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.

29/12/01

Twitchers' Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 28th December 2001. Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Best new bird of the week reported was a little swift at the Wimpey Pits, closely followed by a Finsch's wheatear, at the Al Wathba Camel Track, although the little bunting, sociable plover and brown-throated sand martin were still at Al Wathba and the blackbird could still be found, with difficulty, in Abu Dhabi. There appears to have been little movement in or out over the week, a bit of a respite from the last hectic few weeks. Our last Bird of the Week for the year is the little swift, reported by Colin Richardson.
To the reports.

On 22nd December, 3 marsh harriers, 5 black-winged stilts and 3 greenshanks were at Abu Dhabi's Eastern Lagoon.

On 23rd December, the black-shouldered kite re-appeared at Abu Dhabi's Golf & Equestrian Club, while a black-winged stilt and 3 greenshanks were also present. A wryneck was near the Abu Dhabi Hilton, along with at least 2 over-wintering hoopoes and several olivaceous warblers. On the same day, 22 black-necked grebes, 22 greylags, 12 shelduck, 8 wigeon, 3 garganey, 6 gadwall, 170 pochard, 2 ferruginous ducks, 6 marsh harriers, a spotted eagle, 82 common snipe, 5 wood sandpipers, 17 black-tailed godwits, 4 avocets, 16 white-tailed plovers, 17 whiskered terns, 6 white-winged terns, a little swift, 4 citrine wagtails, a red-tailed wheatear, a steppe grey shrike and 6 bank mynahs were at Wimpey Pits.

On 25th December, Christmas birds at the Emirates Hills golf course included 5 cream-coloured coursers, 46 Pacific golden plovers, 47 skylarks and 7 isabelline wheatears. The only other reports for the day were a few scattered sightings of turkeys.

On 26th December, a visit to the Emirates Golf Course found 2 gadwall, 6 shoveler, 51 common snipe, 4 pintail snipe, 2 marsh sandpipers and 3 bluethroats. A juvenile honey buzzard was over Mushrif Palace Gardens, where a citrine wagtail and 2 grey wagtails were also present. A short-eared owl was seen perched on the perimeter fence of the Ra's al Khaimah International airport, also on 26th December, but that was the only news from there. Hasn't anyone been eagling up that way near Dhayah and Rams lately? 2 Blyth's pipits were found at the Al Wathba Camel track, where there seems to be little movement.

3 curlew, 4 common sandpipers, 3 song thrushes and the blackbird were at Abu Dhabi's Intercontinental Hotel on 27th December, with a grey wagtail, a song thrush, 6 chiffchaffs and a masked shrike at Mushrif Palace Gardens. A night heron was feeding in the dry woodland by Mushrif Palace Gardens, close to the favourite patch of the red-breasted flycatcher (also still present). As it's of the sub-species albicilla, should we be calling it a red-throated flycatcher? A striated scops owl was found at roost in the remnant of Bateen Gardens the same day. At least three masked shrikes are still in the city, while there seems to be rather more isabelline shrikes about than is usual this late in the year.

At the Al Wathba Camel track were a white stork, 3 pallid harriers (1m), a marsh harrier, 36 Pacific golden plovers, 8 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, a swallow, a meadow pipit, 3 red-throated pipits, a yellow wagtail, 35 skylarks, 65 lesser short-toed larks, 2 short-toed larks, 4 bluethroats, 6 desert wheatears, 2 isabelline wheatears, 7 rose-coloured starlings and 8 corn buntings. 33 black-necked grebe, 17 shelduck, 4 wigeon, 34 tufted duck, 24 black-tailed godwits, 72 common snipe, 1 great-black-headed gull, 350 pallid swifts a long-billed pipit and a red-tailed wheatear were at Wimpey Pits.

At the Dubai pivot fields on 27th December were 63 cattle egrets, a Western reef heron, 2 purple herons, a greater flamingo, 8 white-fronted geese, 27 greylag geese, an Egyptian goose, 19 mallard, 1 marsh harrier, 80 ruff, 23 black-tailed godwits, 2 black-crowned finch larks, 4 short-toed larks, 3 lesser short-toed larks, 16 skylarks, 4 sand martins, 17 barn swallows, 15 tawny pipits, 178 red-throated pipits, 7 water pipits, 4 yellow wagtails, 3 citrine wagtails, 57 white wagtails, 2 bluethroats, 2 stonechats subsp., a "rubicola" stonechat, 1 desert wheatear and 20 common starlings.

