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

Monthly report page on what's happening among the United Arab Emirates' bird-life.

01/05/02

Twitchers’ Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 26th April 2002. Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Some good new birds to report again this week, with an eastern reed-footed falcon being seen near Abu Dhabi and a great snipe at the Wimpey Pits. Also at the Pits was a purple gallinule, while a Savi’s warbler was at the Emirates Golf Course. Al Wathba Camel track produced a Namaqua dove with a shikra at Safa Park. No reports from the East Coast though. Breeding is now well under way, with black-winged stilts, little ringed plovers, white-tailed plovers, reed warblers and masked weavers among species busily engaged at the Wimpey Pits and olivaceous warblers in Abu Dhabi. We’ll pick the Eastern red-footed falcon, spotted by Steve James, as the Bird of the Week.

To the records.

On 20th April, a visit to Al Mamzar Park found 40 pallid swifts, 9 hoopoes, 3 tree pipits, 8 red-throated pipits, a rufous bush chat, a nightingale, 10 redstarts, a rock thrush, 2 isabelline shrikes, a masked shrike, a rose-coloured starling and 2 black-headed buntings. In Safa Park were 4 juvenile night herons (noticeably weak fliers and perhaps locally raised?), a shikra, a hoopoe (at nest), 5 pied mynahs and 3 ortolans. On 22nd April, 16 cattle egrets, 3 little egrets, 6 pintail, 2 garganey, 2 shoveler, 3 pochard, a purple gallinule (at dusk), a black-tailed godwit, a red-necked phalarope, 4 sand martins and 20 swallows were at the Wimpey Pits.

On 23rd April, 3 redstarts, a whitethroat, a spotted flycatcher, a golden oriole (first of spring) and an isabelline shrike were at the Emirates Golf Course.

On 24th April, 5+ pairs of Saunder’s little terns were breeding on Futaisi island, west of Abu Dhabi, with 100 or so pairs of bridled terns nearby, just beginning to lay. A European nightjar was also on Futaisi. An Upcher’s warbler and 3 red-whiskered bulbuls were in Mushrif Palace Gardens.

16 black-winged stilts, 2 little ringed plovers, 3 Kentish plovers, 6 red-wattled plovers, 26 little stints, a Temminck’s stint, 5 greenshank, a wood sandpiper, 7 turnstones, a whinchat and an ortolan were at the Umm al-Qaiwain dump.

On 25th April, a visit to the Al Wathba Camel Track found a kestrel, 2 collared pratincoles, 12 Pacific golden plovers, a wood sandpiper, a male Namaqua dove, a barn owl, 2 European nightjars, 2 short-toed larks, 3 isabelline and a Northern wheatear and 2 isabelline shrikes. 5 tree pipits, 6 red-whiskered bulbuls, a redstart, 8 olivaceous warblers (in song), a blackcap, a whinchat a spotted flycatcher, a male red-backed shrike, a masked shrike and an ortolan were in Mushrif Palace Gardens. On 26th April, the Al Wathba Camel track had a pallid and a male Montagu’s harrier, a sparrowhawk, a white-winged black tern in summer plumage, 27 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, 10 black-crowned finch-larks, 4 short-toed larks, 2 hoopoe larks, 15 sand martins and 12 swallows,6 yellow wagtails, 6 whinchats, 20 isabelline and 3 Northern wheatears, a paid of rock thrushes, a lesser whitethroat, 20 isabelline shrikes (not identified to subsp.), a male red-backed shrike, 6 lesser grey shrikes, a woodchat shrike and an ortolan.

Wimpey Pits had a greylag, 8 pintail, 2 mallard, a ferruginous duck, 4 pochard, 3 pairs of little ringed plovers, showing breeding behaviour, at least 14 white-tailed plovers, including a brooding bird, and a small 4-5 day old chick, a great snipe, 3 wood and a green sandpiper and a red-rumped swallow. Black-winged stilts were sitting and masked weavers were nesting in the reedbeds.

