For information on specially arranged half-day, single day and longer birding tours of the Emirates, e-mail: hellyer@emirates.net.ae or Peter@extinfo.gov.ae

THE SHELL BIRDWATCHING GUIDE TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

A weekly up-date on what's happening among the United Arab Emirates' bird-life.

30/03/01

A very active UAE birding week recorded migration in full swing throughout the country, with wheatears, redstarts, common swifts, European bee-eaters and pipits and yellow wagtails to the fore. There have been plenty of rarities too, including the wintering white-breasted waterhen and shikras at the Emirates Golf Course, kittiwake at Kalba, brown-headed gull at Sharjah Dump, purple gallinule at Wimpey Pits, 2 grasshopper warblers at Al Wathba and Dibba and lesser spotted eagle at Al Wathba. Breeding activity is also getting well under way.

Since kittiwake pipped brown-headed gull to the post three weeks ago, we'll plump for brown-headed gull as this week's Bird of the Week. To the records.

Late highlights from the Al Wathba Camel track on 22nd March included 45 pied wheatears, 5 blue-cheeked bee-eaters and 5 Egyptian nightjars. On 23rd March, a visit to Abu Dhabi's Eastern Lagoon found only 43 cattle egrets going to roost, many fewer than might have been expected. Is there a new roost site, or have the birds migrated north earlier this year? At the Al Wathba Camel Track were a spotted eagle, a black-eared wheatear, 22 pied and 35 isabelline wheatears, 200+ chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, a bluethroat, a Menetries warbler, and a grasshopper warbler. A late shelduck was at Khor Dubai along with a flock of 236 Pacific golden plovers. 3 pomarine skuas were off Jumeirah beach, while the Emirates Golf Course had 2 purple herons, a shikra, a spotted crake, the white-breasted waterhen, a pintail snipe, 2 marsh sandpipers, a bluethroat, and 5 isabelline shrikes. At Ghantut were an Egyptian goose, 14 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 12 hypocolius (performing well), and 2 corn buntings. On 24th March, Wimpey Pits had a squacco heron, up to 13 garganey, a spotted crake and up to 7 white-tailed plovers. At the Al Wathba Camel Track highlights included a lesser spotted eagle, a quail, a long-billed pipit, 12 Northern wheatears, 23 pied wheatears and a woodchat shrike. On 25th March, a little tern, a black redstart, 5 common redstarts, a black-eared wheatear and 2 common whitethroats were at Khalidiya in Abu Dhabi. Large numbers of blue-cheeked bee-eaters were over Ghiyathi and Ruwais. 5 Egyptian vultures, a barbary falcon, a hooded wheatear and an Upcher's warbler were on Jebel Hafit.

