20 21 January 2017 - SURFBIRDS · 2017-04-22 · Ramada Chelsea hotel which was a comfortable place to stay (0097145019000 and ) with a good Indian restaurant on the ground-floor

Report of a birding trip to

UAE 20–21 January 2017

by

Dick Meijer and Peter van Scheepen

Hypocolius, Lulu Island

Lulu Island

Introduction

As an extension of a bird-watching trip to Sri Lanka we (Peter van Scheepen en

Dick Meijer) decided to stay in Dubai from 20 January to 21 January 2017. Our

prime target species was the enigmatic Hypocolius. Other much sought-after

species included: Socotra Cormorant, Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Pallid Scops-Owl,

Egyptian Nightjar, Red-tailed Wheatear, Hume’s Wheatear, Bimaculated Lark,

Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark and Plain Leaf Warbler.

We were guided by Mark Smiles ([email protected]) who was simply

excellent in the field: passionate, sharp and fast. Mark is a British bird-watcher who

works in Dubai, he is one of the few resident bird-watchers in the UAE and is well

informed on the latest sightings and the sites. On Fridays and Saturdays he might

be available for guiding. On www.uaebirding.com recent ornithological news can be

found.

As we didn’t have enough time to see all nocturnal species we had to skip a search

for Egyptian Nightjar. For the same time-pressure-reason the nomadic Greater

Hoopoe-Lark and Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark remained unseen. During our short

stay we recorded 105 species of bird including all but 3 of our much sought-after

species and we recorded just 2 – Arabian Oryx and Indian Palm Squirrel – species

of mammal.

A very interesting and enjoyable stop over!

Map 1

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.uaebirding.com/

Itinerary

8 January

Flew with early morning Transavia flight from Amsterdam to Dubai – where we

resisted the temptation to go to the Mushrif National Park to search Pallid Scops–

Owl – and with late night Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Dubai to Colombo.

19 January

Left Kitunayaka airport to Dubai with Sri Lankan Airways at 18.40 hrs. By Taxi to

Ramada Chelsea hotel which was a comfortable place to stay (0097145019000 and

www.ramadachelseaalbarsha.hotelsone.com) with a good Indian restaurant on the

ground-floor. Slept in Ramada Chelsea hotel.

20 January

Mark picked us up from Ramada Chelsea hotel at 5.00 hrs. and drove us to Abu

Dhabi for our 10-minutes-crossing by boat to Lulu Island. Walked on the Island – it

is not allowed to leave the beach and walk into the inner part of the Island, which

we tried to respect – from 7.15 hrs. to 10.15 hrs. (Hypocolius, Red-tailed

Wheatear, Indian Silverbill, Black-throated Thrush, Asian Desert Warbler,

Menetries's Warbler, Bay-backed Shrike and Pallas's Gull) and returned to the main

land at 10.30 hrs. Drove to Al Ain (Pallid Scops-Owl in Al Jimi oasis, Egyptian

Vulture, Hume's and Mourning Wheatear on Jebel Hafit (1249 m.)). Drove to Qarn

Nazwa where we 'lifered' Pharaoh Eagle-Owl at dusk. Returned to Dubai, checked Al

Maha reserve on the way (Arabian Oryx) and slept in Ramada Chelsea hotel again.

Lulu Island

http://www.ramadachelseaalbarsha.hotelsone.com/

21 January

Left our hotel at 5.00 hrs. again to drive to Dibba on the east coast (Sooty Gull,

Lesser Crested Tern and Swift Tern) and spent some time in Masafi Wadi (Hume's

Wheatear, Scrub Warbler and eventually Plain Leaf Warbler). Drove to Wamms

Farms where the green fields had attracted a great variety of species of birds:

Bimaculated Lark, Oriental Skylark, Eurasian Skylark, Buff-bellied Pipit, Water Pipit,

Variable Wheatear and Isabelline Wheatear). The wintering Eversmann's Redstart,

however, did not pop up. Returned to the west coast and found just one Socotra

Cormorant at the fish quay of Umm al Qawain and spent some time at the lagoon of

Khor al Beida to check the many waders, gulls and terns (Great Knot, Crab Plover,

Greater and Lesser Sand Plover, Terek Sandpiper and Slender-billed Gull). Were

taken to the airport and said goodbye to Mark at 15.15 hrs.

Map 2

Acknowledgments

This report benefited from the remarks by Kees Verburg after his proof reading of

an earlier version.