47 greater flamingos and 10 grey plovers (in summer plumage) were at Al Jazeerah Khor while 4 greater flamingos, 2 pairs of red-wattled plovers and around 5 grey plovers were by the Dhayah reedbeds. A visit to the Emirates Golf Course found a wigeon, a black-tailed godwit, 8 black-winged stilts, an isabelline wheatear, 2 redstarts, a Savi’s warbler, a willow warbler and a singing reed warbler. An adult Eastern red-footed falcon was seen atop a tree in the central reservation at Shahama, north-east of Abu Dhabi, while a European roller, 2 tree pipits and a lesser grey shrike were in Mushrif Palace Gardens. Reports from Oman suggest that the buntings mentioned last week are still to be found in the Musandam. On 24th April, 8+ ortolans and 2 black-headed buntings were at Sall Ala, with 94 ortolans, a cinereous bunting and a black-headed bunting on the Sayh plateau on 25th April. 3 ortolans and a black-headed bunting were at Sall Ala on 25th April, with 92 ortolans at the Sayh plateau on 26th April.

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24/04/02

Twitchers’ Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 19th April 2002. Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Migration continues in full swing, (though no sign yet of golden orioles and the later warblers, which must surely be appearing soon). Breeding is well under way onshore, and the terns should soon be following suit. Best new birds reported are two white-crowned black wheatears (both earlier in the month, on Das), one, possibly two, purple gallinules and an Indian koel. A rufous tree-pie in Dubai was a surprise. The wheatears were both found by Mike Wood, back for a welcome stint on Das, but since there’s no chance of anyone else seeing this Das speciality, Bird of the Week must be either the gallinules or the koel, both found by Dave Diskin, rising to last week’s challenge. We’ll plump for the gallinules.

First, a recent round-up (much welcomed) from the UAE’s offshore ‘hot-spot,’ Das Island, where the best birds recorded were an adult white-crowned black wheatear on 5th-7th April and another, a black phase, on 9th-10th April.

Other highlights included 2 lesser kestrels on the 4th, a buzzard, a black-tailed godwit and 2 cream-coloured coursers on the 11th, a black-winged stilt (very unusual) on the 11th, 36 turtle doves on the 12th and a white-throated robin on the 15th with the following also being recorded during the first half of the month: grey heron, osprey, kestrel, hobby, quail, whimbrel, common sandpiper, white-cheeked tern, collared dove, palm dove, blue-cheeked bee-eater, European bee-eater, European roller, hoopoe, wryneck, short-toed lark, swallow, yellow, citrine and grey wagtails, rufous bushchat, nightingale,bluethroat, redstart, whinchat, isabelline, desert and pied wheatears, warblers aplenty, including olivaceous, Upcher’s, Menetries’, barred, and blackcap, spotted flycatcher, masked, woodchat and isabelline shrikes, Indian house crow, yellow-throated sparrow, rock thrush, blue rock thrush and ortolan. Apart from the residents, that should give an idea of the spring passage! To the records of the week.

On 13th April, a female Indian koel appeared in Dubai’s Al Mamzar park. Abraded plumage suggests it might be an escape/release - though it did turn up at the same time as some other undoubtedly genuine migrants. Also present were a European scops owl, 9 hoopoes, a tree pipit, 2 red-throated pipits, 3 yellow wagtails, 14 common redstarts, an Upcher’s warbler, a barred warbler, a lesser whitethroat, 6 willow warblers, two isabelline shrikes (1 Daurian, 1 Turkestan), and a masked shrike. Also on 13th April, a visit to Mushrif Palace Gardens in Abu Dhabi found a sparrowhawk, 24 European bee-eaters, 8 tree pipits, 232 red-throated pipits (a site record), 3 Sykes’s, 3 grey-headed and one black-headed yellow wagtails, a nightingale, 6 common redstarts, 4 Upcher’s warblers, 3 little whitethroats, 3 blackcaps, 2 willow warblers, a chiffchaff, 6 isabelline shrikes (not identified to subsp.), a masked shrike and a black-headed bunting.

Another visit to the Al Mamzar Park on 15th April found the Indian koel still present, along with a wryneck, pipit numbers up (4 tree and 9 red-throated), 3 beema and 1 thunbergi yellow wagtails, a nightingale, a white-throated robin, 24 common redstarts, a male Menetries’ warbler, a lesser whitethroat (?desert), a female blackcap, 7 chiffchaffs, 8 willow warblers, 3 isabelline shrikes subsp, a rose-coloured starling, a female yellow-throated sparrow, a male black-headed bunting and, clearly an escape, a rufous tree-pie.

On 16th April, new birds at the Al Mamzar Park included a lutea yellow wagtail, a rufous bushchat, a nightingale, a female white-throated robin (joining the male seen the previous day), 2 barred warblers, 2 masked shrikes, a female cinereous bunting and a male and a female black-headed bunting, bringing numbers of the latter up to 3. Redstart numbers had increased to 25, though chiffchaffs had fallen to 2 and willow warblers to 5.