On 28th December, the little bunting was showing extremely well at the Al Wathba Camel Track, where other good birds seen during a brief visit included the sociable plover, a confiding male Namaqua dove, a brown-throated martin, and one Finsch's wheatear. Others present included a marsh harrier, a Montagu's harrier, a pallid harrier, a hen harrier, 130 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, 55 short-toed larks,35 pallid swifts, 2 swallows, 3 bluethroats, 2 Richard's pipits, 11 tawny pipits, 1 water pipit, 10 red throated pipits, 6 yellow wagtails, 10 cracking bimaculated larks, 3 Siberian stonechats, a male Menetries' warbler, 3 isabelline and 11 desert wheatears, 2 isabelline and 1 steppe grey shrike, 22 starlings , a corn bunting, 2 red-wattled plovers, 2 Kentish plovers. Oh yes - and a greater cormorant sitting in the field, a long way from any fish. The flock of 50+ shelduck was still at the Al Wathba Lake.

Also on 28th December, 13 Socotra cormorants, 2 Arctic skuas, 3 skuas sp, 1 sooty gull, 1 great black-headed gull, 300+ black-headed gulls, 20+ large white-headed gulls, 1 Caspian tern and c.8 Sandwich terns were off Jumeirah Beach. 4 night herons, 1 grey heron, 30 mallard, 1 garganey, 1 tufted duck, 5 black-tailed godwits, 6 curlew, 2 greenshank, 160+ black-headed gulls, 1 Caspian gull, 3 pallid swift, 9 hoopoes, 1 water pipit, 1 citrine wagtail,a1 grey wagtail, 29 white wagtails, 8 song thrushes, 7 chiffchaffs, 3 isabelline shrikes, a masked shrike and a common starling were in Safa Park.

At the Qurrayah pools were 7 little egrets, a glossy ibis, 10+ moorhen and 2+ snipe, as well as the usual 400+ black-winged stilts. This week's oddest observation concerns a peregrine watched flying about after dark in Abu Dhabi, also on 28th December. Whether it was disturbed from its high-rise roost, or actually on the look out for prey by the light of the streetlights is unknown. It may, of course, have been a falconer's bird making its escape after dark. A red-wattled plover was heard and seen overlying Mushrif Palace Gardens at 2210, a species seen only once or twice a year in the capital.

Best reports from our neighbours in Oman were 3 long-toed stints at Khor al Milh on 23rd December while on 28th December, a pin-tailed sandgrouse (1st record for Oman, if accepted), was at Sohar's Sun Farms. An imperial eagle was also present (yet to be reported from the Emirates this winter).

Finally, a Happy New Year to you all from the Twitchers' Guide editors.

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22/12/01

Twitchers' Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 21st December 2001. Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Top feature of the week has been the delightful decision by a number of local rarities to make an extended stop-over in the UAE (and who can blame them?), with Wimpey Pits, Al Wathba Camel Track and Abu Dhabi island all holding excellent birds. The pectoral sandpiper and little pratincole continued to please at Wimpey Pits, being joined, briefly, by a white-breasted waterhen, while other long-staying birds were the blackbird in Abu Dhabi and the sociable plover and the little bunting at the Al Wathba Camel Track, where a brown-throated martin put in an appearance as well as a pale martin. Great knot were found in Khor al-Beidah. A difficult choice, then, for Bird of the Week, with Dave Diskin's white-breasted waterhen being narrowly pipped at the post by Simon Aspinall's pale martin, despite the fact that his co-editor has seen a pale martin, but not a waterhen.
To the reports.

As previewed last week, on 15th December the pectoral sandpiper was still at the Wimpey Pits, with a white-breasted waterhen also making an appearance. Also present were 19 black-necked grebe, 1 glossy ibis, 29 greylag geese, 12 shelduck, 3 wigeon, 13 gadwall, 13 garganey, 218 pochard, 22 tufted ducks, 120 shoveler, 4 marsh harriers, 2 ospreys, 2 avocets, 23 white-tailed plovers, 89 common snipe, 2 pintail snipes, 240 little stint, 34 curlew sandpipers, 290 ruff, 9 marsh sandpipers, c.15 white-winged tern, 8 whiskered tern, 90 pallid swifts, 4 sand martins, 11 citrine wagtails, 2 desert warblers, a bluethroat, 3 chiffchaffs and 2 brown-necked ravens were at Wimpey Pits on 15th December. 47 cattle egrets, 2 purple heron, 1 Egyptian goose, 4 white-fronted geese. 16 Temminck's stint, 10 black-crowned finch larks, 6 short-toed larks, 98 red-throated pipits, a long-billed pipit and a citrine wagtail were in the adjacent pivot fields.