On 26th March, a 1st winter brown-headed gull was at Sharjah dump (until at least 28th March), while other birds present at the dump over the same period included 50 cattle egrets, 16 Western reef herons, 2 Egyptian geese, 3 ruddy shelduck and 2 spotted eagles. On 27th March, there were at least 3000 black-headed gulls, 500 cachinnans/barabensis gulls, a Baltic gull and 2 Siberian gulls. The Dump is also home to a colony of bank mynahs, while 2 pairs of white-tailed plovers appear to be breeding. In Al Ain, 13 teal, 2 pintail, 2 grey herons, 4 black-winged stilts and 2 pallid swifts were among birds at the Ain al Fayda pumpstation. On 27th March, the Mushrif Palace and Abu Dhabi Golf and Equestrian Club area had 13 tree pipits, 50 red-throated pipits, 20 northern, 1 black-eared, 1 desert and 10 pied wheatears, a grey wagtail, an ortolan and a masked shrike. Also on 27th a visit by an Ornitholidays tour party to Khor Kalba found a purple heron, a kittiwake in the harbour roost, (4th record), up to 80 white-cheeked terns, 25 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 12 European bee-eaters, a desert wheatear and at least 2 Sykes's (booted) warblers, with 2 yellow-throated sparrows in song on Kalba plain. On 28th March, the Abu Dhabi Golf and Equestrian Club area had a greylag goose, 2 black-eared, 8 Northern, 4 pied and 8 isabelline wheatears, 8 tree pipits, 6 (beema) yellow wagtails, a stonechat, a willow warbler and 2 woodchat and 4 isabelline shrikes. Around 20 pied, isabelline and desert wheatears and ca 150 red-throated pipits were at the ADNOC hospital in Ruwais, also on the 28th, with 2 corn buntings, a redstart and several hoopoes at Ghiyathi. Two Egyptian geese seemed to be nesting at the Ruwais Housing Complex, where a pond heron sp. was flushed. Another Indian pond/squacco heron was at the Ghiyathi pond, along with 2 moorhen. At the Fujairah National Dairy Farm at Dibba were 7 cattle egrets, a squacco heron, a purple heron, at least 1 lesser kestrel, 2 quail, 40 common swift, a European bee-eater, a red-rumped swallow, a male Siberian stonechat, 2 Northern wheatears, a grasshopper warbler, 16 isabelline shrikes and a woodchat shrike. Also on the 28th, a hen harrier, a quail, 2 turtle doves, 20 common swifts, 3 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 20 European bee-eaters, a red-rumped swallow, a house martin, a female Siberian stonechat, a woodchat shrike, 3 rose-coloured starlings, a male Spanish sparrow and 14 corn buntings were in the Hamraniyyah fields in Ras al-Khaimah. On 29th March there was evidence of a big fall throughout the country. On Abu Dhabi island, the four sites examined produced a quail, a honey buzzard, a sparrowhawk, a lesser kestrel, an Indian roller, 3 European bee-eaters, 60 tree pipits, 45 red-throated pipits, 16 northern, 3 black-eared, 17 pied and 3 isabelline wheatears, 57 redstarts, a blue rock thrush, a wryneck, 7 isabelline and 2 masked shrikes, 2 grey wagtails, 3 lesser whitethroats. 10 chiffchaffs, 6 willow warblers, a semi-collared flycatcher, a rufous bushchat and an ortolan. At the Jebel Ali hotel, were 4 red-throated pipits, 2 beema yellow wagtails, a robin, 9 redstarts, a northern wheatear, a lesser whitethroat, 2 blackcaps, 4 chiffchaffs, 2 isabelline shrikes and a masked shrike. At the Al Wathba Camel Track were 2 marsh harriers, 2 pallid harriers, a long-legged buzzard, a spotted eagle, 4 lesser kestrels, a wryneck, 15 sand martins, a crag martin, 20 swallows, 30 red-throated pipits, 7 beema yellow wagtails, a male white-throated robin, a varied wheatear collection, including 60 isabelline, 25 Northern, 20 pied (included a male of the vittata form), a male black-eared (the pale-throated melanoleuca form), and a desert. Also seen were a Menetries warbler, a desert warbler, a chiffchaff, 13 isabelline shrikes and 3 woodchat shrikes. At Al Jazeerah khor were a quail, 3 Saunders' little terns, a desert warbler, a Hume's lesser whitethroat and 2 blackcaps. 9 crab plovers were at Dreamland beach with 48 more elsewhere in Khor al Beida, which also produced 18 great knot. A great black-headed gull was off Umm al-Qaiwain beach. At the Dubai pivot fields were 60 common swifts, a red-rumped swallow, 60 red-throated pipits, a grey wagtail, 3 bluethroats and a Northern wheatear At Ghantut were a single male hypocolius, 2 Arabian babblers, a European bee-eater, a rufous bushchat, a white-throated robin, 2 chiffchaffs, 3 common redstarts, a sparrowhawk, a song thrush and 2 ring-necked parakeets. In Al Ain, a little ringed plover had arrived at the cement factory quarry, with 8 more at the Ain al Faida pumpstation, which also had 20 moorhens, 10 teal and 3 mallard. On Das Island, two pairs of warblers, almost certainly olivaceous, were building nests within 20 metres of each other. Also on 29th March, 7 hoopoes were in the gardens at the Dhafra Beach Hotel in Jebel Dhanna, along with 7 yellow wagtails (including 1 black-headed), 2 stonechats, 3 isabelline shrikes and a willow warbler. A mourning wheatear was on Jebel Dhanna, where 20+ pallid swifts were also present. An ortolan was in Dubai's Creekside park, while 2 striated scops owls and ca 6 redstarts were in Mushrif Park. A white-throated robin, a rufous bushchat and 2 redstarts were still at Ghantut.