Also on 16th April, a visit to Dubai’s Creekside Park found 2 cuckoos, 2 European bee-eaters, a red-rumped swallow, 9 hoopoes, a nightingale, 1 tree and 5 red-throated pipits, 3 yellow wagtails (2 thunbergi and 1 feldegg), 14 common redstarts, an olivaceous warbler, at least 2 willow warblers and 30+ chiffchaffs, an ortolan and 2 scaly-breasted munias. On 17th April, a visit to Mushrif Palace Gardens in Abu Dhabi found 2 tree pipits, 2 rufous bushchats, a nightingale, 5 redstarts, an Upcher’s warbler, a chiffchaff, a willow warbler, an isabelline shrike and 2 masked shrike.

On 18th April, 5 turtle doves were flying through the Bida al-Qemzan area in western Abu Dhabi, while white-cheeked bulbuls were seen to have spread successfully deep into the Baynunah plantations. Around 30 greater flamingos have moved into the new sea-water lake at Mussafah, just outside Abu Dhabi.

Another scout around the Al Mamzar Park on 18th April found more evidence of passage, with the following being noted: the Indian koel, 12 hoopoes, 4 tree pipits, 14 red-throated pipits, 1 nightingale, 28 common redstarts, 1 male rock thrush, 1 female Menetries’ warbler, 3+ barred warblers, 1 lesser whitethroat, 1 desert lesser whitethroat, 1 common whitethroat, 1 female blackcap, 2 chiffchaffs, 8 willow warblers, 2 isabelline shrikes subsp, 2 Turkestan shrikes, 2 masked shrikes, 1 female yellow-throated sparrow, and a female black-headed bunting.

In the Dubai pivot fields, also on 18th April, were 5 cattle egrets, 1 greylag goose, 4 little ringed plover, 3 red-wattled plover, 7 white-tailed plover, 5 Temminck’s stints, 10 pallid swifts, 11 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 4 hoopoes, 2 barn swallows, 37 red-throated pipits, a Northern wheatear, 1 Daurian shrike, 3 isabelline shrikes subsp, 1 woodchat shrike, 3 ortolan buntings, a male black-headed bunting and 4 streaked weavers Mushrif Palace Gardens had 3 rufous bushchats, but only 2 redstarts, a clamorous reed warbler, 2 desert lesser whitethroats, an Upcher’s warbler, 6 olivaceous warblers, 2 willow warblers, 2 isabelline shrikes and a masked shrike.

On 19th April, a visit to the Al Wathba Camel track found a Montagu’s harrier, a kestrel, 12 sand martins, 4 swallows, 4 isabelline and 2 Northern wheatears, an isabelline shrike and 3 ortolans. 12 spoonbills and a black swan were at Khor Dubai.

A count at the Wimpey Pits found 48 little grebe, 2 black-necked grebes, 1 great cormorant, 23 cattle egrets at roost, 1 Western reef heron, 5 little egrets, 1 glossy ibis, 189 greater flamingos, 4 wigeon, 44 teal, 17 mallard, 5 pintail, 5 garganey, 5 shoveler, 3 pochard, 2 ferruginous duck, 18 moorhen, 1 (possibly 2) purple gallinule, 3 coot, 173 black-winged stilts, 1 avocet, 7 little ringed plover, 18 ringed plover, 45 Kentish plover, 15 red-wattled plover, 11 white-tailed plover, 210 little stints, 2 Temminck’s stints, 3 curlew sandpipers, 1 dunlin, 35 ruff, 2 common snipe, 3 marsh sandpipers, 4 wood sandpipers, 2 terek sandpipers, 7 common sandpipers, 2 black-headed gulls, 1 slender-billed gull, 2 whiskered terns, 2 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 6 sand martins, 4 barn swallows, 1 isabelline wheatear, 1 reed warbler singing and 2+ streaked weavers. The Dubai pivot fields had around 20 cattle egrets, a purple heron, around 25 red-throated pipits, an isabellinus shrike, 2 Temminck’s stints and a little crake.

Of the reports from our neighbours in Oman, a focus this week on the Musandam, from where some remarkable counts have come in of migrants. The following is only a selection.

