• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Birding at the Crossroads: Oman, Dec 2013 - Jan 2014 (1 Viewer)

6th January 2014: Wadi Darbat – Ayn Hamran – Khawr Taqah – Khawr Rawri – East Khawr

Early in the morning I drove up the steep slope towards Wadi Darbat. At the junction of the road that heads back down into the wadi a large crowd of Arabian Partridges were strutting about giving splendid views. A good start to proceedings. Down in the valley things were busy. A Booted Eagle sailed over the trees. Hoopoes flew up from the grass. A few Red-throated and Tree Pipits were scattered about. Then there were the local specialities. Ruppell’s Weavers and Cinnamon-breasted Buntings were numerous. Amongst them were the black-rumped African Silverbills. In the trees the green and white Abyssinian White-eyes were numerous. Even more decorative were the numerous African Paradise Flycatchers, some of the males with long tails and white flashes in the wings. Strange gurgling calls revealed the brightly coloured Bruce’s Green Pigeons, which sometimes gave furtive views in amongst the tree canopy.

This was great but then things got more interesting. First up was a strange and seemingly unidentifiable wheatear – somewhat like a Variable but with a peculiar rump and tail pattern. It flitted about engagingly with a couple of Blackstarts. Next was a small flycatcher in a denser area of trees. It looked strikingly grey-brown with a white eye-ring and short tail. Then I noticed an orange throat patch coming through, clearly isolated by the grey breast. Blimey – a Taiga Flycatcher, I thought: a rare and perhaps even unknown species in Oman. It rapidly disappeared before eventually surfacing again a short distance away and giving seem reasonable views. A few shots snapped, I was fairly happy I had some documentation at least.

Having spent much of the morning at Wadi Darbat I was keen to move on to other sites. Next stop was Ayn Hamran, a lovely spot by a small pool surrounded by thick scrub and high mountains. As I arrived a group of Swedish birders were just leaving. Had I seen anything good, they asked. Well, I just saw this flycatcher in Wadi Darbat, I replied. A Taiga? As it turned out, they had seen exactly the same bird the day before! Quite a coincidence, given the habitat at Wadi Darbat. It turned out it was the fourth record for Oman – reassuring to know that others had come to the same conclusion as me at least.

Ayn Hamran proved rather good. The nearby scrub soon produced a couple of cracking Black-crowned Tchagras, strutting about on the ground at almost point-blank range. A pair of Arabian Warblers soon gave fine looks in the scrub and a Turkestan Shrike was also performing well. The best was to follow though. A few passerines were coming down to the small channel of water coming from the pool to drink. Most were Cinnamon-breasted Buntings but then a bigger bird plopped down. Crikey – Golden-winged Grosbeak! This is perhaps the hardest of the Dhofar specialities to find and here was one giving gorgeous views as it drank. Soon it was off, but that was very much mission accomplished.

I continued on, almost running over four Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse along the road, and headed down to the beach past Khawr Taqah. Peering through the railings to the small lake, a couple of Pheasant-tailed Jacanas were trotting across the floating vegetation. The inlet by the beach was busy with waders: lots of Pacific Golden Plovers and a few Temminck’s Stint amongst the throng. Two Indian Pond Herons and a couple of Squacco Herons were along the marshy parts of the channel. A Greater Spotted Eagle drifted overhead. Next I had a look around the northern arm of Khawr Rawri, finding Purple Heron, Blue Rock Thrush and Bluethroat. On then to another lagoon, the East Khawr in Salalah. Here there were more waders, including a Red-necked Phalarope and another Pheasant-tailed Jacana.

With the day drawing to a close I headed back to Ayn Hamran. Raptors had been a short supply earlier but now they were busy catching the last of the late afternoon sun on the slopes. A couple of Short-toed Eagles and a Long-legged Buzzard hovered. At least three Steppe Eagles soared. A pair of Bonelli’s Eagle drifted across and a young bird flew the other way. Non-stop action. As night closed in, a distant Arabian Scops Owl trilled.

