The aim of a trip in April 2023 was to visit Egypt again after a long time. On the one hand to round off the list of birds in the western Palaearctic and on the other hand to observe the bird migration along the Nile. During our previous stays we had mostly been to the… Continue reading Southern Egypt: a worthwhile birding destination for the Western Palearctic?
Category: Bird Trips (Pictures & Stories)
What could be seen, what to see, the landscape…
Arunachal Pradesh and 1 of its owls: Collared Owlet
Driving in the Himalayas. Our driver is a real expert. Right next to the roadside of the well-known Mandala Road in Arunachal Pradesh, only about 10m away, a little owl is sitting on a bamboo bush. A heated discussion ensues. Eventually the owl turns out to be a Collared Owlet (Taenioptynx brodiei). This small owl… Continue reading Arunachal Pradesh and 1 of its owls: Collared Owlet
Egypt- a birding trip in spring migration time
INTRODUCTION With the lifting of the corona restrictions, “normal” trips are now possible again. From the end of 2022, I was planning a vacation in April next year. The aim was to visit Egypt again after a long time, on the one hand to round off the West Palearctic bird list and on the other… Continue reading Egypt- a birding trip in spring migration time
Moewenpick-Garden: a Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
Promoted as a secluded oasis set in beautiful gardens on Elephantine Island, the 5-star Mövenpick Aswan resort is located on an island in the middle of the Nile in Aswan city right next to the Sahara desert. A vegetable garden, tall trees in the middle of an otherwise densely populated Egyptian city. Here, the Möwenpick… Continue reading Moewenpick-Garden: a Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
Plain Martin Riparia paludicola, new to Egypt birdlist
Shortly, after we have left the jetty in Abu Simbel, we drive along high reeds. The reed seems impenetrable. Nevertheless, the tall stalks of reeds are full of life. Filled with the sonorous rattling of the Clamorous Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus), buzzed around by masses of Sand Martins (Riparia riparia) and Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), all… Continue reading Plain Martin Riparia paludicola, new to Egypt birdlist
Egyptian Nightjar in a wadi in Egypt
Orginally we wanted to stretch our legs at a wadi. We boot a little on the sandy ground. Depending on where you step, you step deep. The remains of the loamy layer lie on the ground like tiles after drying out. So the wadi has water at times. Some of the bushes are still green,… Continue reading Egyptian Nightjar in a wadi in Egypt
Amun Tot Fish Ponds as home for Three-banded Plover in Aswan
Amun Tot Fish Ponds were unfortunately out of bound. The gate to the described area was closed when we arrived the first time. It’s a holiday. But the rest of the area looks good too. At the last – the most productive because the most muddy area – we actually see a Plover. A contrastingly… Continue reading Amun Tot Fish Ponds as home for Three-banded Plover in Aswan
Yellow-billed Stork: a special for the western Palearctic
As if they had swallowed a stick, two individuals of a species known from Africa are standing on the banks of a chanal ot the Toshka Project. Between many Gray Herons (Ardea cinerea) two Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) stand upright with hanging beaks. The colors are beautiful to see in the morning sun. I was… Continue reading Yellow-billed Stork: a special for the western Palearctic
Vagrant Eurasian Golden-Oriole on Bird Island
In the early morning a quiet walk in the wood to Passe Hirondelle. Right near the farm building quite a big thrush-like bird landed on some vegetation. Just a second, than the bird flew away. Fortunately not far so I could follow for a while and took a picture of the bird which turned out… Continue reading Vagrant Eurasian Golden-Oriole on Bird Island
A Plain Leaf-Warbler – winter visitor at the Hajar Mountains – UAE
In the early morning light we go to Green Mubazzarah, which is located at the foot of the Hajar Mountains. Green Mubazzarah is a true paradise in the morning. Green Mubazzarah is a picnic area with streams, grass and chalets at the north foot of Jebel Hafeet before the road begins to climb to the… Continue reading A Plain Leaf-Warbler – winter visitor at the Hajar Mountains – UAE
Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler in the Mishmi Hills
An early morning at 5:50 am in the Mishmi Hills. The morning sun, not yet there, will shine again from a cloudless sky. Only above the Brahmaputra can one see the first white clouds, which can also be morning mist. It is 6:30 a.m. and we are at 1,900m above sea level at a mighty… Continue reading Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler in the Mishmi Hills
Gulls and Ducks in winter fog
A foggy morning in the harbor, and the thick mist seems to be clinging to the masts of the ships in the harbor. There’s a feeling of mystery in the air as the fog creates an eerie atmosphere and obscures the details of the vessels. The kutter in the harbor is not really a majestic… Continue reading Gulls and Ducks in winter fog