On 14th April, 3 cinereous buntings and 106 ortolans were at Sayh, along with 14 white-throated robins. On 15th April, 65 black-headed buntings were at Sall Ala along with 2 white-throated robins, with 8 white-throated robins and 188 redstarts (new record for Oman) at Sayh. On 16th April, 8 black-headed buntings were at Ar Rawdah with 103 ortolans still at Sayh. On 17th April, 115 black-headed buntings and a cinereous bunting were at Bukha, with 5 black-headed and 11 ortolans at Khasab, 11 black-headed at Sall Ala, and 12 black-headed, 79 ortolans and a cinereous at Sayh. On the 18th, 60 ortolans and 2 black-headed were still at Sayh. Buntings have been showing well in the UAE this year, including good numbers of black-headed, but nothing to compare with this!

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16/04/02

Twitchers’ Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 12th April 2002. Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

A stunning batch of records (and a lengthy report) this week, thanks in part to the efforts of two visiting German birders, Friedrich Mueller and Johannes Vermehren, who kindly sent in their records promptly - other visitors: please note! The East Coast produced a sooty shearwater and a brown booby, the sociable plover and cinereous bunting were still at the Al Wathba Camel track, as were a couple of pale martins. A crested honey buzzard appeared in Abu Dhabi while lesser kestrels are passing through, as are white-throated robins, Upcher’s, barred and willow warblers and a variety of other buntings. Spotted flycatchers appeared, as did the first two hobbies of spring. 3 pin-tailed sandgrouse were at the Dubai pivot fields (albeit of dubious origin).

For Bird of the Week, Dave Diskin’s brown booby is an extremely strong candidate, but since he’s secretary of the EBRC and has a chance to win the title almost every week, we’ll plump for the sooty shearwater found by Friedrich Mueller and Johannes Vermehren (who also found a probable female red-headed bunting).

Top honours this week, though to our neighbours in Oman, with a slender-billed curlew (see below).

On 6th April, Dubai’s Al Mamzar Park had a little ringed plover, a European bee-eater, 10 hoopoes, 6 tree pipits, 3 red-throated pipits, 9 yellow wagtails subsp., 5 “beema” yellow wagtails, a “lutea” yellow wagtail, a white-throated robin, 21 common redstarts, an isabelline wheatear, a Northern wheatear, a Menetries’ warbler, 2 lesser whitethroats, 13 chiffchaffs, 2 willow warblers, a Daurian shrike, a Turkestan shrike and 2 yellow-throated sparrows.

A visit to Mushrif Palace Gardens early on 7th April produced a male cuckoo, 4-5 tree pipits, a male redstart, 6 chiffchaffs, 2 Menetries warblers, 4 male blackcaps, 2 whitethroats, a lesser whitethroat of sorts, a clamorous reed warbler, a Sykes’s (beema) wagtail, 2 swallows, the now seemingly resident goldfinch and an unprecedented 39+ willow warblers. Also on 7th April, an afternoon scout around Abu Dhabi’s Khalidiya found a female barred warbler, 7 redstarts, 6+ willow warblers, a female black-eared wheatear, eastern (hafizi) nightingale, 2 Turkestan shrikes, a hoopoe and a male yellow-throated sparrow in song. The same day, a visit to Al Wathba Camel track found a pallid harrier, 6 lesser kestrels, 2 red-wattled plovers, the sociable plover, 60 Pacific golden plovers, 20 pallid swifts, 6 black-crowned finch-larks (displaying), a hoopoe lark, 18 sand martins, 2 pale martins, 41 swallows, (including one of the transitiva race), a grey-headed (thunbergi) wagtail, a lutea wagtail and 2 Sykes’s (beema) wagtails, 3 Richard’s, 3 tawny and 140 red-throated pipits, 2 willow warblers, 2 desert lesser whitethroats, a male barred warbler, 2 Menetries’ warblers, 5 rufous bush-chats, 4 Northern, 6 pied and 12 isabelline wheatears, a Turkestan (phoenicuroides) and 2 Daurian (isabellinus) shrikes, 2 tree pipits, 2 red-whiskered bulbuls, 2 olivaceous warblers (elaeica race), 3 willow warblers, 3 male common redstarts, a Daurian (isabelline shrike) and the masked shrike were in Mushrif Palace Gardens. On the same day, Safa Park held 4 night herons, 4 Western reef herons, a grey heron, the long-staying pair of garganey, a shikra, 3 red-wattled plovers, a greenshank, 5 common sandpipers, 44 black-headed gulls, 17 hoopoes, 12 tree pipits, a white-throated robin, 10 common redstarts, a whinchat, 11 chiffchaffs, a willow warbler, a spotted flycatcher, an isabelline shrike subsp. and 2 ortolan buntings. Mushrif Palace Gardens on 8th April turned up a scops owl, turtle dove and 2+ tree pipits but just 6 or 7 willow warblers. A hobby (first of the spring) was seen.

