Birdwatching trip report - Egypt
Period: 29.12.2006-5.1.2007
Author(s): Andrea Tarozzi
Key sites visited: El Quesir
El Quseir (Egypt, Red Sea): 29 December 2006 – 5 January 2007
This is a short report of a winter holiday – rather than a birdwatching trip – in Egypt, on the Red Sea Coast.
I hope this can be useful for those going down there in this “alternative” season, rather than during the bird migration months.
Logistics:
I was with my girlfriend and we stayed in Flamenco Resort. This hotel is located 8 km north of Quseir (one of the few real “cities” on this part of the Red Sea), 84 km north of Marsa Alam airport and 130 km south of Hurghada.
The hotel seemed pretty good for both of us, for the accommodation, surroundings, diving facilities and food.
We had no car and I / we choosed to rely only on 3 tours with the tourist bus, one in a nearby beach, one in El Quseir city and one in Abu Dadab.
Birding:
I was amazed to see how few birds were at that time in the Red Sea coasts, at least for what I have seen. During the holiday, I was of course several hours at the site near our hotel and also I scanned the sea during the various bus trip we took. The sea and the coasts were always very fascinating but... empty of bird life!
The weather was for the most days a little colder and windier than the average.
About the Flamenco Resort where we stayed, the place should be interesting during migration as it'd be the first hotel after Safaga (in direction north – south). The resort has got some nice gardens and some trees, maybe not many as the nearby Movenpick Hotel, which anyway did not impressed me when I entered in it (I admit I was on a bus anyway). The Flamenco Resort is not “walled” like most of the hotels... maybe this could please some birds too?
I must admit anyway in the sea I was able to see many interesting “non-bird” sea life while snorkeling!
About what I saw and did not saw (the last name is in Italian):
- Waders / shorebirds: I just saw a small unidentified group in flight in El Quseir (I think Calidris) and, in the same place, some crouched and rather far birds (I think curlews)
- Egretta gularis / Western Reef Heron / Garzetta schistacea: very few individuals scattered around the shores
- Bubulcus ibis / Cattle Egret / Airone guardabuoi: a few (5-6 or less) where at our hotel the first days
- Pandion haliaetus / Osprey / Falco pescatore: one at a shore near Marsa Alam
- Falco tinnunculus / Eurasian Kestrel / Gheppio: common
- Falco biarmicus / Lanner / Lanario: I'm not 100% sure as it was a very fast sight form the bus, I saw 2 falcons which seemed lanners, crouched on (I think) a prey a few km north on Flamenco Resort
- Larus hemprichii / Sooty Gull / Gabbiano fuligginoso: 6 at El Quseir harbour
- unidentified gulls: on 30 Dec. 3 pre-adult rather large gulls passed flying along the sea towards north, I think they were of the michahellis type
- Sterna caspia / Caspian Tern / Sterna maggiore: I saw one or two of them in 3 different times, of course along the shore
- Columba livia / Rock Dove / Piccione selvatico: common
- Streptopelia senegalensis / Laughing Dove / Tortora delle palme: common
- Corvus cornix / Hooded Crow / Cornacchia grigia: common
- Corvus ruficollis / Brown-necked Raven / Corvo collobruno: common
- Luscinia svecica / Bluethroat / Pettazzurro: common in hotel gardens
- Saxicola rubicola / European Stonechat / Saltimpalo: common in our hotel garden
- Oenanthe leucopyga / White-crowned Black Wheatear / Monachella testabianca: 2 males in El Quseir city (1 Jan.)
- Oenanthe lugens / Mourning Wheatear / Monachella lamentosa: 1 male between Flamenco and Movenpick (various days)
- Oenanthe monacha / Hooded Wheatear / Monachella dal cappuccio: 1 confident female at out resort (various days), also 1 male at Abu Dadab (2 Jan.)
- Phylloscopus collybita / Common Chiffchaff / Luì piccolo: common in our hotel garden
- Sylvia melanocephala / Sardinian Warbler / Occhiocotto: common in our hotel garden
- Passer domesticus / House Sparrow / Passera oltremontana: common
- Motacilla alba / White Wagtail / Ballerina bianca: common in our hotel, many dozens gathered at each dusk to eat (I think) something on some hotel trees.
Other advices:
- If interested in birding Egypt, I suggest to subscribe to the excellent and supportive Egybird mailing list, there are many supportive people in it (too bad I was able just to meet one and... by chance!): http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EgyBirdGroup/
- El Quseir harbour: an interesting place, almost the only one where I found gulls and shorebirds. At that place there's some policemen, you'll have to discuss wit them about going around with binoculars!
- Utopia Beach Club: this hotel is south of el Quseir, from the bus I saw some interesting small (freshwater?) ponds where I think there was a Great Cormorant... anyway worth a look!
- As I was suggested to do, it'd be a nice idea to rent a car in Hurgada and than going to your own hotel, along the great Red Sea road. You'll have much freedom to look around for the best sites... Other good places are towards the Nile but the roads are closed or at least you usually have to follow the daily convoy(s).
That's all...
Andrea Tarozzi - Bologna - Italia
http://www.andreatarozzi.eu/
Hooded Wheatear
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