Finally, to start off the current week, on 30th March, a purple heron, 2 garganey, 3 pintail, 2 shikras, a spotted eagle, 2 spotted redshanks and 20+ redstarts were at the Emirates Golf Course. A little egret, a Namaqua dove, 3 wood sandpipers and a masked shrike were at Ramtha . Wimpey Pits held a squacco heron, 2 cattle egrets, the wintering glossy ibis, 2 Egyptian geese, a ferruginous duck, a purple gallinule (7th record, but of unclear origin), up to 7 white-tailed plovers, a European bee-eater, reed warblers in song and at least 10 streaked weavers engaged in best-building. At the Sharjah dump were 2 spotted and one imperial eagle. At the Emirates Golf Course were 2 European bee-eaters, a samamisicus redstart, 2 Hume's lesser whitethroat, 3 willow warblers and 2 blackcaps, while at Mushrif Park in Dubai were a wryneck, 2 rufous bushchats and a masked shrike. In the far west, a rufous bushchat and an isabelline shrike were at Sila'a, 2 ring-tail harriers and 2 European bee-eaters were on Ras Ghumeis and 2 desert wheatears, 4 yellow wagtails (including one black-headed) and 4 red-throated pipits were on the roundabout at the border post at Ghuweifat. At the Dhafra Beach Hotel, hoopoe and yellow wagtail numbers had each fallen from 7 to 3 from the previous day, indicative of passage. 2 isabelline shrikes were also present.

Phew!

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23/03/01

An unusually quiet week by the standards of local birders, with no new rarities being reported, apart from another Savi's warbler at the beginning of the week. The long-staying rarities, though, like shikra, white-eyed buzzard and white-breasted waterhen, all at the Emirates Golf Course, went some way to making up for it, while one European visitor was clearly happy enough just to get views of fields heaving with wheatears. More hypocolius had arrived by the end of the week, just in time for the next tour party. Bird of the Week is a difficult choice, with not much to choose from, and most rarities having been chosen already. We will opt, therefore, for the hypocolius at Ghantut, always a favourite among visiting and resident birders alike.

To begin with some late reports from 16th March. A visit to the Fujairah National Dairy Farm at Dibba found 7 quail, 5 Richard's and 14 red-throated pipits, a masked (personata) wagtail, a steppe grey shrike and a Savi's warbler. On the same day, there were large concentrations of seabirds on the beach between Fujairah and Kalba, including 5,000 black-headed gulls, 3 great black-headed gulls, 1,200 slender-billed, 8,500 yellow-legged and 1,500 sooty gulls, 10 pomarine and a single Arctic skua, and 25 swift, 90 lesser crested, 750 Sandwich, 1,400 common, 55 white-cheeked and 6 Saunder's little terns.

An unusual batch of records to begin the week itself, from the offshore island of Zirku, rarely visited by birders. Records between 17th to 20th March included: 12 red-billed tropic-birds, a desert eagle owl, 19 hoopoes, 34 short-toed larks, a blue rock thrush, 7 desert, 8 black-eared, 27 isabelline and 23 pied wheatears, 9 samamisicus (Ehrenberg's) redstarts, 64 chiffchaffs and 9 willow warblers, a whitethroat and 2 rose-coloured starlings

On 18th March, 15 garganey, 90 little stints, 2 marsh sandpipers, 3 tawny pipits, a bluethroat, 4 isabelline wheatears and 6 isabelline shrikes were at the Ruwayyah pools. The Ain al Faida pump-station had a marsh harrier, 68 teal, 4 mallard, an Egyptian goose, a little grebe, a grey heron, 6 black-winged stilts, 4 red-wattled plovers, 10 moorhen, 50 little stint, and a green sandpiper.

On 19th March, an examination of Wimpey Pits found 37 black-necked grebe, the long-staying glossy ibis, 2 spotted crakes, 10 white-tailed plovers, 5 marsh sandpipers, 3 sand martins, a beema yellow wagtail, a citrine wagtail and a bluethroat. An adult crested honey buzzard was at the Manhal gardens in Abu Dhabi.

