esmondb
Wednesday 27th October 2004, 16:30
A holiday in the sun provided an unexpected opportunity for some birdwatching as I discovered from my "Rough Guide" that a reasonably large freshwater lake was located only a few km from my holiday resort.
I've taken this description directly from Birdlife International as it gives a very good summation of the site and its key birds:
"Oued Sed is a watercourse located 20 km north of Sousse. In very wet years, it is part of the outlet from Sebkhet (salt lake) Kelbia to the sea via Sebkhet Sidi Khelifa. Oued Sed receives some water in normal winters through local run-off; it also appears to be fed by local springs, since it retains water throughout the summer and the vegetation (Phragmites communis and Typha angustifolia) is characteristic of freshwater sites.
Because of its freshwater character and thick vegetation, not common in central Tunisia, this small site is important for a number of breeding birds. Apart from Marmaronetta angustirostris, breeding species include Tadorna tadorna, Ixobrychus minutus, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, A. scirpaceus and, probably, Porphyrio porphyrio. Aythya nyroca has been recorded wintering in small numbers (3–10). At the end of the dry summers, large numbers of waders, notably Charadrius alexandrinus, may congregate. Located near the coast, the site also provides habitat for passage migrants."
The species that I'd wanted to see, not mentioned above, were marsh harrier, reputed to feed on the abundant frogs, and greater flamingo.
On leaving the holiday resort, just north of the town of Sousse, on the east coast of Tunisia, I pointed my new digital camera at a few birds in and around the car park area of the hotel. On identification I had three lifers: laughing dove, spanish sparrow & spotless starling. All 3 were relatively easy to see as they were ever presents in the hotel grounds along with greenfinches, a solitary great tit (which probably shouldn't have been there!) blackbirds and house sparrows.
On arriving at the site with my girlfriend (not an avid birder) we quickly decided that the weather was going to decide how long we stayed lake-side - 30°C and no shade would quickly take their toll.
Out of the taxi and straight away a new bird for me in eurasian spoonbill flying away from the part of the lake that has been turned into a fish farm (quite recently, I presume, as its not mentioned in my Rough Guide or on the Birdlife website).
The coastal road from Sousse to Hergla bisects the Oued Sed lake at its narrowest point - to the west the main expanse of the lake and on the east the fish farm.
Looking through the fence to the fish farm I picked up a bird I'm disappointed to not have on my UK list little egret -the yellow feet enabling easy identification and lots of grey heron and a few cormorant. Disappointingly I couldn't see any purple heron which would have been a nice addition to my list.
As the farm was fenced off we immediately turned our attention to the lake on the other side of the road. A strange tern was flying amongst some gulls. Gulls not being one of my easily separated species I tried to get good photos of them and the tern to verify later. Black necked grebes in winter plumage swam nearby - many more than I'd ever seen together in Britain.
With the help of Birdforum members the tern was ID'd as white-winged tern with slender-billed gulls.
In the near distance we could also make out the species which my girlfriend wanted to see - flamingoes.
Rounding the shore we spotted a number of strangely proportioned waders which could only be black-winged stilts with a couple of avocets.
The heat was already beginning to take its toll so we decided that we'd go back to the car after a short trek to get a closer view of the flamingoes.
Here we saw zitting cisticola perched atop a bush and a female marsh harrier overhead before taking pictures of the flamingoes, which never really allowed close approaches and returning to the car and hotel for cold drinks and showers.
I was disappointed not to have seen more species but the heat was extremely oppressive and remaining by the lake without any respite from the sun would have been foolish in the least, even in October.
Had I more time I would have gone back at a much earlier hour of the day.
10 new birds was not bad for a mornings work, but it could have easily been so much better.
I've taken this description directly from Birdlife International as it gives a very good summation of the site and its key birds:
"Oued Sed is a watercourse located 20 km north of Sousse. In very wet years, it is part of the outlet from Sebkhet (salt lake) Kelbia to the sea via Sebkhet Sidi Khelifa. Oued Sed receives some water in normal winters through local run-off; it also appears to be fed by local springs, since it retains water throughout the summer and the vegetation (Phragmites communis and Typha angustifolia) is characteristic of freshwater sites.
Because of its freshwater character and thick vegetation, not common in central Tunisia, this small site is important for a number of breeding birds. Apart from Marmaronetta angustirostris, breeding species include Tadorna tadorna, Ixobrychus minutus, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, A. scirpaceus and, probably, Porphyrio porphyrio. Aythya nyroca has been recorded wintering in small numbers (3–10). At the end of the dry summers, large numbers of waders, notably Charadrius alexandrinus, may congregate. Located near the coast, the site also provides habitat for passage migrants."
The species that I'd wanted to see, not mentioned above, were marsh harrier, reputed to feed on the abundant frogs, and greater flamingo.
On leaving the holiday resort, just north of the town of Sousse, on the east coast of Tunisia, I pointed my new digital camera at a few birds in and around the car park area of the hotel. On identification I had three lifers: laughing dove, spanish sparrow & spotless starling. All 3 were relatively easy to see as they were ever presents in the hotel grounds along with greenfinches, a solitary great tit (which probably shouldn't have been there!) blackbirds and house sparrows.
On arriving at the site with my girlfriend (not an avid birder) we quickly decided that the weather was going to decide how long we stayed lake-side - 30°C and no shade would quickly take their toll.
Out of the taxi and straight away a new bird for me in eurasian spoonbill flying away from the part of the lake that has been turned into a fish farm (quite recently, I presume, as its not mentioned in my Rough Guide or on the Birdlife website).
The coastal road from Sousse to Hergla bisects the Oued Sed lake at its narrowest point - to the west the main expanse of the lake and on the east the fish farm.
Looking through the fence to the fish farm I picked up a bird I'm disappointed to not have on my UK list little egret -the yellow feet enabling easy identification and lots of grey heron and a few cormorant. Disappointingly I couldn't see any purple heron which would have been a nice addition to my list.
As the farm was fenced off we immediately turned our attention to the lake on the other side of the road. A strange tern was flying amongst some gulls. Gulls not being one of my easily separated species I tried to get good photos of them and the tern to verify later. Black necked grebes in winter plumage swam nearby - many more than I'd ever seen together in Britain.
With the help of Birdforum members the tern was ID'd as white-winged tern with slender-billed gulls.
In the near distance we could also make out the species which my girlfriend wanted to see - flamingoes.
Rounding the shore we spotted a number of strangely proportioned waders which could only be black-winged stilts with a couple of avocets.
The heat was already beginning to take its toll so we decided that we'd go back to the car after a short trek to get a closer view of the flamingoes.
Here we saw zitting cisticola perched atop a bush and a female marsh harrier overhead before taking pictures of the flamingoes, which never really allowed close approaches and returning to the car and hotel for cold drinks and showers.
I was disappointed not to have seen more species but the heat was extremely oppressive and remaining by the lake without any respite from the sun would have been foolish in the least, even in October.
Had I more time I would have gone back at a much earlier hour of the day.
10 new birds was not bad for a mornings work, but it could have easily been so much better.