Some pictures from Wadi Darbat:
1. African Paradise Flycatcher
2. African Silverbills
3. Ruppell's Weaver
4. Taiga Flycatcher (not a wholly conclusive shot if I'm honest)
5. The weird wheatear
 

Attachments

  • African Paradise Flycatcher_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    African Paradise Flycatcher_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    174.9 KB · Views: 74
  • African Silverbill_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    African Silverbill_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    120.8 KB · Views: 69
  • Ruppells Weaver_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    Ruppells Weaver_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    277.7 KB · Views: 70
  • Taiga Flycatcher_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    Taiga Flycatcher_Wadi Darbat_060114a.jpg
    232.5 KB · Views: 130
  • Wheatear 1.jpg
    Wheatear 1.jpg
    161.8 KB · Views: 118
Some more pictures, the first three at Ayn Hamran and the last at Khawr Taqah:

1. Golden-winged Grosbeak
2. Cinnamon-breasted Buntings
3. Chestnut-bellied Sandgourse
4. Indian Pond Herons
 

Attachments

  • GW Grosbeak_Ayn Hamran_060114b.jpg
    GW Grosbeak_Ayn Hamran_060114b.jpg
    282.5 KB · Views: 161
  • CB Bunting_Ayn Hamran_060114a.jpg
    CB Bunting_Ayn Hamran_060114a.jpg
    150.1 KB · Views: 108
  • CB Sandgrouse_Ayn Hamran_060114a.jpg
    CB Sandgrouse_Ayn Hamran_060114a.jpg
    205.7 KB · Views: 93
  • Indian Pond Heron_Taqah_060114a.jpg
    Indian Pond Heron_Taqah_060114a.jpg
    174 KB · Views: 91
7th January 2014: Raysut – Al Mughsayl – Salalah

The first bird of the day was a good one: an Oriental Honey Buzzard that perched on the rooftops at my hotel, only to be mobbed eagerly by House Crows. The birding didn’t continue in the most glorious of surroundings, as I found my way to Raysut and a fairly grim, dusty industrial area. Just to keep it pleasant, my first port of call was the rubbish dump. I knew I’d got to the right area because I began to see eagles perched up on the roadside fences. Most common were Steppe Eagles but one magnificent adult and two juvenile Imperial Eagles sat nonchalantly at close range. It wasn’t just eagles flying around the dump but numerous Abdim’s Storks were rising up and flying towards the nearby sewage works. I headed over in that direction and soon found dozens of them crowded around the concrete pools. Eventually I counted around 350. Also around the sewage works were a couple of confiding Greater Spotted Eagles, a Marsh Sandpiper and a Green Bee-eater. At least forty Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse came in to drink. As I headed back past the dump, around two hundred Steppe Eagles were kettled on the thermals, along with three White Storks and numerous gulls.

The surroundings became a little more tranquil after this, as I headed west to Al Mughsayl – a scenic location on the coast. The small lagoon by the road featured an Intermediate Egret together with a Spoonbill and a couple of Glossy Ibis. Perched on one of the buoys offshore was a Brown Booby. A track led off from the coast and into a wadi, where there were more pools. A Ferruginous Duck flew up from the first where there was also a Marsh Sandpiper. The wadi was good for raptors, including three Imperial Eagles, four Steppe Eagles and two Short-toed Eagles. A couple of Arabian Partridges scuttled up a rocky slope. I headed over to the concrete hide that looks out over the reedy khawr just inland from the coast road. A variety of wildfowl included no fewer than eight Cotton Pygmy-geese. Down on the beach lots of gulls and terns were gathered. After some scrutiny I reckoned the grey-rumped medium-sized terns were White-cheeked Terns. A single Great Black-headed Gull was also in the flock.

I then headed back in to Salalah and the West Khawr, where two Red-knobbed Coot were soon found bobbing about on the far side of the lake. The lake at Al Baleed Archaeological Park was a bit quiet but the rather grand observation tower provided some possibilities for looking for raptors over the city. Two Booted Eagles and a Greater Spotted Eagle were soaring over the palm plantations. A Village Weaver near the car park was presumably a bit plastic. Twenty-four Whiskered Terns and a White-winged Tern were gathered by the lagoon.

I then headed on to the city’s farms. The first was Jarziz, which looked good but I expect a lot of birds were hidden out of sight in the crops. Very noisy were the hundred or so Rose-coloured Starlings gathered in the shrubbery. A Peregrine – the only one of the trip – sailed over. Birds were more conspicuous at Sahnawt Farm, although this had to be viewed from the roadside. Lots of waders were picking through the irrigated crops: around 300 Pacific Golden Plovers and over 400 Ruff. A few Red-throated Pipits were amongst the wagtails and an Imperial Eagle was perched on a distant irrigation boom. Wandering along the road a bit further I bumped into the Swedish crew I’d met yesterday. They had good news. A quick scan through the Pacific Golden Plovers got me on to what they were looking at: a splendid Caspian Plover. This was a really smart bird, small but elegant with a really neatly demarcated breast with just a hint of red coming through. Over the fields at least three Pallid Harriers drifted.

I finished the day at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, just after night fell. A stroll around the small golf course soon revealed a couple of Spotted Thick-knees strutting briskly in the darkness. One gave some nice views as it cantered into a well-lit spot. Marvellous big-eyed birds.