On 20th March, 4 ruddy shelduck were still at the Sharjah University tip, along with 4 black-necked grebe, 2 Egyptian geese, an imperial eagle, 5 white-tailed plovers, a spotted redshank, 12 whiskered terns and a water pipit. The Al Ain cement factory quarry had 12 teal, 9 mallard, 4 black-winged stilts, 4 common swifts and a red-wattled plover.Since the quarry is now being used as a dump, its future is open to question. Besides the swifts here, numerous common swifts have also been reported throughout Al Ain during the week, though not reported elsewhere. Pallid, perhaps? 2 Menetries warblers were at the Emirates Golf Course at Jebel Ali on 21st March, along with 3 shikras, the white-breasted waterhen (until at least 23rd) and the white-eyed buzzard. while 2 willow warblers and a nightingale had arrived by the 23rd.

On 22nd March, a juvenile honey buzzard and 2 male redstarts were at Mushrif Park in Dubai, while 2 shelduck were still at Khor Dubai. At the Emirates Golf Course, the white-breasted waterhen was still present (until at least 23rd March), along with a wryneck, 2 Menetries warblers, a spotted crake, the white-eyed buzzard and 3 shikras, while a late great black-headed gull was seen flying over. A greylag goose, 6 tree pipits, a grey wagtail, a redstart, 23 pied wheatears and a masked shrike were at the Abu Dhabi Golf and Equestrian Club.

Finally, 7 hypocolius were at Ghantut on 23rd March, and the Al Wathba Camel track was heaving with wheatears, including 30 pied, 20 Northern, 3 black-eared and c. 100 isabelline.

And from our neighbours in Oman, news that the wintering long-billed dowitcher was still at the Sun Farms at Sohar on 23rd March. So near to the UAE, but, like great stone plover and one or two other species, not yet recorded here.

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09/03/01

A seabird special this week, with up to 8 little gulls being reported from Das island and a remarkable trio at Fujairah for one happy birder, common gull, brown-headed gull and kittiwake. Elsewhere, Al Wathba Camel track (probably one of the best watched sites), came up trumps again with birds present there including European golden plover, Egyptian nightjar, 2 pale martins and Blyth's pipit. A blackbird was reported from Abu Dhabi island, with ruddy shelduck at Sharjah dump and hypocolius (very elusive) at Ghantut.

One of the seabirds HAS to take the Bird of the Week title. We'll plump for the kittiwake (3rd record), followed by the brown-headed gull (5th record and 1st for over 10 years), then the common gull (7th record) and the little gulls (ca. 7th record).

To begin the review, some late reports from a German visitor here at the end of February. These include a great knot on the beach near Dubai's Royal Mirage hotel (!), and a long-legged buzzard and 2, perhaps 3, booted eagles at the Emirates Golf Course on 26th February. Thanks to H-J A for the records. Overseas visitors should note that reports are ALWAYS welcome. On 2nd March, a visit to the Al Wathba Camel Track produced 2 pallid harriers (including an adult male), a long legged buzzard, a lesser kestrel, a European golden plover and 72 Pacific golden plovers, ca 300 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, 150 short-toed larks, 20 skylarks, a house martin, 20 swallows, 2 hoopoes, 2 black-headed (feldegg) wagtails and 7 pied, 10 desert and 20 isabelline wheatears. An albinistic grey shrike at Mirfa provided a tricky ID problem. Steppe or southern? There was also a report of a blackbird on Abu Dhabi's Eastern Lagoon around this date, although the precise day is not known.

Latest records from Das island (to 4th March), include up to 8 little gulls mixing with Siberian and Baltic gulls. The little gulls were seen from 1st to 4th, and may have been present earlier. Other birds present, to 4th, include several pairs of collared doves getting into breeding mode, a couple of Indian house crows, (described by our correspondent as having "very, very ragged wings - an elderly pair being pensioned off on Das? "), up to 15 yellow and 20+ grey wagtails, a male desert wheatear, but no sign yet of swallows or swifts.