On 16th December, a visit to the Dubai pivot fields found 24 cattle egrets, 2 purple herons, 26 greylag geese, an Egyptian goose, a black-tailed godwit, 7 curlew, 2 marsh harriers, a Montagu's harrier, a black-crowned finch lark, 12 skylarks, 17 tawny pipits, 14 red-throated pipits, 5 water pipits, 2 yellow wagtails, 22 starlings, lots of white wagtails and 2 swallows.
At the Wimpey Pits were 60+ little grebe, 16 black-necked grebe, 24 teal, 150+ pochard, > 30 mallard, a garganey, >34 pintail, 4 tufted ducks, 70+shoveler, 5 teal, 8 shelduck, 2 gadwall, a ferruginous duck, 2 spotted redshanks, 4 marsh sandpipers, 2 wood sandpipers, 3 green sandpipers, 12 Kentish plovers, 2 coot, 14 white-winged black terns, 2 whiskered terns, 2 marsh harriers, a sand martin, 3 swallows, a glossy ibis, 9 lapwings, huge numbers of black-winged stilts, 6 white tailed plovers and a citrine wagtail, along with lots of white wagtails, little stints and Temminck's stints. No sign of the pectoral sandpiper, white-breasted waterhen or little pratincole, though.

Also on 16th December, a visit to the Fujairah National Dairy Farm at Dibba found an Indian Pond Heron plus 1 other ardeola sp., 7 cattle egrets, 5 little egrets, 8 white storks, a gadwall, a sparrowhawk, a spotted eagle, 44 red-wattled plovers, a lapwing, 46 Indian rollers, 13 skylarks, 10 tawny pipits, 2 red-throated pipits, 2 yellow wagtails, 2 citrine wagtails, 50 white wagtails, 5 bluethroats, a clamorous reed warbler, 3 isabelline shrikes, 6 starlings and 85 Indian silverbills. 3 little grebes, a grey heron, 160 teal, 4 mallard, 16 pochard, a ferruginous duck, 4 tufted duck, a moorhen, 7 coot, 1 sand partridge, 2 desert larks, a pale crag martin, a grey wagtail, 4+ yellow-vented bulbuls, 2 black redstarts, a red-tailed wheatear, a Hume's wheatear, a blue rock thrush, 3 song thrushes, a Menetries' warbler singing, a Southern grey shrike, 4 Indian silverbills and 15 house buntings were in the area of the Wadi Shih reservoir.

Also on 16th December, a black-necked grebe, an adult great black-headed gull and 700 black-headed gulls were at the Qurayyah pools. In Abu Dhabi, the blackbird was still present near the Intercontinental Hotel, as was a later than late red-backed shrike, while 2 white-fronted geese and a greylag were at the Abu Dhabi Golf and Equestrian Club, where they grazed happily all week. 6+ meadow pipits were also there. In the early morning, 11 skylarks came in off the sea over the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

On 17th December, a scout around the northern emirates found 20 Socotra cormorants and 2 great black-headed gulls at Umm al-Qaiwain beach, 2 marsh harriers, a lapwing and 4 water pipits (including one with pale legs, that prompted initial thoughts of a buff-bellied) at the UAQ rubbish dump, 13 crab plovers and 40 lesser sand plovers at Dreamland Beach, along with found 3 greylag geese and a white-fronted goose. 2 pallid harriers, 22 hoopoe, 36 skylark, 55 bank mynahs and 30 corn buntings in the Hamraniyah fields, and an interestingly large wader count at Khor al-Beidah, around 5 km. north of the usual site, including 220 Kentish plovers, 240 little stint, 650 dunlin, 479 bar-tailed godwits and 64 greenshank. At the usual Khor al-Beidah site were 95 crab plover, 1 (European) golden plover, 3 great knot, 203 bar-tailed godwits and 57 lesser crested terns.

At the Al Ain Camel Track (a mere shadow of its former self) also on 17th December were 50+ yellow-vented and white-cheeked bulbuls, 6 crested larks, a harrier sp., 2 Indian rollers, 12 ring-necked parakeets, a Southern grey shrike, 15 red-wattled plovers and 2 great reed warblers (?). A minimum of 4 pintail snipe at Abu Dhabi's Eastern Lagoon was a goodly number for this species away from the Emirates Golf Course at Jebel Ali, while a juvenile hobby was elsewhere over the capital. 1-2 desert eagle owls were heard calling at Qarn Nazwa, where 15 black-crowned finch-larks, a red-tailed wheatear, a male Eastern pied wheatear and a plain leaf warbler were also seen.