1. Abdim's Stork
2&3. Green Bee-eater - closed and open-beaked
4. The coast at Al Mughsayl
 

Attachments

  • Abdims Stork_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    Abdims Stork_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    127.9 KB · Views: 88
  • LG Beeeater_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    LG Beeeater_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    133 KB · Views: 63
  • LG Beeeater_Raysut_070114b.jpg
    LG Beeeater_Raysut_070114b.jpg
    139.3 KB · Views: 73
  • Al Mughsayl_070114a.jpg
    Al Mughsayl_070114a.jpg
    202.6 KB · Views: 84
Thanks for the comments. You'll have spotted that this was a good day for eagles. Here's some evidence. The first four shots are from Raysut and the last one from Al Mughsayl.

1. Steppe Eagle
2. Imperial Eagle (juvenile)
3&4. Greater Spotted Eagle (juvenile)
5. Imperial Eagle (juvenile)
 

Attachments

  • Steppe Eagle_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    Steppe Eagle_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    163.2 KB · Views: 94
  • Imperial Eagle_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    Imperial Eagle_Raysut_070114a.jpg
    157.9 KB · Views: 111
  • GS Eagle_Raysut_070114a1.jpg
    GS Eagle_Raysut_070114a1.jpg
    129.3 KB · Views: 101
  • GS Eagle_Raysut_070114b.jpg
    GS Eagle_Raysut_070114b.jpg
    133.5 KB · Views: 85
  • Imperial Eagle_Al Mughsayl_070114a.jpg
    Imperial Eagle_Al Mughsayl_070114a.jpg
    331.2 KB · Views: 106
8th Jan 2014: Ras Mirbat – Tawi Atayr – Wadi Derbat – Taqah – Sahnawt - Al Mughsayl

This morning began with a slight problem. I drove over to Ayn Hamran and got out the car and into what approached a gale. Fierce winds were whipping through the palm trees and the birding prospects looked a bit limited. Thinking of a change of plan, I reckoned the strong winds might at least be helpful for seawatching. I headed around 45 minutes east to Ras Mirbat, got out the car and… not a breath of wind, the sea a millpond. Very strange. I sat around a bit, seeing plenty of Red-necked Phalaropes out to sea. Several medium-sized terns were fishing, some looking dark-rumped and some noticeably paler, so presumably a mix of Common and White-cheeked Terns. Perhaps the best sighting was of a large turtle, presumably a Green Turtle, lolloping about in the calm, shallow water.

I headed back west and then ascended in the hills towards Tawi Atayr. The slope on the way up is quite heavily grazed with extensive short grasslands. I got out at one point and had a walk around, the wind again quite strong here. An Imperial Eagle sailed over, the first of several during the day. It took a little while to find my quarry but eventually a small bird flipped up before settling back down in amongst the rocks. I eventually found it crouching tightly to the ground: a Singing Bushlark. It gave very nice views and soon after I found another bird, showing slightly different, darker streaked plumage. In the same area a Long-billed Pipit was strutting gladly about. The ridge was good for soaring birds, particularly the numerous Fan-tailed Ravens, as well as Steppe Eagles and Short-toed Eagles.

I arrived at the sinkhole at Tawi Atayr hoping that the bird I was looking for, Yemen Serin, would be found pretty swiftly. Most trip reports seem to suggest they’re normally found within a few metres of the car park. I got out the car, didn’t see any initially so trotted down to the sinkhole overlook to hopefully get them safely under my belt. Hmm, no sign of any. There were plenty of other birds: a quick Arabian Warbler, lots of Abyssinian White-eyes and African Silverbills, both Shining and Palestine Sunbirds. No Yemen Serins though. I spent some time by a leak in a water pipe where birds were coming to drink and feed, several Tree Pipits amongst them. A couple of Griffon Vultures gave fine views as they sailed over. Still no Yemen Serins. I headed back to the sinkhole. A Bonelli’s Eagle was devouring something or other on a crag – very nice. But no Yemen Serins. A couple of hours had passed, walking the ridges. A female Arabian Wheatear was the best I found. The day was getting hot and it was pretty clear that the birds were not in the vicinity. This was getting troubling – I couldn’t dip what’s supposed to be a fairly easy species to see. After three hours I decided I would quit and go elsewhere. I might come back to Tawi Atayr later in the day but this was all taking up time I could spend looking for other birds. I skirted back along the edge of the sinkhole and, then, a small bird popped up on a bush. A streaky brown finch. Well there you go – a Yemen Serin, finally. Then another popped up and soon there were four. I went back to the car a bit happier and there, of course, was one hopping about on the ground right next to it. Birding, eh.