On 4th March itself, Dubai's Safa Park produced a grey wagtail, but little else of note. 2 Egyptian geese and 17 species of waders, including 4 little ringed plover, 1 greater sand plover, 51 little stints, 7 Temminck's stints, a marsh sandpiper and 2 wood sandpipers were at the Al Ruwayyah Pools. At the Wimpey Pits were 40 adult little grebes, at least three of which had accompanying chicks, 63 black-necked grebes, 1 glossy ibis, 187 greater flamingos, a pallid harrier, a sparrowhawk, 2 Egyptian geese, 210 teal, 36 pintail, 6 garganey, 74 black-winged stilts, 16 white-tailed plover, 95 little stints, 3 marsh sandpipers, 2 spotted redshanks, 5 marsh harriers, 2 spotted crakes, 4 water pipits and 3 citrine wagtails.

The nearby pivot fields had 1 purple heron, 1 marsh harrier, 1 pallid harrier, 1 quail, 15 skylarks, 2 short-toed larks and3 meadow pipits, while 6 black redstarts, a male samamiscus redstart, a song thrush and 2 bluethroats were at Dubai's Mushrif Park.

The Al Wathba Camel Track produced 1 hen, 2 pallid, 7 marsh and 1 Montagu's harrier, a long-legged buzzard, a spotted eagle, 6 Egyptian nightjars (but no Sykes's), 14 bimaculated larks, 140 lesser short-toed larks, 35 short-toed larks, 110 skylarks, 2 pale martins, 28 sand martins, 1 red-rumped swallow, 130 swallows, 5 Richard's, 1 Blyth's, 58 tawny and 3 meadow pipits, 5 bluethroats, 1 black-eared wheatear and 21 isabelline and 10 pied wheatears, 2 woodchat shrikes and a steppe grey shrike. On 4th/5th March, a study of desert areas west of Al Wigan found a long-legged buzzard, (in a grove where 2 were seen last December), a kestrel, and a group of 4 brown-necked ravens, but little sign of anything else, and no evidence of any breeding.

On 5th March, 4 sand partridges, 2 black redstarts, 1 red-tailed wheatear, 1 hooded wheatear, 8 Hume's wheatears, 1 blue rock thrush and1 plain leaf warbler were on Jebel Hafit. A peregrine with jesses, lesser whitethroat, 3 desert lesser whitethroats, 4 song thrushes and a female redstart were at Ghantut. The same day, a water rail and 3 spotted crakes provided good views at the Wimpey Pits, as did 2 streaked weavers and a couple of citrine wagtails. An Indian roller at Al Wathba Camel track was unusual. On 6th March, the Sharjah University Dump/Tip had 1 black-necked grebe, 14 cattle egrets, 18 greater flamingos, a pair of Egyptian geese with at least 8 young birds, 4 ruddy shelduck, 2 wigeon, 6 gadwall, 76 teal, 6 mallard, 29 pintail, 18 garganey, 94 shoveler, 5 pochard, 5 avocets, 226 little stints, 5 Temminck's stints, 8 black-tailed godwits, 5 marsh sandpipers, 3500 black-headed gulls, 1300 cachinnans/barabensis gulls, 30 whiskered terns and 1 white-winged black tern.

On 5th and 6th of March. Fujairah provided a trio of seabird rarities. On the 5th, an adult common gull (7th record), nearly in full summer plumage and a 1st winter/1st summer kittiwake (3rd record) were found at the Qurayyah pools, along with a spotted redshank, 2 marsh sandpipers, 3 black-tailed godwits and a sedge warbler. Five Arctic skuas were off Kalba beach and the occasional Persian shearwater was on the sea off the Fujairah Hilton beach. A barn owl was around the Fujairah castle on the evening of the 5th.

On 6th March, a massive congregation of terns and gulls was 1 to 2 km north of the Fujairah Hilton, this included a brown-headed gull (5th record and the 1st for over 10 years).

At Wimpey Pits on 6th March, besides the usual crowd, were a Bonelli's eagle and 5 spotted eagles.

On 7th March, the first samamisicus redstart of spring for the capital was in Khalidiya along with a stunning stonechat, (one of the Caspian sub-species, armenica or variegata). 4 hypocolius were at Ghantut, but were difficult to find, and gave poor views. 5 Egyptian nightjars and a stone culew were atr the Al Wathba Camel Track after dark. On 8th March, the Ain al Faida pump station had 60+ teal, 2 pintail, 2 Egyptian geese, 17 black-winged stilts, a red-wattled plover, 10 moorhen, a ringed plover and 3 green sandpipers.