On 18th December, the little pratincole and the pectoral sandpiper reappeared at the Wimpey Pits, (no waterhen, though), along with 15 white-tailed plovers, 2 wood sandpipers and 2 green sandpipers, while white-fronted geese numbers had increased to 8 at the pivot fields, accompanied by an Egyptian goose. No nightjars were seen, however. The little bunting and the sociable plover were still at the Al Wathba Camel track, along with a cattle egret, a white stork, 2 marsh harriers, a hen harrier, a pallid harrier, a collared pratincole, 80 Pacific golden plovers, 3 Temminck's stints and 10+ bluethroats. One that got away was a bleached bunting, essentially an ortolan with a rusty rump which dropped in for a quick drink and left before protracted views could turn it into a Cretzschmar's. Around 50 shelduck were at the Al Wathba Lake. 2 white-tailed plovers, a greenshank, a green sandpiper, a curlew, several common sandpipers, "a few more" black-winged stilts and red-wattled plovers were at the Emirates Golf Course, with, our correspondent notes: "very little else! possibly due to the fact that the former marsh at the back has virtually disappeared under a newly prepared fairway and because of the large number of Indian house crows (100+), which are killing lots of passerines. My friend who works there says "I regularly pick up 5-10 dead small birds each day."
Time to get the guns out?

30+ red-wattled plovers appear to have taken up residence on the field next to the palace of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid in Dubai, being seen there on the 19th December (and 20th).

On 20th December, a visit to the Emirates Hills golf course found 18 black-necked grebes, 3 white-fronted geese, 19 Pacific golden plovers, 24 ruff, 82 skylark, 1 citrine wagtail, 8 tawny pipits and 4 isabelline wheatears, with 127 great cormorants, 12 great white egrets, 7 night herons, 2 purple herons, 5 little egrets and 3 marsh harriers at the Zabeel fish ponds.

On 21st December, Dubai's pivot fields held 42 cattle egrets, a little egret, 2 purple herons, 4 white-fronted geese, 7 greylag geese, an Egyptian goose, 10 Temminck's stints, 16 black-tailed godwits, 4 curlew, 3 white-winged black terns, 5 hoopoes, 3 black-crowned finch larks, 8 short-toed larks, 27 skylarks, 18 tawny pipits, 104 red-throated pipits, 26 water pipits, 6 "beema" wagtails, a citrine wagtail, 52 white wagtails, an isabelline wheatear, a desert wheatear and a corn bunting. 6 Egyptian vultures and 3 Hume's wheatears were on Jebel Hafit. A brown-throated martin appeared at the Al Wathba Camel track, while the sociable plover and little bunting were also present although the odd ‘bleached bunting' from earlier in the week was nowhere to be found. The season's first pale martin also appeared, but not before lunchtime. For those on the lookout for this useful addition to their local list, one o'clock onwards seems to be the time when the hirundines appear. 58 shelduck were at the Al Wathba Lake. A few years ago, you might have been lucky to see a single shelduck in a winter. Although this is a good winter generally for waterfowl (e.g. geese) and thrushes, the creation of wetlands such as the Al Wathba Lake is showing us what might ordinarily be passing through without stopping.

Finally, and also on 21st December,12 skylarks, 14 water pipits, 2 red-throated pipits, 7 tawny pipits, 4 meadow pipits, 3 stonechats, 3 isabelline shrikes and a steppe grey shrike were in Al Habab fields, while a shelduck, 2 avocets, 149 Pacific golden plovers and a kingfisher were at Khor Dubai. 12 shelduck, 178 pochard, 3 marsh harriers, 5 coot, 1 avocet, the little pratincole and the pectoral sandpiper were at Wimpey Pits. The waterhen appears to have gone, or to be typically elusive. From our neighbours in Oman, recent reports include a long-billed dowitcher and a long-tailed shrike at Qurm Park between 16th-18th December and 8+ Eversmann's redstarts on 19th December on the Sayh Plateau in Musandam, clearly a small wintering population, along with a meadow pipit, (6th Oman record if accepted, though common enough in the UAE - see above), A striated scops owl was calling strongly at night in the Jebel Rawdah bowl on 19th/20th December.

And a Happy Christmas to all our readers!