On the same day, Dubai’s Mushrif Park had a wryneck, 2 tree pipits, 2 common redstarts and a samamisicus redstart, 3 chiffchaffs, a willow warbler, a spotted flycatcher and 4 isabelline shrikes (including at least 2 Daurian and a Turkestan).

On 9th April, up to ten Upcher’s warblers were in Mushrif Palace Gardens. A male rock thrush, an Upcher’s warbler, 2 scrub warblers and a masked shrike were at Masafi, with 2 greater spotted eagles, 2 yellow-throated sparrows, a tree pipit and a willow warbler at Dubai’s Mushrif Park. On 10th April, a ‘baby owl’ picked up at Mussafah, 20 km, from Abu Dhabi, turned out, predictably, to be a migrant scops owl. After two days in captivity (and with an insatiable appetite) it regained its composure and was released apparently none the worse for wear. On 10th April, a little bittern, 2 black-tailed godwits and a marsh sandpiper were at the old Ramtha dump, while a return visit to Safa Park found 2 night herons, a Western reef heron, a little egret, a grey heron, the two garganey, a shikra, a red-wattled plover, a greenshank, 5 common sandpipers,10 black-headed gulls, 14 hoopoes, 7 tree pipits, a common redstart and an isabelline shrike subsp.

On 10th April, a mid-week visit to the Al Wathba Camel track found an adult male pallid harrier, 2 male lesser kestrels, 2 Temminck’s stints, the sociable plover, 48 Pacific golden plovers, 100+ red-throated pipits, 3 tawny, 2 tree and one Richard’s pipit, 2 Turkestan and one Daurian shrike, a hoopoe lark, a short-toed lark, 5+ ortolans and an adult semenowi cinereous bunting. A spotted eagle was between Abu Dhab i Airport and the Mussafah bridge.

In Mushrif Palace Gardens, also on 10th April were a nightingale, 2 willow warblers, an Upcher’s warbler, an olivaceous warbler, 2 redstarts and the masked shrike.

On 11th April, a visit to the Al Wathba Camel track by the German birding duo produced a male pallid and a marsh harrier, Temminck’s stints, a collared pratincole, 2 lesser short-toed larks, 2 hoopoe larks, up to 10 black-crowned finch-larks, 20 Northern wheatears and 2 Turkestan and 2 Daurian shrikes, as well as the cinereous bunting. Dubai pivot fields had 32 cattle egrets (apologies: last week’s count of 130 should have been 30! Typographical error!),a purple heron, 3 glossy ibis, a marsh and a pallid harrier,2 lesser kestrels, 2 white-tailed plover, 6 Temminck’s stints, a ruff, a common sandpiper, a green sandpiper, a wood sandpiper, 3 pin-tailed sandgrouse, 120 pallid swifts, 4 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 2 hoopoes, 40 black-crowned finch larks, a barn swallow, a tawny pipit, 34 red-throated pipits, a whinchat, 3 isabelline wheatears, a pied wheatear, 4 Northern wheatears, a Daurian shrike, a Turkestan shrike, an isabelline shrike subsp. and 2 woodchat shrikes. An examination of the Mushrif Palace Gardens, again on 11th April, produced a dark morph crested honey buzzard, a female sparrowhawk, a hobby, moving north, a brood of grey francolins, up to 16 European bee-eaters, 10 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 30+ common swifts, 2 nightingales, (one probably hafizi), 4 redstarts, 3 rufous bush chats, 2 tree pipits, a clamorous reed warbler in song, 10 olivaceous warblers,10 Upcher’s warblers, 5 willow, one Menetries’ and one barred warbler, a ‘red-backed’ type shrike and a Daurian (isabellinus) shrike.

On 11th and 12th April, the annual weekend meet of the UAE’s three Natural History Groups had over 100 persons in the field at various localities near Abu Dhabi over the weekend. Al Wathba lake reserve was one site visited, on both days, the highlights being 4 spotted redshanks, 3+ marsh sandpipers, an avocet, 4 black-tailed godwits, 4 pintail, 4 shoveler, 4+ garganey (2 cracking males), 4 teal and a wigeon, 2 pintail snipe, 4 snipe and a female mallard with 9 ducklings in tow. At least four reed warblers were giving it their all in “the” marsh and a female rock thrush did a impressive disappearing act.