References

In the field we used:

'Birds of the Middle East (second edition)' by Richard Porter and Simon

Aspinall. Chistopher Helm, London. ISBN 978–7136–7602-0.

While preparing and digesting our trip we used:

‘Dubai, United Arab Emirates.’ 19 – 26 February 2011 by Peter & Juke van

Scheepen.

Dick Meijer [email protected]

Peter van Scheepen [email protected]



Systematic list of birds

Sequence and taxonomy follow Clements 2016.

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L.

Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world:

v2016. Downloaded from:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

I = Introduced

1. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

50 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January.

2. Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca)


3. Gray Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus)


4. Little Grebe (Podiceps ruficollis)


5. Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)


6. Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

100+ seen at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

7. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

22 seen at Dibba Port and 9 at Umm al Qawain on 21 January.

8. Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis)

Just 1 seen at Umm al Qawain fish quay on 21 January.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

Socotra Cormorant, Umm al Qawain fish quay

9. Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea)

6 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January and 3 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

10. Western Reef-Heron (Egretta gularis)

60 seen at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

11. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

2 seen at Al Maha reserve on 20 January and 4 at Wamm farms

on 21 January.

12. Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)


13. Egyptian Vulture (Neophron perncopterus)

11 seen at Jebel Hafit on 20 January.

14. Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)

1 seen at Al Jimi oasis on 20 January.

15. Short-toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)


16. Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)


17. Eurasian Marsh-Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

1 seen on Lulu Island and 2 at Al Maha reserve on 20 January

and 2 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

18. Shikra (Accipiter badius)


19. Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)


20. Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)


21. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

2 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January and 2 at Wamms farms on 21 January.

22. Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadrius mongolus)

6 seen at Dibba port and 3 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

23. Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)


24. Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)


25. Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)


26. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)


27. Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)

1 seen en route in Abu Dhabi on 20 January and 3 at Khor al Beida

on 21 January.

28. Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)


29. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)


30. Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)


31. Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)


32. Sanderling (Calidris alba)


33. Little Stint (Calidris minuta)


34. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypyleucos)

1 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January, 1 at Dibba port and 1 at Khor al Beida

on 21 January.

35. Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)


36. Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)


37. Crab Plover (Dromas ardola)


38. Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei)

1 seen at Umm al Qawain fish quay and 3 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

39. Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

50 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January and 100+ at Khor al Beida

on 21 January.

40. Sooty Gull (Ichthyaetus hemprichi)

2 seen at Dibba port on 21 January.

41. Pallas's Gull (Icthyaetus icthyaetus)


42. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus barabensis)

6 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January, 3 at Dibba port and 8 at Khor al Beida

on 21 January.

43. Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica)


44. Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)


45. Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)


46. Lesser Crested Tern (Thalasseus bengalensis)


47. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Common throughout.

48. Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)

Common throughout, but less numerous than S. decaocto.

49. Pallid Scops-Owl (Otus brucei)

2 seen at Jimi oasis near Al Ain on 20 January.

Pallid Scops-Owl, Jimi oasis near Al Ain

50. Pharaoh Eagle-Owl (Bubo ascalaphus)

Great views of a calling bird at Qarn Nazwa on 20 January.

51. Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)

2 seen at Al Jimi oasis and 4 at Qarn Nazwa on 20 January and 8 at

Masafi wadi, 8 at Wamm farms and 8 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

52. Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

3 seen at Qarn Nazwa on 20 January and heard at Wamms farms

on 21 January.

53. Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)

2 seen at Al Jimi oasis on 20 January, 1 at Wamm farms

and 1 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

54. Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)

2 seen at Al Maha reserve on 20 January and 1 at Wamm farms

on 21 January.

55. Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinninculus)

1 seen at Qarn Nazwa on 20 January.

56. Alexandrine Parakeet (Psitacula eupatria) I


57. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) I

2 seen at Al Maha reserve on 20 January and 2 at Wamms farms

on 21 January.

58. Southern Gray Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

2 seen en route to Khor al Beida and 1 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

59. Steppe Gray Shrike (Lanius palludirostris)


60. Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus)


Bay-backed Shrike, Lulu Island

61. Isabellline (Daurian) Shrike (Lanius isabellinus isabellinus)

1 seen at Wamms farms on 21 January.

Isabellline (Daurian) Shrike, Wamms farms

62. House Crow (Corvus splendens)

Common in urban areas and on Lulu Island.

63. Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis)

2 seen at Al Maha reserve and 2 at Jebel Hafit on 20 January, 4 at Dibba port

and 2 at Wamms farms and 6 en route to Khor al Beida on 21 January.