I called in briefly at Wadi Darbat on the way back down, hoping to see the Taiga Flycatcher again. It didn’t appear but I had good views of some Bruce’s Green Pigeons and a Greater Spotted Eagle. Then I headed to Khawr Taqah, which proved worthwhile. A Cotton Pygmy-goose was on the main lake. Down by the shore inlet a Marsh Harrier was flying about along with a rather splendid Yellow-billed Kite. Sadly they seemed to have been attracted by several dead gulls, which I suspect had been shot. Plenty of waders were about: sixty Pacific Golden Plover, a Marsh Sandpiper and a Temminck’s Stint. Scanning through them, I found what I was hoping for. A small-billed, milky tea coloured bird was perched on the edge of the channel and then took to flight, flashing big white patches in flight: a Small Pratincole. It eventually settled down on the beach for a bit before heading off again. I continued into Salalah, stopping at Sahnawt Farm again. There were fewer waders than the previous day, with no sign of the Caspian Plover. Around 350 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse were scattered across the fields and two Pallid Harriers and two Booted Eagles gave nice views.

The final part of the day was spent to the west, back at Al Mughsayl. I was following a tip off from the Swedish birders, who had been in the area the day before. I headed up the wadi to the second pool and waited around. A few waders pottered about, including Wood Sandpiper and Temminck’s Stint. A Greater Spotted Eagle flew over and a Blue Rock Thrush perched on a telegraph wire. Things were rather tranquil. Then a flash of blue near the water’s edge transformed into a somewhat browner looking bird with a bright red bill – a Grey-headed Kingfisher! Excellent stuff – a bird that’s scarce in these parts in the winter. It stuck around for a while, perching in the low trees around the water and darting down occasionally.

I finished the day by the sea, hoping a few seabirds would appear. A great swarm of birds were feeding on a patch of water about 500 metres out, a Brown Booby amongst them. As I watched, it soon became apparent why they were there. A huge shape appeared out of the water, dark grey and with a tall, sickle-shaped fin protruding: a whale! It surfaced perhaps four times, always showing that distinctive fin, looking perhaps around fifteen metres in length, and moving around rather abruptly in different directions. A quick check of the field guide gave me the options and some further investigation online suggested very strongly that this was a Bryde’s Whale. Really very wonderful to see.

1. A Bonelli's Eagle in the sinkhole at Tawi Atayr, tucking into something.
2. An 'interesting' shot of a Palestine Sunbird - quite a long tongue.
3. Tristram's Starling, or Grackle as I still quite like to call them.
4. Yemen Serin - you can see why all that effort was worthwhile I'm sure. Was a bit surprised the recent 'Wild Arabia' show about Dhofar didn't feature these. They showed leopards and wolves instead. Baffling.
5. Bruce's Green Pigeon at Wadi Darbat.
 

Attachments

  • Bonellis Eagle_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    Bonellis Eagle_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    285.4 KB · Views: 87
  • Palestine Sunbird_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    Palestine Sunbird_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    95.2 KB · Views: 72
  • Tristrams Starling_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    Tristrams Starling_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    110.2 KB · Views: 48
  • Yemen Serin_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    Yemen Serin_Tawi Atayr_080114a.jpg
    304 KB · Views: 84
  • Bruces Green Pigeon_Wadi Darbat_080114a.jpg
    Bruces Green Pigeon_Wadi Darbat_080114a.jpg
    204.6 KB · Views: 62
Sun, sea, sand... and a Yellow-billed Kite.
 

Attachments

  • YB Kite_Taqah_080114a.jpg
    YB Kite_Taqah_080114a.jpg
    121.8 KB · Views: 99
  • YB Kite_Taqah_080114b.jpg
    YB Kite_Taqah_080114b.jpg
    239.1 KB · Views: 100
9th January 2014: Mudhai – Shisr – Qatbit

I started off early from Salalah and headed inland to the desert. After leaving the main highway at Thumrait I headed west on Route 45 to the small village of Mudhai (sometimes spelt Mudday or Mudayy, but it’s Mudhai on the signposts). I knew there was an oasis here that has recently been a good spot for a variety of tricky birds. I stopped at the wadi just prior to the village, where a couple of very pale, sandy Desert Larks were by the side of the road. Better was to come, when a nice male Hooded Wheatear popped up on the rocks. This area looked worthy of further exploration but I wanted to get to the oasis as soon as possible.