At the Al Wathba Camel track over the same period were both male Montagu’s and pallid harriers, plus 2-3 females of the latter, male lesser kestrel, a collared pratincole, 2+ Richard’s pipits, 3 Northern wheatears and 3-4 ortolan buntings. It was rather too hot for much tramping about and a keen sandstorm didn’t much help here either, but a good time was had by all. Two swallows with red underparts passed by, but no definite pale martins showed up.

Also on 12th April, Mushrif Palace Gardens and the adjacent racecourse held a turtle dove, 2 nightingales again, 4 tree pipits, 16 olivaceous warblers, including 2 copulating, a single Upcher’s (down from 10 the day before), 2 willow warblers and 3 male blackcaps, all in song, 2 Menetries’ warblers, a whitethroat, resembling the ssp. icterops, 4 desert lesser whitethroats, (also seen the day before), a spotted flycatcher, the resident masked shrike, and the now presumably resident goldfinch, singing its heart out. 82 crab plovers, 110 lesser sand plovers, 360 bar-tailed godwits, 250+ white-cheeked terns, 220+ bridled terns, (both species on or adjacent to breeding islets), 35+ Saunder’s little terns (in a colony), 3 rufous bushchats, 6 common redstarts, 6 rock thrushes, 3 little whitethroats, 2 willow warblers, a white-throated robin, 4 isabelline, 1 pied, 2 desert and 4 Northern wheatears and a spotted flycatcher were reported from Futaisi island, just west of Abu Dhabi.

Over on the East Coast, also on 12th April, the Fujairah National Dairy Farm had a squacco heron, 5 cattle egrets, a little egret, a sparrowhawk, 19 lesser kestrels, 2+ kestrels, a quail (heard), 49 red-wattled plovers, a wood sandpiper, a whiskered tern, 16 chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, 3 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 8 European bee-eaters, 22 Indian rollers, 10 barn swallows, 10 red-throated pipits, a rufous bush chat, 1 Northern wheatear, a Turkestan shrike, 1 isabelline shrike subsp. A common kingfisher, a long-billed pipit and a Upcher’s warbler were in Wadi Shih. At the Fujairah Port beach (or just offshore) were an adult brown booby, 60 Socotra cormorants, 10 sanderling, 23 Arctic skuas flying north over a 3 hour period, 70 sooty gulls, 350 common terns, 50 white-cheeked terns and 20 little terns.

A sooty shearwater was seen at 20-30 m. range over a fifteen minute period off Kalba beach, along with 5 Persian shearwaters, 6 Arctic skuas, (also coming close to the beach), 3 Socotra cormorants and many Saunder’s little terns, amongst which were 5 to 7 little terns. Also on 12th April, 10 black-tailed godwits, 5 marsh sandpipers, a whiskered tern and a woodchat shrike were at the old Ramtha dump. Up at the Hamraniyyah fields, in Ra’s al-Khaimah, again on 12th April, were 6 male black-headed buntings and a possible female red-headed bunting, along with a pallid harrier, a Montagu’s harrier, 20+ European bee-eaters, 2 Arabian babblers, 5 isabelline shrikes 12+ rose-coloured starlings and several Spanish sparrows. 3 long-billed pipits, a rufous bushchat and an Upcher’s warbler were in a wadi at Masafi.

Finally, a 12th April visit to Wimpey Pits found a black-necked grebe in summer plumage, a juvenile great cormorant, a grey heron, a marsh harrier, 2 ferruginous ducks, a garganey, 6 pochard, 10 pintail, 6 shoveler, 12 teal, 2 Temminck’s stints, 22 little stints, 18 white-tailed plovers, 2 wood sandpipers, 8 ruff, 2 eastern reed warblers and single of isabelline wheatear and isabelline shrike. 10 cattle egrets, a marsh harrier and 2 little ringed plovers were in or near the pivot fields. Some news from our neighbours in Oman this week, for a change - and quite some news, with a slender-billed curlew being reported from Qurm Park by Forrest Rowland on 6th April (subject to acceptance, of course). Also on 6th April, Sunub dump had 4 lappet-faced and 40 Egyptian vultures, 2 spotted, 8 steppe and 3 imperial eagles.