Another inspection of the Al Wathba Camel track found 81 Pacific golden plovers, 5 Egyptian nightjars, a pale martin, 4 Richard's, 79 tawny, 21 red-throated, 3 meadow, 1 tree and 35 water pipits, a rufous bushchat (1st of the spring), 3 Northern, 22 pied, 62 isabelline, 2 black-eared and 10 desert wheatears, 11 Menetries warblers and 19 isabelline shrikes. From neighbouring parts of Oman, Hanging Gardens, (near Mahdah) produced a Bonelli's eagle, 10 desert larks, a long billed pipit, 4 Hume's wheatears, 10 red-tailed wheatears, 5 desert warblers, 1 trumpeter finch, 2 black redstarts and 4 house buntings on the 8th March. The long-billed dowitcher was still at Sohar's Sun Farms on 3rd March.

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02/03/01

Signs of migration getting well under way this week, with good numbers of red-rumped swallows, chiffchaffs and wheatears. Time for the spring rarities! As for other records, good birds included the usual Al Wathba crop (hen harrier - also at Hamraniyyah - sociable plover, pale martin, Egyptian nightjar and Sykes's nightjar), as well as white-breasted waterhen and 2 shikra still at the Emirates Golf Course, a blackbird on Das island, great knot and crab plover in Khor al Beida, honey buzzards in Abu Dhabi and a scattering of citrine wagtails.

We'll go for the white-breasted waterhen, which seems to have wintered at the Emirates Golf Course, as Bird of the Week. To the reports.

On 23rd February, a sociable plover, an adult male pallid harrier with one hen, 1 Montagu's and 4 marsh harriers, a lesser kestrel, a long-legged buzzard, 320 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, 160 skylarks, 20 bimaculated larks, 3 pied wheatears, 1 northern wheatear and 25 desert wheatears were at the Al Wathba Camel Track.

On 25th February, 2 honey buzzards, a sparrowhawk, 2 song thrushes, a grey wagtail, a citrine wagtail, and a red-rumped swallow were at Mushrif Palace Gardens in Abu Dhabi. In Dubai's Safa Park, there were a wigeon, 2 teal, 43 mallard, 16 hoopoes, 1 wryneck, 1 male redstart of the 'samamisicus' race, 2 song thrush, 15 chiffchaffs and 1 male Isabelline shrike of the race isabellinus.

On 26th February, a visit to the Ain al Faida pump-station found a marsh harrier being mobbed by red-wattled plovers, and a grey heron, ca. 180 teal, 40 pintail, 21 shoveler, 7 mallard, an Egyptian goose, 9 black-winged stilts, 4 red-wattled plovers, 15 moorhen, a ringed plover, a citrine wagtail, an isabelline wheatear and 12 common swifts. 3 shelduck, the long-staying white-breasted waterhen, a pair of shikra (calling), 2 white-tailed plovers and a pintail snipe were at the Emirates Golf Course at Jebel Ali while an eagle owl, a pied wheatear and an Orphean warbler (but no Eastern pied wheatear) were at Qarn Nazwa. 83 cattle egrets went to roost at Abu Dhabi's Eastern Lagoon. On 27th February, 6 black-necked grebe were on the sea off the Fujairah beach, with 50 white-cheeked terns and a whiskered tern also in evidence. 119 great black-headed gulls were at Qurrayah and another 27 at Khor Kalba, where 2 Sykes's Warblers were also seen. A starling, a citrine wagtail and 4 red-throated pipits were on the Kalba Corniche. At the Emirates Golf Course were 3 shelduck, 16 wigeon flying over, 12 teal, 2 mallard, 10 pintail, 29 shoveler, 1 or 2 shikras, 1 white-breasted waterhen, 2 white-tailed plover, 5 Temminck's stints, 3 marsh sandpipers, 2 'western' stonechats, 13 chiffchaffs, and 2 Isabelline shrikes of the race 'phoenicuroides'.