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17/12/01

Twitchers' Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 14th December 2001. Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Another batch of good records from around the country this week. Best new birds reported were Dubai's white-eyed buzzard, putting in an appearance after a long absence, a long-eared owl on Das and a forest wagtail and a blackbird in Abu Dhabi. The Wimpey Pits pectoral sandpiper and little pratincole frustrated observers during the week, but the pec. sand. re-appeared on 15th December (into the new week) along with a white-breasted waterhen. Long-staying goodies included the Abu Dhabi goldfinch and the sociable plover and the little bunting at the Al Wathba Camel Track.

Forest wagtails, rare elsewhere in the Western Palaearctic (and Arabia) are almost annual in Abu Dhabi, and the white-eyed buzzard, though appearing only occasionally, has been well-twitched already, so we'll opt for the long-eared owl, found by Rob Western, as Bird of the Week. A rare report from Das Island to begin the week. The birds are still passing through - it's only the birders who are few and far between. Throughout December, 3 Indian house crows have been present on Das, mostly in the burn area at the north end of the island, (presumably the same three which have been recorded intermittently throughout 2001 so they may be resident). Up to 50 white wagtails are present at any one time, and occasional pairs or threes of grey wagtails, along with the odd kestrel or peregrine. The usual flocks of up to 30 Indian silverbills have vanished, presumably having migrated somewhere.

On 10th December, a sunset flock of up to 25 large raptors was circling slowly over Das and drifting south towards Zirku/mainland - unidentifiable but possible eagles. Cormorants in ones or twos only. Occasional grey herons have been recorded in flocks of up to 5, while 3 greylag geese arrived in late November, around the time they were recorded on the mainland. The geese were last seen on 10th December, within 20 metres of a group of island (human) residents playing petanque. And, finally, on 13th December, a long-eared owl "in brilliant condition" made a brief appearance.
To the daily reports.

A forest wagtail overflew one lucky observer calling loudly, the wagtail that is, at Mushrif Palace Gardens on 8th December. Unfortunately it went straight over the wall into a Ladies/children only park (to join the, also hidden, singing goldfinch). The wagtail hasn't been seen or heard since, at least not yet, but must be lurking somewhere in the capital still. The red-breasted flycatcher was also at Mushrif Palace Gardens, until at least 13th December.

A slightly odd shrike first seen on 11th November near Abu Dhabi's Hotel Intercontinental was found in exactly the same place again on the 9th December (not having been seen in between times), and although having the appearance of a red-backed shrike could be a collurio x isabelline hybrid. On 10th December, an isabelline shrike, 2 song thrushes, 2 citrine wagtails and 2 flava wagtails were in Abu Dhabi's Mushrif Palace Gardens, while 42 cattle egrets, 26 mallard, a sparrowhawk, 3 grey plovers, 2 bar-tailed godwits, 35 redshank and a green shank were at the Eastern Lagoon. After leading observers a merry dance the previous Friday, the little bunting (an adult for a change) showed extremely well at the Al Wathba camel track, also on Monday 10th December. An adult sociable plover, and immature male hen harrier and the long-staying late collared pratincole were other highlights there.

Pallid swifts arrived in good numbers in Abu Dhabi on 11th December, with 20+ above the British Embassy garden at dusk, and several more in the gardens near Spinney's, where 2 hoopoes, an isabelline shrike and a grey wagtail were also seen. While the odd shrike at Abu Dhabi's Intercontinental was being looked for again, a cock blackbird put in an appearance, tossing leaves and waiting around long enough to be twitched, while a song thrush was nearby. At the Sharjah University dump were 2 Egyptian geese, 3600 black-headed gulls and 210 Caspian/steppe gulls.

On 12th December, a gathering of birders at the Wimpey Pits failed to find the pectoral sandpiper or the little pratincole, although a count of 35+ white-winged black terns was a probable UAE record. C. 250 greater flamingos were also present, along with 4 glossy ibises, 3 coot, 3+ white-tailed plovers and the usual hundreds of ducks, mainly shoveler and pochard. A quick look for waterfowl along Abu Dhabi's Western Lagoon, also on 12th December, found a pair of Egyptian geese, 2 tufted ducks, 4 teal, 4 pintail and 20+ mallard.