A long-tailed shrike was in Qurm park on 7th April, when a brown booby was at Al Mughsail with 2 white-collared kingfishers and 4+ Sykes’s warblers at Liwa. Other records of note included a Hume’s lesser whitethroat (3rd record) at Ghaba resthouse on the 8th April, a black bush robin (1st for Oman), at Muqshin and a hypocolius at Khasab on 9th April, 2 cinereous and a majestic 107 ortolans on the Sayh plateau on 10th April, a cinereous bunting and 3 black-headed buntings at Khasab on 11th April, with 37 house buntings, 2 cinereous buntings and 90 ortolans at Sayh plateau, also on 11th April. By 12th April, only 35 ortolans were left on the Sayh plateau, when 2 crested honey buzzards and 5 black-headed buntings were at Khasab. Also on 12th April, a little swift was at the Sun Farms at Sohar.

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10/04/02

Twitchers’ Guide for the United Arab Emirates for the week ending 5th April 2002. Edited by Simon Aspinall & Peter Hellyer, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Another good week for our scarcer hirundines, with brown-throated sand martin, 2+ pale martins, 2 crag martins and a red-rumped swallow at the Al Wathba Camel track, along with a sociable plover, a pin-tailed sandgrouse and a cinereous bunting. No nightjar reports, though. Other good rarities for week included a repeat performance by the red-headed bunting in Ra’s al-Khaimah and a pair of shikras in Dubai, along with a bar-tailed desert lark near Ruwais. A black-winged pratincole was at the Dubai pivot fields, along with 130 cattle egrets, a suspiciously large number for the time of year. The first European bee-eater has arrived in Abu Dhabi, but of more note is a first recorded breeding attempt by little green bee-eaters in the capital.

By rights, the brown-throated or pale martins, or even the sociable plover, cinereous bunting or black-winged pratincole, should take the Bird of the Week title, (the red-headed bunting having had it once already). Since the breeding season is now well under way, however, and we’re delighted that Abu Dhabi island is finally being colonised by the delectable little green bee-eater, we’ll award the title this week to the pair of them found on Khalidiya by Simon Aspinall. The person who finds a cattle egret colony near Dubai’s pivot fields will win the weekly title as well, unless a mega-rarity turns up on the same week!

On 29th March, a barn owl was dead on the road around half way between Masafi and the outskirts of Fujairah, not far from Bithna. On 30th March, the red-headed bunting was seen again well (and videoed) in the Hamraniyyah fields, along with a male pallid harrier, a male Menetries’ warbler, a rufous bushchat and a rose-coloured starling. In Dubai’s Al Mamzar Park on 30th March were 9 hoopoes, a tree pipit, 2 white-throated robins, 3 redstarts, a pied wheatear, a Menetries’ warbler, 2 chiffchaffs, an isabelline shrike and a Southern grey shrike. On 30th March, 2 fledged ospreys were at a nest site at Liwa, on the east coast of the Musandam peninsula, just north of Dibba. On 31st March, Safa Park produced a great cormorant, 6 night herons, 1 Western reef heron, 1 little egret, 2 grey herons, pair of garganey, 6 red-wattled plovers, 2 curlew, 3 greenshank, 7 common sandpipers, 136 black-headed gulls, 18 hoopoes and a Daurian (isabellinus) shrike. On 1st April Mushrif Palace Gardens held a female woodchat, male masked shrike and an isabelline shrike (within 100m of each other), 2 willow warblers, 3 chiffchaffs and a tree pipit. A turtle dove was seen at the nearby AD Health & Fitness Club.

On 2nd April, 2+ Egyptian vultures were at the summit of Jebel Hafit. During a dreadful sandstorm on the 3rd a bar-tailed desert lark was found sheltering under an overhang of a tiny rock outcrop in the desert near Ruwais, a new location for this rare and little-known resident. Also seen in the area was a single hoopoe lark. 3 redstarts and a tree pipit were in the park near Abu Dhabi’s Hilton Hotel.

