Egypt October 2005 (Birdquest)

EGYPT 1 - 15 OCTOBER 2005 TOUR REPORT LEADER: DAVE FARROW GROUP MEMBERS: JOHN CHAINEY, WENDY FORSTER, ALAN LEGGETT, JENNY SPENCE, JULIAN ROBERTS, VAL ROBERTS, CILLA ROSE and DENIS ROUABLE. This was the first Birdquest tour to Egypt for five years, and was a welcome return to this enchanting country. With a rich mixture of good birding, ancient antiquities, hot sunshine and fine accommodations, it continues to be a splendid destination for a Birdquest. Around Cairo we found Kittlitz’s Plover, White-throated Kingfisher, Red Avadavat and Senegal Thick-knee, in the deserts of Sinai we found Lichtenstein’s, Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouse, Sand Partridge, Sinai Rosefinch, Blackstart, Tristram’s Starling, Hoopoe and Desert Larks, White-crowned, Mourning and Hooded Wheatears, while around the Red Sea we found Sooty Falcon, White-eyed, Sooty, Armenian and Heuglin’s Gulls, White-cheeked Terns and Brown Booby. Migration is a strong feature at this time of year, with a raptor passage that included Red-footed Falcon, Lesser Kestrel, Short-toed, Lesser Spotted and Greater Spotted Eagles, Levant Sparrowhawk and Montagu’s Harrier, plus we found other migrants such as Spotted Crakes, Broad-billed Sandpiper, White-tailed Lapwings, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers. In Upper Egypt we enjoyed birding close to the ancient sites where we saw Nile Valley Sunbirds, African Pied Wagtails, Namaqua Dove, Greater Painted Snipe, and the ‘icing-on-the-cake’ of a migrant flock of 15 Egyptian Nightjars, a thrilling finale indeed! We began our journey on the outskirts of Cairo, (the great city that boasts a daytime population of 20 million but only 16 million by night!) where our first bird was a European Hobby perched outside our hotel. On the saline lakes of Wadi Natrun we found Kittlitz’s Plovers, here at their northernmost outpost running about among the flocks of Little and Temminck’s Stints. We had our first encounters with typical Egyptian birds such as Spur-winged Lapwings, Pied Kingfishers, Hoopoes, Crested Larks, Graceful Prinias and Southern Grey Shrikes, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, ‘Egyptian’ Wagtails and the attractive red-bellied ‘Egyptian’ Swallows. Heading back into the busy streets of Giza, we gazed at the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, and nearby found our first Senegal Thick-knee standing on a rooftop. A visit to the oasis of El Fayoum and Lake Qarun began with a mass of birds on the exposed mud, where we found a smart Broad-billed Sandpiper among the Garganey, Little and Whiskered Terns, Slender-billed Gulls, Spotted Redshanks, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers. We saw our first African Swamp-hen and Black-shouldered Kite, and found a splendid White-throated Kingfisher motionless in the shade of a date palm. We followed this with a visit to the Saqqara Pyramid (where a Red Fox was the only predator we could finding roosting on the edifice!) before we plunged into the Cairo traffic in order to view the fantastic funeral mask of Tutankhamun at the Egyptian Museum. Leaving the city behind we travelled through canals and cultivation, finding Red Avadavats singing in the early morning sun, Green Bee-eaters and our first Squacco Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Glossy Ibis, more White-throated Kingfishers, and a chance stop at a roadblock produced a female Collared Flycatcher. We paused by the Suez Canal to watch the mammoth container ships gliding by on the man-made waterway, while a mass of Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagles cruised overhead. A Levant Sparrowhawk skimmed the rooftops of the port and our first White-eyed Gulls and Caspian Terns appeared. We paused for the night on the shores of the Red Sea, where a pre-breakfast visit to the beach revealed a male Red-footed Falcon, and an array of Gulls that included Baltic, Caspian, Armenian, Heuglin’s and Slender-billed. We drove on into the deserts of Sinai, and in some roadside dunes we found a very obliging Hoopoe Lark, dapper Mourning and Desert Wheatears, Brown-necked Ravens plus both Egyptian and Eurasian Griffon Vultures overhead. We gained altitude as we entered palm-lined wadis, and found White-spectacled Bulbul and a flock of gorgeous Sinai Rosefinches, White-crowned and Hooded Wheatears. We spent the night close to the ancient monastery of St Catherine’s, in the shadow of Mt Sinai at 1450m. In the early morning we found plenty of good birds, like Tristram’s Starlings, Chukar, Desert Lark, Rock Martin, Blackstart, more Sinai Rosefinches and White-crowned Wheatears, migrant Common Redstarts, European Bee-eaters and Masked Shrike, and