On 13th December, a daytime visit to Dubai's Safa Park found 2 black-necked grebes, 7 night herons, 1 wigeon, 33 mallard, 1 tufted duck, 1 marsh harrier, 1 kestrel, 7 curlew, 250 black-headed gulls, 1 water pipit, 2 citrine wagtails, 1 grey wagtail, 33 white wagtails, 10 song thrushes, 4 chiffchaffs, 2 isabelline shrikes and a masked shrike. 3 song thrushes, the red-breasted flycatcher and 2 masked shrikes were in Mushrif Palace Gardens. 58 cattle egrets, 1 little egret, 1 great white egret, 1 purple heron, 4 white-fronted geese, 30 greylag geese, 1 Egyptian goose, 1 pallid harrier, 1 little stint, 20 Temminck's stints, 83 ruff, 2 snipe, 32 black-tailed godwits, 10 whiskered terns, 7 white-winged black terns, 5 pallid swifts, 4 black-crowned finch larks, 3 short-toed larks, 56 skylarks, 3 sand martins, 70 swallows, 1 Blyth's pipit, 8 tawny pipits, 1 tree pipit, 38 red-throated pipits, 4 water pipits, 15 beema yellow wagtails, 53 white wagtails, 1 citrine wagtail, 1 "rubicola" stonechat, 1 desert wheatear, 1 isabelline shrike, 22 starlings and a rose-coloured starling were in the Dubai pivot fields.

At the Al Wathba Camel track were a cattle egret, a marsh harrier, a pallid harrier, 75 Pacific golden plovers, the sociable plover, 10 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, a turtle dove, 35 short-toed larks, 6 swallows, 2 Richard's pipits, 17 tawny pipits, 2 water pipits, 6 yellow wagtails, 2 stonechats (one of "armenica" race), 6 isabelline and 11 desert wheatears, 3 isabelline,. 1 Southern and 1 steppe grey shrike, 20 starlings, 4 rose-coloured starlings and 3 corn buntings, with 4 red-wattled plovers, 9 Kentish plovers and a short-eared owl making appearances after dark).

A brief look in at the Emirates Golf Course on the afternoon of the 13th December found the white-eyed buzzard living dangerously mostly on the ground on the driving range, plus a water rail, 5 white-tailed plovers, 14 black-tailed godwits, 5 gadwall and a solitary black-necked grebe. On 14th December, 25 greater flamingos were at the Qurrayah lagoon, with a black-necked grebe, 2 little egrets and 400+ black-winged stilts at the nearby pools. Also on 14th December, the first confirmed brown-throated martin of the season appeared at the Al Wathba Camel Track, along with a booted eagle, a hen harrier, the sociable plover and 20+ bimaculated larks. 63 cattle egrets were on the Eastern Lagoon and 6 night herons were at Maqta bridge, not on the Fort as they would once have been, but in tall trees nearby.

The Ghantut/Al Jazira hotel plantations were checked for roosting hypocolius on 14th December but drew a blank. A few song thrushes, one plain leaf warbler, 4 Menetries' warblers and 3 desert lesser whitethroat were some, small, consolation.
On 14th December, 17 Egyptian vultures, a hooded wheatear and 4 Hume's wheatears were at Jebel Hafit with a grey heron, a marsh harrier a greenshank, a green sandpiper and 20 water pipits at Ain al-Faida, along with a bunting sp., seen briefly and lost.

Advance news for next week's Guide: on 15th December, the pectoral sandpiper re-appeared at the Wimpey Pits, where a white-breasted waterhen was also seen.
From Oman, key records over the last week include 2 common gulls at Khasab, in Musandam and 4 Eversmann's redstarts on the Sayh plateau, also in Musandam, both on 10th December, a stone curlew still at Seeb airbase on 11th December and a long-billed dowitcher at Qurm, also on the 11th. More locally, at "Hanging Gardens," in Oman and near Al Ain, a short-toed eagle put in an appearance on 14th December, with many desert larks, 17 red-tailed wheatears, 2 Hume's wheatears, 2 desert warblers, a desert lesser whitethroat and 2 plain leaf warblers also being seen.

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10/12/01

Twitchers' Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 7th December 2001 Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

As noted in the last Twitchers' Guide, this week got off to a flying start with a pectoral sandpiper (2nd record, if accepted) at the Wimpey Pits, where it stayed all week. Another good new find by Dubai duo Paul Bourdin and Dave Diskin, also at Wimpey Pits, was a little pratincole 9th record, if accepted), although it seems not to have lingered beyond the 6th. A ruddy shelduck was also found there, while a little bunting (3rd of the autumn) and a trumpeter finch were at the Al Wathba Camel track. Good birds still lingering include the sociable plover at the Al Wathba Camel Track and the goldfinch in Abu Dhabi, while a pair of desert eagle owls put on a special show near Nahil.