64. Desert Lark (Ammomanes deserti)

6 seen at Jebel Hafit and 1 en route to Dubai on 20 January

and 4 in Masafi wadi on 21 January.

65. Bimaculated Lark (Melanocorypha bimaculata)


66. Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

1 heard at Wamms farms on 21 January.

67. Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula)


68. Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

6 seen on Lulu Island and 1 at Qarn Nazwa on 20 January,

5 at Wamms farms and 1 at Khor al Beida on 21 January.

69. Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)

60 at Wamms farms on 21 January.

70. Rock Martin (Ptyonoprogne fuligula obsoleta)

4 seen at Jebel Hafit and 2 at Qarn Nazwa on 20 January.

71. Common House-Martin (Delichon urbica)


72. Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) I


73. White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)

30 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January and common elsewhere.

74. White-spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos)

2 seen at Jebel Hafit on 20 January, 2 in Masafi wadi and 2 at Khor al Beida

on 21 January.

75. Scrub Warbler (Sococerca inquieta)

8 seen in Masafi wadi on 21 January.

Scrub Warbler, Masafi wadi

76. Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

1 seen at Wamm farms on 21 January.

77. Plain Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus neglectus)

1 seen in Masafi wadi on 21 January.

78. Clamorous Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus)

3 heard on Lulu Island on 20 January.

79. Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)

1 heard on Lulu Island and 1 at Jebel Hafit on 20 January

and 1 seen at Wamms farms on 21 January.

80. Asian Desert Warbler (Sylvia nana)

2 seen on Lulu Island and 3 at Al Maha reserve on 20 January.

81. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca halimodendri)

2 seen on Lulu Island and 1 at Jebel Hafit, 1 heard at Al Maha reserve

on 20 January and 1 heard at Masafi wadi on 21 January.

82. Menetries's Warbler (Sylvia mystacea)


83. Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros phoenicoroides)

1 male seen on Lulu Island and 1 female at Jebel Hafit on 20 January

and 1 female and 1 male in Masafi wadi on 21 January.

84. Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitarius)

1 male seen at Jebel Hafit on 20 January.

85. European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)


86. Hume's Wheatear (Oenanthe albonigra)

3 seen at Jebel Hafit on 20 January and 6 in Masafi wadi on 21 January.

Hume's Wheatear, Jebel Hafit

87. Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata)

1 seen in Masafi wadi and 2 at Wamms farms and 1 at Khor al Beida on

21 January was most likely this species.

Variable Wheatear, Khor al Beida

88. Red-tailed Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna)

1 seen on Lulu Island and 1 at Jebel Hafit on 20 January and 6 in Masafi wadi

on 21 January.

Red-tailed Wheatear, Masafi wadi

89. Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)

4 seen on Lulu Island and 2 in Al Maha reserve on 20 January and 2 at

Khor al Beida on 21 January.

90. Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellinus)

1 seen at Al Maha reserve on 20 January and 1 at Wamms farms on

21 January.

91. Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens)

1 seen on Jebel Hafit on 20 January.

Mourning Wheatear, Jebel Hafit

92. Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)


93. Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)


94. Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) I

8 seen on Lulu Island on 20 January and common elsewhere.

95. Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus) I


96. Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus)

1 seen on Lulu Island and 1 at Jebel Hafit on 20 January.

Purple Sunbird, Jebel Hafit

97. White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)


98. Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)

1 seen on Lulu Island and 6 at Al Maha reserve on 20 January

and 1 at Wamms farms on 21 January.

99. Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)


100. Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)


101. American Pipit (Anthus rubescens japonicus)


102. Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelius)


Hypocolius, Lulu Island

103. Striolated Bunting (Emberiza striolata)

1 seen at Jebel Hafit on 20 January.

104. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Common throughout.

105. Indian Silverbill (Euodice malabarica)

3 seen on Lulu Island and 4 at Jebel Hafit on 20 January.

Indian Silverbill, Jebel Hafit

Systematic list of mammals

1. Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx)

3 seen at Al Maha reserve on 20 January.

Arabian Oryx, Al Maha reserve

2. Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum)

1 seen and more heard at Wamms farms on 21 January.

Other animals

1. Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)

1 seen during crossing by boat to Lulu Island on 20 January.

Documents

20 21 January 2017 - SURFBIRDS · 2017-04-22 · Ramada Chelsea hotel which was a comfortable place to stay (0097145019000 and ) with a good Indian restaurant on the ground-floor