Also on 3rd April, a grey heron, a purple heron, a greylag goose, a marsh harrier, a pair of red-wattled plovers, a green sandpiper, 15 black-crowned finch larks, 3 barn swallows, 3 Blyth’s pipits, 4 tawny pipits, 59 red-throated pipits, 3 water pipits, 2 “beema” wagtails, 3 white wagtails, 2 isabelline wheatears, 3 northern wheatears, 1 pied wheatear, 1 desert wheatear, 1 Turkestan shrike, a Daurian (isabellinus) isabelline shrike and a rose-coloured starling were in the Dubai pivot fields. On 4th April, a pair of shikras, 2 European bee-eaters, 14 hoopoes, a barn swallow, a tree pipit, 2 “beema” wagtails, 1 “thunbergi” wagtail, a redstart and 12 pied mynahs were in the Dubai Creekside Park. A visit to the Al Wathba Camel track found a cattle egret, 4 marsh harriers, a pallid harrier (cracking adult male ), a Montagu’s harrier, 2 lesser kestrels ( both adult males ), a red-wattled lapwing, a little ringed plover, 65+ Pacific golden plovers, a quail, 2 black-winged stilts, 2 European bee-eaters, 2 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, 3 sand martins, a pale martin, 26 swallows, a red-rumped swallow, 2 Richard’s pipits, a tawny pipit, 8 yellow wagtails (beema), a grasshopper warbler, a reed warbler (heard in full song at the nearby marsh), 2 willow warblers, a Northern wheatear (adult male), 8 isabelline wheatears, a desert wheatear, 3 pied wheatear and 4 isabelline shrikes (2 isabellinus/ Daurian, 2 phoenicuroides/Turkestan).

A visit to Khalidiya in the afternoon of 4th April found a European bee-eater, 2 female black-eared wheatears, a female Northern wheatear, 3 male redstarts, a male blackcap, 3 willow warblers, a male yellow-throated sparrow and, best of all, a pair of little green bee-eaters excavating a nest burrow. This is a first breeding attempt by this species on Abu Dhabi island and it looks as though this little gem is finally about to colonise the city.
Also on 4th April, a superb starling and a grey heron were between Wimpey Pits and the Dubai pivot fields, with 3 glossy ibis, a white-fronted goose, 18 white-tailed plovers, a wood sandpiper, 20 little stints and several reed warblers in song at the Pits. In the pivot fields were 20 cattle egrets, 2 black-crowned finch-larks and a red-throated pipit. Highlights from the Al Wathba Camel Race Track on 5th April included: a cattle egret, 3 marsh harriers, 2 pallid harriers, 1 Montagu’s harrier, 6 lesser kestrels, collared pratincole, a sociable plover, a pin-tailed sandgrouse, 60+ pallid swifts, 6+ common swifts, 4 blue-cheeked bee-eaters, a European bee-eater, a brown-throated martin, 2+ pale martins, 2 crag martins, 120+ swallows, a red-rumped swallow, 2+ house martins, 6 Richard’s pipits, 4 Blyth’s pipits, 100+ red-throated pipits, 25 miscellaneous flava wagtails (including lutea, beema and melanogrisea), 2 Northern wheatears, 8 pied wheatears, a grasshopper warbler, a whitethroat, 12 willow warblers, 15 isabelline shrikes, (both Daurian and Turkestan), 2 pale rock sparrows, a cinereous bunting (also seen last week) and an ortolan. 7 spoonbills, 600+ greater flamingos, an osprey and five shovelers were at a very windy Khor Dubai.

Wimpey Pits were generally quiet on 5th April, which means (for those who have not yet had a chance of examining this key UAE site), that ALL there was on show of significance was the following: 2 ferruginous ducks, 3 garganey, 5 pochard, 2 mallard, 0 or so each of shoveler & pintail, a glossy ibis, 14 white tailed plover, a little ringed plover vociferously objecting to the observer’s presence, 2 juvenile moorhen, a green and a marsh sandpiper and 3 Temminck’s stints.

In the nearby pivot fields were 130 cattle egrets, (moving in and out: is there a colony somewhere?), a kestrel, a greylag goose, a black-winged pratincole, a green sandpiper, around 50 red-throated pipits, 3 tawny and 4 water pipits and several black-crowned finch-larks in song & display flight.

Also on 5th April, at the Buraimi sewage works, just across the border into Oman, were 6 red-wattled plovers, 20 common snipe, 8 black-winged stilts, a curlew sandpiper,18 stints (a mix of little and Temminck’s) and 5 pale crag martins, one building a nest.

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SHELL BIRWATCHING GUIDE

Visitors to the Emirates may obtain copies of
The Shell Birdwatching Guide to the United Arab Emirates from

Simon Aspinall, Twitcher’s Guide
P.O. Box 45553, Abu Dhabi UAE
Tel: 971 50 6424358, at a price of 60 UAE dirhams