Bird of the Week? The pectoral sandpiper, with honourable mentions for the little pratincole and the trumpeter finch - much sought after by many!. To the records. - another good week for UAE birding.

On 1st December, a visit to the Dubai pivot fields found 44 cattle egrets, a Western reef heron, 2 little egrets, a great white egret, a grey heron, 2 purple herons, 28 greylag geese, 11 Temminck's stints, 19 black-tailed godwits, 7 curlew, a common snipe, 18 white-winged black terns, 2 black-crowned finch larks, 35 skylarks, 29 tawny pipits, 39 red-throated pipits, 3 water pipits, 11 yellow wagtails, 45 white wagtails, 1 bluethroat, a isabelline wheatear, a desert wheatear, a steppe grey shrike, a starling and 2 scaly-breasted munias. At the adjacent Wimpey Pits were 170 pochard, 4 ferruginous ducks, the pectoral sandpiper and 16+ curlew sandpipers.

A return visit to the Wimpey Pits on 2nd December found a ruddy shelduck, 6 shelduck, 6 avocets, a little ringed plover, the pectoral sandpiper, 4 spotted redshanks, 4 marsh sandpipers and 22 swallows. 5 starlings and an Indian pond heron were seen in a ditch near Fujairah Port, although there was no sign of the cotton teal at the Qurayyah pools. Near Fili, on the west side of the mountains, was a female Eastern pied wheatear, with 2 cream-coloured coursers and a brown-necked raven being seen later in the day near Nahil, on the Sweihan road.

Also on 2nd December, the UAE's 30th National Day holidays permitted a visit to the Al Wathba Camel track, where birds seen 25 white storks, 2 marsh harriers, a Montagu's harrier, a spotted eagle, 25 kestrels, a collared pratincole, a sociable plover, 3 curlew, 6 quail, 220 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, a hoopoe, a bimaculated lark, 18 short-toed larks, 12 lesser short-toed larks, 16 skylarks, a sand martin, 6 swallows, a Richard's pipit, 40 tawny pipits, 10 red-throated pipits, 25 water pipits, 20 yellow wagtails, 2 stonechats, 14 isabelline wheatears, 17 desert wheatears, 8 song thrushes, 10 bluethroats, 4 isabelline shrike, 2 Southern grey shrike, 4 rose-coloured starlings and a trumpeter finch.

On 3rd December, the holiday season permitted another mid-week visit to the Al Wathba Camel Track, where birds present included 24 white storks, a marsh harrier, a pallid harrier, a Montagu's harrier, 5 Pacific golden plover, a red-wattled plover, a sociable plover, 36 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, 15+ black-crowned finchlarks a bimaculated lark, 70 short-toed larks, 9 lesser short-toed larks, 24 swallows - one with deep red underparts, a tree pipit, a bluethroat, a stonechat subsp, 9 isabelline wheatears, 11 desert wheatears, a song thrush, 6 isabelline shrikes, 4 rose-coloured starlings and 3 corn buntings. The goldfinch was singing from its usual perch at Mushrif Palace Gardens, with a blackcap, 2 masked shrikes and 4 song thrushes nearby. 6 shelduck, a little pratincole, 10 lapwings and the pectoral sandpiper were at the Wimpey Pits on the same day.

Another holiday visit on 3rd December, to Khor al-Beidah, found 160 Socotra cormorants, 6 great cormorants, a grey heron, a little egret, 81 oystercatchers, a spotted eagle, 6 black winged stilts, 170 crab plovers, 285 bar tailed godwits, plus good numbers of ringed, Kentish, lesser sand, greater sand and grey plovers, curlew sandpiper, dunlin, Terek sandpiper and turnstone. 18 gull-billed terns were also present. At the Dubai pivot fields, also on 3rd December, were a little egret, a great white egret, a purple heron, 3 white fronted geese, a meadow pipit and 10 starlings. Highlights from the Wimpey Pits included 8 shelduck, 2 gadwall, 4 ferruginous duck, 8 avocets, the little pratincole, 8 white tailed plovers, 10 northern lapwings, the pectoral sandpiper, a spotted redshank and 8 black-tailed godwits.

On 5th December, a juvenile Bonelli's eagle was being harassed by a female pallid harrier at the Dubai pivot fields, while the little pratincole was still at the Wimpey Pits.