we were treated to great views of numerous Sand Partridges scuttling about on the rocks. A handsome male Lesser Kestrel sat on a roadside wire at close range, then we headed down to the coast and our hotel at Na’ama Bay. Dashing out to the nearby sewage ponds for the last light of the day, we were rewarded when a flight of Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse dropped in to drink - barely visible in the gloom but it helps when they are very close! We made further visits to this insalubrious place, the best birding spot in the whole area, and we enjoyed flocks of both Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouse noisily buzzing around the ponds as they came to drink. We had a quick view of a Sooty Falcon, found hundreds of White Storks pausing on their way south (although an alarming number were obviously not going any further!), Great White Pelican, Glossy Ibis, Northern Pintail, Whiskered and Black Terns, a couple more Hooded Wheatears and lots of lovely Red-throated Pipits. At nearby Ras Muhammed the skies were quiet but we found Osprey, Greater Sand Plover, Western Reef Egret (plus some world-class snorkelling) and then a final morning around the sewage ponds yielded some migrant White-tailed Lapwings, good looks at Levant Sparrowhawks and a movement of Common Buzzards, Booted and Lesser Spotted Eagles. We took the fast and comfortable Catamaran to Hurghada in the dark, and saw our hotel properly at first light. Early morning birding in the gardens yielded various migrants drawn to this island of green on the desert coast, and we found two Red-breasted Flycatchers, Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, Masked Shrike and Tree Pipit. Embarking on a boat for a few hours to visit the offshore islands, we managed to find some quiet corners undisturbed by other tourists, and saw Brown Booby, White-cheeked Terns, a few Sooty Gulls among the abundant White-eyeds, and numerous Lesser Crested Terns still carrying food to fledged youngsters. Sooty Falcons sped around the barren islands, a Montagu’s Harrier skimmed the waves and a heavy passage of Common Cranes was evident as they struggled to reach land, vocal flocks of them circling around over the sea. Moving on, we were obliged to join a convoy of buses, escorted across the Eastern Desert by the police in order to reach Luxor. On arrival we relaxed in the ambience of our comfortable hotel, where the flowering trees in the garden were alive with Nile Valley Sunbirds. A walk around the backwaters of the Nile revealed a suite of Herons that included Purple, Squacco, Black-crowned Night Heron and Little Bittern. Clamorous Reed Warbler skulked in the tall vegetation, Pallid Swifts flew overhead, African Swamp-hens and noisy Senegal Thick-knees lurked around the margins. Of course the main attraction here is the ancient buildings, so we drew our attention away from the birds for a moment and visited the Valley of the Kings and the tomb of Tutankhamun, and the temples of Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu and Karnak. Continuing our journey south, we sped along the highway through the cultivated Nile valley, through the city of Aswan and up to it’s airport. We were whisked to Abu Simbel in just 25 minutes (that’s not including all the ‘hurry-up-and-wait’ time!), home of the great Temple of Ramses II and close to the border with Sudan. As we acclimatised to the strong heat, we scoured the shores of Lake Nasser and found Egyptian Geese, a distant Yellow-billed Stork, Great White Pelican, Eurasian Spoonbills and many common waders, Desert and Isabelline Wheatears and a Namaqua Dove. Our hotel terrace had a fine view across the great man-made lake, and from here we enjoyed a great view of a Sooty Falcon gently cruising past. African Pied Wagtails showed well and even briefly visited our hotel swimming pool! In the desert where camel trains gather we found a group of seven Crowned Sandgrouse, and on a bijou little wetland we were treated to close views of Bluethroat, Glossy Ibis, Spotted Crakes, Black-headed Wagtails, and our only Greater Painted Snipes of the tour, shoe-horned in at the eleventh hour! So it was somehow appropriate to finish with the most exciting birding of the tour, where we went stomping around in the hot scrub and surprised a total of fifteen Egyptian Nightjars! They flew up, circled round, then scuttled back into the shade, affording prolonged and close views for all present, along with a single European Nightjar. What a magnificent finale to our tour! And lets not forget the magnificent temple, built by the ancients and then moved by modern engineering, arguably the most magical of all the ancient monuments. Abu Simbel offers a good snapshot of the tour as a whole, a rich mosaic of great birds and enchanting antiquities. SYSTEMATIC LIST Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H) Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL). SULIDAE Brown Booby Sula leucogaster: Great views of an adult fishing around the islands off Hurghada. PELECANIDAE Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus: A rather deflated immature was at Na’ama Bay sewage ponds on two dates, plus we saw an adult over Lake Nasser ARDEIDAE Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus: One or two of these were seen briefly in the evening gloom at Crocodile Island, with two others heard calling there. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax: Seen on a number of occasions, with daytime birds near Abbasa and crepuscular airborne flocks seen at Na’ama Bay, Luxor, and at Abu Simbel where we saw a vocal 26 from our hotel. Striated Heron Butorides striatus: The only sighting was of a bird in flight seen from the bus near Bilbeis, where they probably shouldn’t be but have been spreading up the Nile in recent years. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis: Very numerous in some places along the Nile, though not seen on our Sinai and Red Sea sectors. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides: In good numbers around Luxor, with others seen in the Cairo area, Na’ama Bay and Abu Simbel. Western Reef Egret (W R Heron) Egretta gularis: A couple were seen at Ras Mohammed, then we found several around Hurghada and the offshore islands. Little Egret Egretta garzetta: Seen regularly. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea: Seen throughout much of the tour, with a score at Ras Muhammed and many at Abu Simbel. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea: A migrant came in at dusk at Na’ama Bay, then we saw six or more around Crocodile Island. CICONIIDAE Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis: The red face on a distant bird on the lakeshore at Abu Simbel was just about discernable! Black Stork Ciconia nigra: A single migrant was seen distantly at Sharm el Sheikh. White Stork Ciconia ciconia: We saw our first soaring over St Catherine’s, then around the Na’ama Bay ponds were several hundred birds lingering, standing in the desert or risking the mire of the sewage! There were a great number of corpses here, none seemed to have been shot or attacked by predators - either this is the natural ‘throw-out’ from a passage of many thousands, or something more sinister was afoot such as poisoning or perhaps disease…. Many more airborne birds could be seen over the hills on our last morning there, and we saw two or three more at Abu Simbel. THRESKIORNITHIDAE Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus: Frequent sightings, with a regular group of nine around the Na’ama Bay sewage ponds, three seen near Abbassa and a couple at Abu Simbel. Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia: Eleven were seen flying over Crocodile Island then two small flocks were seen at Abu Simbel. ANATIDAE Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus: A good number of these at Abu Simbel, with a flock of fifty on Lake Nasser. It’s nice to see some ‘real ones’ (or maybe you need to live in Norfolk to fully appreciate that….) Eurasian Teal Anas crecca: Some thirty seen at Na’ama Bay sewage works. Northern Pintail Anas acuta: A single bird was seen at Na’ama Bay. Garganey Anas querquedula: Just two seen, on Lake Qarun. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata: Four birds with the above at Lake Qarun. ACCIPITRIDAE Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus: A single seen at Fayoum, then several around Luxor and many between there and Aswan. Black Kite Milvus migrans: Both the European migrans and the Yellow-billed aegyptius were seen. A large group of 120 were seen at Gebel Asfar, then many around Na’ama Bay and Abu Simbel that appeared to be the migrant nominate form, with a few of the local aegyptius form seen at the latter site and in Cairo city. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus: A few migrant birds were seen around Sharm el Sheikh, plus a couple more at Oyun Musa. Eurasian Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus: A single bird passed overhead at Oyun Musa. Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus: The main component of the raptor migration over Suez where we saw 60 or more, plus a single over Sharm el Sheikh. Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus: Two were seen at Wadi Natrun, then a single at Na’ama Bay and a couple more at Luxor. Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus: A female bird was seen struggling towards land during our Hurghada boat trip. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus: Several single migrants were seen around Sinai and over our Hurghada hotel. Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes: Our first was a single bird going over Suez, then we had to wait until our last morning at Na’ama Bay before we had good looks at two birds that were heading south. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo: The dregs of the main passage popped up in small groups, at Suez, Ras Muhammed and Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Luxor. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina: Our best encounter with these was when 80 or more birds passed overhead in a short period of time, as we stood at Port Tewfiq watching the huge ships passing along the Suez canal. Three more were seen at Oyun Musa and a mere handful around Sharm el Sheikh. Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga: Two well-spotted immatures were loafing in the desert around the Na’ama Bay Sewage ponds. Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis: Just two scruffy-looking adults were seen, at Suez and at Na’ama Bay. Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus: A total of four birds were seen, on one morning only around Sharm el Sheikh. PANDIONIDAE Osprey Pandion haliaetus: Several encountered around the Red Sea, from Ras Mohammed to the offshore islands of Hurghada, then others were seen at Abu Simbel. FALCONIDAE Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni: A textbook male perched up nicely for us on a roadside wire near St Catherine’s, showing off his white toenails! Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus: Seen almost daily. Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus: A lone male passed overhead at Ain Sukhna and was the only sighting on the tour. Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo: Seen on our first morning in Cairo, and at Abu Simbel. Sooty Falcon Falco concolor: Our first encounter was with a fast-moving bird over the sewage ponds at Na’ama Bay, then two or three were seen from our boat trip from Hurghada, one of which flew close to the boat. Our best view was of one that flew by as we stood on the ‘sunset terrace’ at our Abu Simbel hotel. PHASIANIDAE Chukar Alectoris chukar: A group of four were seen well, above the monastery at St Catherine’s. Sand Partridge Ammoperdix heyi: After missing this on the previous tour, we were spoiled by multiple views of 20 birds busying themselves around the monastery at St Catherine’s. RALLIDAE Water Rail Rallus aquaticus (H): Two birds were heard squealing from a tiny patch of reeds at Na’ama Bay sewage works. Spotted Crake Porzana porzana: A stunning view of an adult in the little marsh at Abu Simbel, seen on two days and one of two present. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus: Not uncommon in the Cairo area, with more seen at Luxor and one or two at Abu Simbel. African Swamp-hen Porphyrio madagascariensis: Our first was on the lake shore at Al Fayoum, then we saw two near Abbassa and a couple around Crocodile island at Luxor. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra: A single bird seen on the sewage tanks at Na’ama Bay. GRUIDAE Common Crane Grus grus: Fantastic flocks totaling 400 of these seen struggling to reach land, from our Hurghada boat ride. ROSTRATULIDAE Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis: An ‘eleventh-hour’ success! After scouring the wetlands in the Cairo area without success, we thought we had missed this beauty. It was exciting to find two birds on our last morning at Abu Simbel, with a splendid female bobbing nicely for us. HAEMATOPODIDAE Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus: A single bird was seen on the shore at Ras Muhammed. RECURVIROSTRIDAE Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus: Few seen, from Cairo to Abu Simbel. BURHINIDAE Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis: A good number of these seen throughout the Nile section of the tour, our first was a good look at one stood on a rooftop near Saqqara. More were seen at Gabal Asfar, numerous noisy birds were around the hotel at Luxor, and a final flurry of sightings was had at Abu Simbel. The local name is ‘Karuwan’, and the bird plays a role in Arab folklore as the Oystercatcher-like calls are thought to be prayers to God, although it seemed to us that most Egyptians that we traveled with had never even seen one! CHARADRIIDAE Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius: Numerous at Wadi Natrun, plus a few more seen near Abbassa and Abu Simbel. Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula: More numerous than the above, with plenty of birds at Na’ama Bay, Ras Muhammed, Lake Qarun and Suez, plus Wadi Natrun and Abu Simbel. Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius: We found eight at Wadi Natrun, the most northerly part of their African range and one of the only regular sites in the Western Palearctic. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus: In good numbers at Wadi Natrun, Lake Qarun and Ras Muhammed Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii: Singles were seen at Ras Muhammed and from our Hurghada hotel, plus a flock of 50 were seen from the boat around the islands. Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola: Seen in numbers at Suez and around the Hurghada islands, plus a single at Lake Qarun. Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus: Numerous along our route, except for around the Red Sea. White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus: A splendid twosome showed very well at Na’ama Bay sewage works, found by another birder who was waving in the distance and holding up his field guide at the right page, just too far away to see which bird he was indicating! Thanks Peter! SCOLOPACIDAE Little Stint Calidris minuta: Very numerous at Lake Qarun and Wadi Natrun, the most numerous wader on show. Also seen in various others localities along our route. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii: One at Lake Qarun and six more at Wadi Natrun. Dunlin Calidris alpina: Small flocks were seen at Lake Qarun, Suez and Ras Muhammed. Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus: A nice surprise to find one of these feeding with the massed waders on the shore of Lake Qarun, the first time it has been recorded on this tour. Ruff Philomachus pugnax: Odd ones seen at Na’ama Bay, Luxor and at Wadi Natrun, with a larger flock seen near Abbassa. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago: Quite a few seen around the various Cairo wetlands, then again at Abu Simbel. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa: Single birds were seen at Abbassa and on Um Magawish island off Hurghada. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus: A single was seen at Ras Muhammed and then some ten on the Hurghada islands. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata: Ten seen at Ras Muhammed and a couple at Suez. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus: Some 15 were seen at Lake Qarun and a single at Wadi Natrun. Common Redshank Tringa totanus: Quite a few seen at Na’ama Bay and a few in the Cairo area. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis: A small number were seen at various wetlands in the Cairo area. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia: Quite visible and vocal at Na’ama Bay sewage works, with others seen at Lake Qarun and Abu Simbel. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus: Regularly seen in the Cairo area, with a couple more at Abu Simbel. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola: Several encountered on wetlands in the Cairo area, and again at Abu Simbel. Common Sandpiper Actitis macularia: Odd birds seen along our route. LARIDAE Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii: The only birds we saw were some five around the smaller islands off Hurghada. White-eyed Gull Larus leucophthalmus: This Red Sea endemic was very common around Hurghada, and we found smaller numbers around Ain Sukhna and Suez. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus: Seen at Lake Qarun and at Ain Sukhna. Slender-billed Gull Larus genei: Hundreds of these were all across Lake Qarun, plus we found more at Ain Sukhna, Ras Muhammed and Hurghada. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus: Some two dozen birds seen on the beach at Ain Sukhna belonged to the nominate race, which is also known as ‘Baltic Gull’. In today’s climate of splitting, this may be a contender for full species status. Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans: A handful of these were on the beach at Ain Sukhna. Armenian Gull Larus armenicus: At least three of these were on the beach at Ain Sukhna, showing their distinctive bill pattern of a black mark across the red bill spot. Heuglin’s Gull Larus heuglini: A couple of these big dark birds were seen on the beach at Ain Sukhna, their mantle shade is similar to graellsi Lesser Black-backed Gull although the birds are bigger and heavier set. STERNIDAE Caspian Tern Sterna caspia: Several small groups seen at Suez, Ras Muhammed and Hurghada Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis: Four distant birds at Ras Muhammed were our first taste, then we saw many on and around the islands off Hurghada, with lots of fully-fledged young still being fed by the adults. Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis: Two flew by as we watched the ships at Port Tewfiq. White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa: We found some 20 birds around the islands off Hurghada, where they breed between July and mid September. Little Tern Sterna albifrons: At least a dozen of these were seen at Lake Qarun, the first time it has been recorded on this tour although it breeds in good numbers along the Mediterranean coast. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus: Five were seen at Lake Qarun, and three immature birds were hanging around Na’ama Bay sewage works giving us a good study in the species. One or two were identified at Abu Simbel, but a large flock of Marsh Terns were too far away to identify but were probably this species or White-winged Tern C. leucopterus. Black Tern Chlidonias niger: A single bird joined the above species at Na’ama Bay. PTEROCLIDAE Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii: A very good bird to see, we were thrilled to experience small vocal flocks flying in to the Na’ama Bay sewage works in the near-darkness. We even managed to get some illumination on them before they spooked! Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles coronatus: Superb encounters with this desert specialist on our tour. We enjoyed great views of fifty or more at Na’ama Bay sewage works on two separate mornings, then we saw a group of seven feeding in the open desert near Abu Simbel. Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus: To complete the trio of Sandgrouse at Na’ama Bay sewage works, we watched flocks totaling 80+ coming in from the desert and going down to drink from the concrete-banked ponds. They didn’t want to stay long though, just three or four sips and away! COLUMBIDAE Rock Dove Columbia livia: Say no more! Apparently an Egyptian delicacy! Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto: Odd birds noted around our route. European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur: Singles were seen at Ain Sukhna, Luxor and Abu Simbel. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis: Seen daily, very numerous! Namaqua Dove Oena capensis: A single bird put in a brief appearance at Abu Simbel, here at the northern fringe of it’s pan-African range. PSITTACIDAE Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri (NL): Three seen at Cairo. TYTONIDAE Barn Owl Tyto alba (NL): One seen during the Son et Lumiere show at Karnak, although somehow I managed to miss it! CAPRIMULGIDAE European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus: A single female bird with the amazing flock we found at Abu Simbel. Having studied various photos, it appears to be of the nominate European race. Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius: Hurrah! A much-desired species, and after our plans for a boat trip at Abu Simbel were thwarted by the ever-obstructive police, we bashed around in lakeside scrub and flushed one, two, three - as many as fifteen birds! We were able to enjoy multiples of these gorgeous birds at close range, as they sat dozing under bushes, or flying around only to land again and scuttle back into shade as if they rode little wheels! A wonderful way to end our tour and a clear winner as ‘bird-of-the-trip’. I can’t decide if these are migrants or winterering birds. That location has produced birds on two tours five years apart, and yet it seems to be a recent phenomena that these birds are seen at Abu Simbel in this way. APODIDAE Pallid Swift Apus pallidus: A dozen or so seen around Luxor, looking very blond and aptly named. ALCEDINIDAE White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis: We found two at the El Fayoum oasis, and saw another three near Abbassa, where the range of this Asian species nudges into Africa. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis: Odd birds seen at Gebel Asfar, Ain Sukhna and Ras Muhammed. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis: Numerous around Cairo and at Luxor, Abu Simbel and points in-between. MEROPIDAE Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis: Small groups encountered in the Cairo and Luxor areas. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus: A couple of individuals were seen on our first day only, at Wadi Natrun. European Bee-eater Merops apiaster: Our first ones were in the garden of St Catherine’s monastery, then we saw other migrants at Na’ama Bay, Hurghada and Luxor. UPUPIDAE Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops: Common along the Nile from Cairo to Abu Simbel, where we counted 13 on a playing field! PICIDAE Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla (NL): One seen in the garden of our Luxor hotel. ALAUDIDAE Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti: We found many at St Katherine’s, in small busy flocks in their favoured habitat of dry rocky desert. Greater Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes: A splendid example was seen at atypically close range at Oyun Musa (before we were shepherded away by the police!), followed by two or three more along the roadside nearby. Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla: A calling bird flew by at Wadi Natrun, and some others seen badly at Na’ama Bay were probably this species. Crested Lark Galerida cristata: Not uncommon around Cairo, and plenty at Abu Simbel. HIRUNDINIDAE Sand Martin Riparia riparia: A fair number were seen at Na’ama Bay sewage works. Rock Martin Hirundo fuligula: Seen regularly, in Sinai, around Luxor and at Abu Simbel. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica: Migrant birds with pale bellies were seen daily, and along the Nile from Cairo to Aswan we saw plenty of the resident red-bellied savignii form, a sure contender for a split! Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica: A couple seen around Luxor, and plenty around a filling station in Sharm el Sheikh. Common House Martin Delichon urbica: Only seen at Na’ama Bay sewage works where they were in good numbers. MOTACILLIDAE Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis: Seen well in the gardens of our Hurghada hotel, plus odd ones seen at Na’ama Bay and Luxor. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus: Good numbers this year, with some gorgeous examples at Na’ama Bay sewage works. Others were seen, usually in flight, at Wadi Natrun, Hurghada, Luxor and Abu Simbel . Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava: Various races encountered, with a number of the local race pygmaea or ‘Egyptian Wagtail’ seen around Cairo, nominate flava ‘Blue-headeds’ were seen most often, with several feldeggi ‘Black-headed’ Wagtails added at Abu Simbel . Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea: Singles were seen at Ain Sukhna and Na’ama Bay sewage works. White Wagtail Motacilla alba: Migrants were seen at Wadi Natrun, Na’ama Bay, Hurghada, Luxor and Abu Simbel. African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp: Seen well at Abu Simbel where six birds were seen going to roost by our hotel, with other pairs seen around the shores of Lake Nasser. This widespread sub-saharan species used to be much more common in Upper Egypt in the early 20th century before the filling of Lake Nasser. PYCNONOTIDAE White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos: A single seen in the palm gardens in Wadi Feiran was our only sighting. Also heard at St Catherine’s. Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus: Common in Cairo and Luxor gardens, our first were actually inside an open-air restaurant while we lunched! TURDIDAE Bluethroat Luscinia svecica: A good show by a male in the little wetland at Abu Simbel. Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus: A few migrants were seen in gardens at St Katherine’s monastery, Hurghada and Luxor. Blackstart Cercomela melanura: A single bird at St Katherine’s monastery was the only one of the trip. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra: Single migrants were seen at Oyun Musa and Na’ama Bay sewage works. Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina: One was seen at Ras Muhammed, and then we had a better look at one at Abu Simbel. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe: A few were seen at Abu Simbel, Wadi Natrun and at Hurghada. Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica: A single bird was seen briefly at Wadi Natrun. Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti: A nice look at a pair at Oyun Musa, then some three others were seen around Abu Simbel. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens: A good look at one at Oyun Musa, with a couple more seen along the roadsides in Sinai and a single at the Valley of the Kings. Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha: Always a little hard to find, so it was pleasing to find three different males, at Na’ama Bay and near St Catherine’s. White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga: This handsome bird was very visible in its favoured hot rocky habitat around Sinai and at Abu Simbel. SYLVIIDAE Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis: Odd birds seen at Wadi Natrun, El Fayoum and at Luxor. Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis: Common at Abu Simbel, also found at Wadi Natrun, El Fayoum, around Cairo and at Luxor. Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides: Well after much deliberating and looking at photos of both Savi’s and River Warblers, it seems that the white scallops on the undertail of River are fairly consistent. The plain rusty undertail of the bird we studied at Abu Simbel seem to indicate therefore that it was a Savi’s, even though it showed some spotting on the throat. We had numerous views of this strange bird as it crept along on the ground with its big tail held vertically. Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus: Several seen, at Gebel Asfar, Na’ama Bay, Hurghada, Luxor and Abu Simbel. Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris: At least two were seen at Abu Simbel, a tough call among some very olivey-looking Reed Warblers! European Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus: Singles were seen at Hurghada and in Sinai, then very commonly at Abu Simbel where they included a number that had us perplexed! Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus: A single bird was seen at Luxor and then a couple more at Abu Simbel. Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida: A couple were in the garden of our Hurghada hotel and two more were seen by our Luxor hotel. Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala (H): Heard calling at Oyun Musa. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca: The commonest passerine migrant in Sinai, at Hurghada, Luxor and Abu Simbel. Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis: Two in the garden of St Catherine’s monastery were the only ones seen. Garden Warbler Sylvia borin: A couple were seen in Sinai and a single at Abu Simbel. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla: A single male was seen in the garden of our Hurghada hotel. Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita: Few were seen, in Sinai and Hurghada. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus: Many were seen in migrant traps around Sinai and the Red Sea, and they were very much in evidence at Abu Simbel. MUSCICAPIDAE Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata: We often encountered migrant birds, particularly in Sinai and Hurghada. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva: A nice surprise in our Hurghada hotel garden to find not one but two of these birds, that should be going from Eastern Europe to India! In actual fact it is thought to be a regular migrant through the Western Desert oases! Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis: A single female in roadside trees was the bonus of a prolonged wait at a checkpoint near Abbassa. NECTARINIIDAE Nile Valley Sunbird Anthreptes metallicus: Delightfully numerous in the flowering Chorisia trees around our hotel on Crocodile Island, even if they were all in eclipse plumage. Palestine Sunbird Nectarinia osea (NL): John and Jenny saw one at St Catherine’s, unfortunately when the rest of us were out of earshot! LANIIDAE Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio: A regularly encountered migrant, particularly in Sinai. Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis: A few seen only in the Cairo area, where they should all be of the race elegans. Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus: Often encountered in hotel gardens, we saw several very dapper adults and scaly juveniles. CORVIDAE House Crow Corvus splendens: Many around Suez, an enclave of this Indian ship-jumper that first colonized this port in 1920. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix: Common around Cairo and Luxor, with some also seen at Hurghada. These are of the race sardonius. Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis: Seen in the deserts at Oyun Musa, Na’ama Bay, the Valley of the Kings and at Abu Simbel. STURNIDAE Tristram’s Starling Onychognathus tristramii: We found some 15 or so of these Arabian specialities at St Katherine’s monastery, where their wolf-whistles gave them away. PASSERIDAE House Sparrow Passer domesticus: Common throughout. FRINGILLIDAE Red Avadavat Amandava amandava: We found eight or more of these handsome little devils at Gebel Asfar, where they are introduced and well-established. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Three birds in the El Fayoum oasis were our only sightings. Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus: At St Catherine’s monastery we could only find the dull-coloured females, so it was fortunate that on the previous afternoon we had found 15 feeding in date palms in Wadi Feiran, including some superb rosy males. MAMMALS Red Fox Vulpes vulpes: A single fellow lying up near the top of the Saqqara pyramid may have contributed to the no show of the Eagle Owls! Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus: Three were seen along our route.

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 Egypt October 2005 (Birdquest)