has been discovered in the San Francisco Bay area. It has an unusual reddish plumage. Scientists are thinking of naming it Otus redding!

It’s definitely been a day of two halves, Brian!

3 species added (217 total) 460 kms travelled.

Going Wild in Wadi Bih!

It’s 2.59 am, I know this fact, because I have just woken up one minute before the alarm goes off. I seem to have this uncanny ability to do this, despite setting the alarm at different times. I have no idea how this works, but I have always been able to do it. Very strange!

The car is packed and I am waiting for my companion, Robin. He rose at 2.30 am, in order to drive to my house and car share. The miles and associated costs of a big year, mount up! He arrives and with the minimum of fuss, we are driving north, into the night.

We arrive at our first stop the Al Karran Water Treatment Plant (Sewage works)! It is a particularly unlovely spot, but the birds don’t seem to mind.

Al Karran Water Treatment Plant

Mosquitoes swarming at dawn.

Or the clouds of mosquitoes! Both Robin and myself had never seen anything quite like this. As it started to get light, literally hoardes of mosquitoes rose up above the trees and started co-ordinated swarming. Luckily for us, they were well above our heads.
3 Greater White-fronted Geese and 3 Ferruginous Ducks were the highlights, but a good selection of waders were also seen. No hirundines at all. This winter has been particularly bad, for this group of birds.

The western entrance to Wadi Bih.

A winter morning.

We moved on and entered Wadi Bih. The Ru’us Al Jabil (head of the mountains), is a range in the greater Hajar Mountains. The highest peak ( Jebel Al Harim) is 2,087 m. above sea level. The mountains are divided by wadis, of which Wadi Bih is the largest.

Typical habitat at the lowest end of the wadi.


Wadi Bih starts in Ras Al Khaimah and runs roughly eastwards, crossing into Oman before re-entering UAE territory again, close to Dibba, on the east coast. Unfortunately, one can no longer drive its entire length due to border difficulties. The whole area has tremendous environmental, historical and cultural significance.

A side wadi, with acacia trees.

Towering peaks and the dry river bed.

 The wadi is quite wide in places.

Looking towards Omani territory.

Birding here is quite an experience, as you are surrounded  by spectacular scenery. Narrrow gorges, high cliffs, boulder strewn wadis and cloud covered mountain peaks are all part of the natural mosiac.

Searching for Chukars.

I am over here!

 Our mission was to find two localised species; Chukar and Trumpeter Finch. Chukars are closley associated with the mountain geology found in Iran and central Asia. This just extends down into the Hajar Mountains and thus the birds are at the edge of their range here. The furthest south they are found in the UAE is around Masafi, but here they are very low in numbers and consequently difficult to find. All other places where you can see Chukar are of released birds and therfore not countable for my big year! Trumpeter Finch has a slightly wider distribution, being closley associated with mountains, even isolated one like Jebel Hafeet. But, they are usually hard to find here.

Robin quickly spotted some game birds running and they proved to be Chukars. We both enjoyed great views. The Trumpeter Finch proved to be a different story! We searched hard, but all my usual spots drew a blank and we never saw them. Other good birds included a pair of confiding Scrub Warblers; Red rumped Swallow and best of all, an Eversman’s Redstart. This species is a central Asian one, here, on the very edge of its wintering range and an excellent species to see.

The often elusive, Scrub Warbler.
Photo courtesy of Derrick Wilby.



I spotted a fine adult Bonelli’s Eagle high overhead but Robin missed it, because he was putting sun block on (because of orders from his partner Anne) and he put some in his eyes! I always knew that sun block was bad for you!

Robin, searching for Trumpeter Finch. 

Me, taking a breather! A little bit to the right Robin,

then walk straight on!

Remains of old settlements are still commonly found.

Today, many of the Shihuh people

 live on the coast.

Wadi Bih used to be wild and totally unspoilt, but recent developments have altered this slightly. However, it is still a brilliant place to explore. One can climb up tributary wadis, looking at the remains of old houses and walls that were the boundaries of small fields. Graveyards are quite common and a testament to how long this place has been inhabited by the Shihuh tribe. Indeed a number of prehistoric tombs have been discovered and excavated, some dating as far back as the Hafeet period (3200-2600BC).

Getting ready for marriage.

We came across this sight in one of the side wadis. People arriving amid lots of gunfire, to start the local wedding celebrations.  

It was time to move on and we made the short drive to the water treatment plant again. Good birding but nothing new. We then made an exploratory trip to a nearby fodder field complex, at the base of the mountains. We saw few birds, but the potential is certainly there for future visits.

Previously unknown (to us) fodder fields.

Rarityland? It certainly looks a great place for migrants.

 One of the four Eurasian Kestrels,
 feeding on large insects on the grass.



I was on edge, because Andrew Ward (of Commander and Mr. Lulu fame) had rung, saying the 2 Red-crested Pochards were back. The pedal was pushed to the metal, but despite our best efforts, they departed around 30 minutes before our arrival! We searched other likely places, but nothing doing!

We arrived home to be greeted by Carol and cold beer! Not a bad ending, to a very good day out.

4 species added (total 214) 590 kms travelled.