On 6th December, the little pratincole was still at Wimpey Pits along with 2 spotted redshanks, while the Sharjah University dump held 1800 black-headed gulls and 1200 Caspian/steppe gulls, of which the majority appeared to be Caspian. 2 hoopoes and 2 citrine wagtails were in Mushrif Palace Gardens while at the Golf and Equestrian club were 2 white fronted geese, 1 greylag goose (a new bird- not the Health and Fitness Club resident ) a stonechat and a skylark. A pair of desert eagle owls was disturbed in the desert south of Nahil, with a long-legged buzzard being noted just west of Qarn bint Saud, north of Al Ain.

A 7th December visit to Safa Park found 2 black-necked grebes, 2 night herons, 1 cattle egret, 1 dead gadwall, 3 teal, 26 mallard, 1 garganey, 1 pintail, 1 tufted duck, 2 marsh harriers, 20 black-headed gulls, 16 pallid swifts, 2 citrine wagtails, 23 white wagtails, 3 chiffchaffs, 5 isabelline shrikes and a masked shrike.

The pectoral sandpiper was still at the Wimpey Pits, along with 100+ greater flamingos, 2 little egrets, 2 marsh harriers, 16 white-tailed plovers, 7 black-tailed godwits, a spotted redshank, 10 Kentish plovers 2 greenshanks, 2 wood sandpipers, 3 green sandpipers, 2 marsh sandpiper, 20 ruff, 2 common snipe, 3 marsh sandpipers, red-wattled plovers, many black-winged stilts, redshanks, little stints, Temminck's stints, common sandpipers, 4 avocets, 6 lapwings, 2 water pipits, 6 black-necked grebe, 40+ little grebe, 50+shoveler, at least 70 pochard, 36 mallard, 5 shelduck, 24 pintail, 2 garganey, 6 tufted ducks 4 gadwall, a ferruginous duck, 2 coot, 16 white-winged black terns, 2 whiskered terns, an isabelline shrike, a chiffchaff, lots of swallows and both house and sand martins, pallid swifts, a citrine wagtail and a singing clamorous reed warbler.

At the Dubai pivot fields, also on 7th December, were 4 glossy ibis, a great white egret, 42 cattle egrets, 2 grey herons, a purple heron, a pintail, a hen harrier, 2 marsh harriers (1 male) , 7 snipe, 2 wood sandpipers, 3 green sandpipers, 7 common snipe, 4 greylags, 11 curlew, at least 3 short-toed larks and 4 tawny pipits, 2 red-throated pipits, 2 meadow pipits, 3 skylarks, 4 song thrushes, 11 starlings, a plethora of white wagtails, a grey wagtail and 2 citrine wagtails.

The Al Wathba Camel Track produced a little bunting on 7th December, as well as 24 white storks, a long-legged buzzard, 2 pallid harriers, c50 Pacific golden plovers, c200 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse and large numbers of all the commoner larks and pipits, although no Oriental skylarks or Blyth's pipits were noted. The little bunting was reluctant to show well and the first real influx of hirundines stayed frustratingly out of range to be able to conclude the presence of a suspected brown-throated martin. We'll try again next week........

In Oman, recent highlights included a long-tailed shrike in Qurm Park on 6th December and, all on the 7th December, 150+ Egyptian vultures, 10 lappet-faced vultures, 8 spotted eagles, 100 steppe eagles and 2 imperial eagles at Sunub dump, an immature rufous turtle dove at Lansab lagoons and the long-staying long-billed diwitcher and 4 (!) sociable plovers at Sohar's Sun Farms.

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Emirates Bird Records Committee

Readers of Twitchers' Guide may like to know that the Emirates Bird Records Committee has just chosen a new set of officers, with the Committee also being expanded with the co-option of Paul Bourdin and David Diskin. The new Chairman is Simon Aspinall, while David Diskin takes over from Colin Richardson as Secretary. Other members are Stephen James, Peter Hellyer and John Bannon (non-resident). Twitchers' Guide continues to appear with the blessing of the EBRC, although it is appropriate to point out, yet again, that sightings reported in Twitchers' Guide are unverified and not assessed. Appearance of a sighting in Twitchers' Guide should not be interpreted as confirmation of the sighting, or of its inclusion in the national database.

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Contributors of records to Twitchers' Guide are reminded that their records should be copied to the EBRC Secretary, David Diskin (e-mail: dadiskin@emirates.net.ae) for inclusion in the national records, and to
Colin Richardson, compiler of the UAE Monthly Record, at colinr@emirates.net.ae

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For birding information on Dubai and the Northern Emirates, please contact Colin Richardson. Telephone: Dubai (9714)-3472277, Fax: 3472276. P.O.Box 50394, Dubai, UAE, e-mail: colinr@emirates.net.ae