On 28th February, 2 Montagu's harriers (1 adult male), a pallid harrier and 4 marsh harriers were at Al Wathba Camel Track along with 6 Pacific golden plovers, a barn owl, 50+ hirundines, including 2+ sand martins and a red-rumped swallow, 10 isabelline wheatears, 4 pied wheatears, 7 Egyptian nightjars and a Sykes's nightjar.

Around 8 short-toed larks and two hoopoe larks (singing) were in scrub at Dreamland Beach in Umm al-Qaiwain, with 40 crab plovers on the beach. 2 great knot were elsewhere in Khor al Beida. A spotted eagle was at the Rams dump, while 2 glossy ibis, a citrine wagtail and a blue rock thrush were on the "puddle" near Ras al Khaimah's Carrefour supermarket. In the Hamraniyyah fields were a hen harrier, 2 Alexandrine parakeets, 20 red-rumped swallows (surely a record?) and an Orphean warbler, while 12 white storks were circling above the petrol station.

2 Bruce's scops owls performed in Mushrif Park in Dubai for a visiting tour party.

On 1st March, 2 song thrushes, 3 black redstarts (1 male), 13 chiffchaffs, 1 cracking male Menetries warbler, 5 Siberian stonechats and 6 pied wheatears were on Abu Dhabi's Khalidiya Spit. At the Al Wathba Camel track were 4 marsh harriers, 1 female pallid harrier, 4 kestrels, 57 Pacific golden plover, 1 ruff, 4 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, 3 black-crowned finch larks, 2 hoopoe larks, 2 short-toed larks, 80 lesser short-toed larks, 80 skylarks, 6 sand martins, 1 pale martin, 40 swallows, 16 tawny pipits, 3 red-throated pipits, 4 water pipits, 4 'beema' yellow wagtails, 3 'feldegg' yellow wagtails, 25 Isabelline wheatears, 1 northern wheatear, 10 pied wheatears including two of the 'vittata' form, 3 desert wheatears and 4 Isabelline shrikes.

Finally, some offshore round-ups for the week. Some recent news from the offshore hotspot of Das Island (from where little, sadly, is reported these days). 2 Indian house crows were present on 23rd February (until at least 26th), while a blackbird was also present on 26th. One was seen earlier in the month, so the same bird may be involved. Single kestrel and peregrine were seen in the third week of February. White-cheeked bulbuls, house sparrows and common mynahs are now breeding. Not so the single, lonely, resident osprey, however.Sightings on Mubarraz island during the week included an adult peregrine and a scattering of miscellaneous migrants, the latter mainly in small numbers although a small fall of up to 8 pied wheatears was noted on the 26th February during strong northerly winds. Ones and twos were noted of desert warbler, desert lesser whitethroat, Menetries' warbler, steppe grey shrike, isabelline shrike, grey wagtail, yellow wagtail (grey-headed), tawny pipit, water pipit and black redstart. Several chiffchaffs and up to 5 hoopoes were also seen.

On nearby Hayl islands, 2 short-=eared owls, a male woodchat shrike a male rock thrush and a stone curlew were seen on the 23rd, with a black-headed wagtail on the 24th when the owls were also seen. The woodchat shrike was still present on the 25th. Over 150 great knot were counted in the main wader roost on the island.

A couple of short notes from parts of Oman adjacent to the UAE, where 1 house bunting singing were reported from the 'Hatta Pools," (just across the border) on February 23rd while 4-5 trumpeter finches in fine plumage were reported from Hanging Gardens, near Buraimi on 1st March.

| MONTHLY REPORT PAGE | A REMINDER: Twitchers' Guide is designed as a weekly news feature, not as an official record of authenticated sightings, and should not be cited in any publication. All records are subject to adjudication. Contact details for visitors to the Emirates, and for submission of reports and information: Twitchers' Guide (Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer) P.O. Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: (Mobile): Abu Dhabi 971-(0)-50-642-4357/642-4358. Fax: 9712-4450458. E-mail: hellyer@emirates.net.ae / Peter@extinfo.gov.ae or Hudhud10@emirates.net.ae or Colin Richardson at tel: Dubai (9714)-3472277, Fax: 3472276. P.O.Box 50394, Dubai, UAE, e-mail: colinr@emirates.net.ae Reports from Oman are courtesy of the local daily e-mail hotline The Oman Birder, and are not official in any way. Again, these reports should not be cited.