The oasis is at the southern end of the village and, rather surprisingly, there’s a parking area and a probably very underused picnic and play area. This overlooks the small pool and palm plantation. There’s a fence around the plantation, but it’s broken in various places so it’s easy to get in and wander around. A very obvious bird here was Nile Valley Sunbird. These gorgeous things were all over the shop with probably fifty or more present. There were some very fine males in with the mix of other plumages. Palestine and Shining Sunbirds were also about in smaller numbers. Other passerines included an Asian Desert Warbler, three Blackstarts, another Desert Lark and an Abyssinian White-eye.

Soon after arriving I heard a call that sounded almost exactly like a Wigeon. Untypically for a Wigeon, the sound was coming from a dense stand of palm trees. A few minutes later I realised I would need to investigate this call a bit more closely. I wandered down through the palms but the whistling had stopped. I was walking back towards the pool when some calling started up again and a bird swooped into a tree. Put the bins up and there was what I was hoping for: a Grey Hypocolius. In fact there were two, rather furtively perched in the tree. They slipped off fairly quickly but I was to see a few more around the oasis – at least four birds in total, but more were no doubt present. Gorgeous soft grey-brown birds with those dashing black masks and unexpected white wing tips.

There was one final bird I was hoping to find. There were plenty of doves around, both Laughing and Collared, and their calls filled the air. Then, from near the pool, a different call, sounding disyllabic almost like a cuckoo but the second note was distinctly trilled. That was what I was listening for: an African Collared Dove. It wasn’t so easy to see though. I couldn’t find anything obvious on closer investigation and the bird fell silent. It then started calling again and so I walked down to the pool to see if I could see it from that side. A few doves flew out of the palm trees so I went back up to the picnic site to see if it was out in the open. A couple of doves were quietly trotting about on the ground. One looked a rather typical Collared Dove but the other was slightly but noticeably smaller, with seemingly longer wings, a shorter tail and a slightly squarer looking head. It also looked rather pale particularly on the belly. All subtle differences but it seemed to add up to the answer of African Collared Dove, at least as far as I could tell.

I then set off on a bit of an adventure, travelling along some unsurfaced roads through parched desert. The birds were a bit thin on the ground. A few Hoopoe Larks were good value, an Imperial Eagle took off from the stony plains. An Asian Desert Warbler flitted through a low bush. Not too much else though. I eventually came round to the green irrigated farms at Shisr. A few Tawny Pipits and Daurian and Southern Grey Shrikes popped up, but things didn’t seem too busy.

I decided to head north to another more famous desert oasis at Qatbit, where I intended to spend the night. After checking into the motel I again bumped into the Swedish crew. They suggested a few decent birds were around and I was soon seeing some of these. In a watery corner of the compound two or three Hume’s Warblers gave very pleasant views, as did a couple of Red-breasted Flycatchers, a Nile Valley Sunbird and a Bluethroat. I then bumped into another of the Swedish crew, who told me that they had just found a Black-throated Thrush on the other side of the compound. Good stuff, I thought. Unfortunately it seemed not to be showing but they suggested it would soon appear again. Sadly, it didn’t, aside from a couple of fleeting views of what was probably it in flight. A Song Thrush tantalised on other occasions and a nice phoenicuroides Black Redstart popped up briefly, but it was a bit of a frustrating end to the day. Perhaps it would be showing in the morning.

1. Desert Lark at Mudhai
2&3. Grey Hypocolius
4. What I think is an African Collared Dove (right) with a Collared Dove
 

Attachments

  • Desert Lark_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    Desert Lark_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    182.3 KB · Views: 41
  • Hypocolius_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    Hypocolius_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    173.6 KB · Views: 58
  • Hypocolius_Mudhai_090114b.jpg
    Hypocolius_Mudhai_090114b.jpg
    200 KB · Views: 78
  • Collared Doves_Mudhai_090114c.jpg
    Collared Doves_Mudhai_090114c.jpg
    311.3 KB · Views: 100
Mudhai = Sunbird Central

1. Palestine Sunbird
2. Shining Sunbird (female)
3&4. Nile Valley Sunbird
 

Attachments

  • Palestine Sunbird_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    Palestine Sunbird_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    85.2 KB · Views: 50
  • Shining Sunbird_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    Shining Sunbird_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    182.7 KB · Views: 41
  • Nile Valley Sunbird_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    Nile Valley Sunbird_Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    181.8 KB · Views: 64
  • Nile Valley Sunbird_Mudhai_090114b.jpg
    Nile Valley Sunbird_Mudhai_090114b.jpg
    113.8 KB · Views: 38
1. Hoopoe Lark in the desert
2. Some decidedly inhospitable looking desert nearby
3&4. The oasis and picnic area at Mudhai
5. The lusher surrounds of Qatbit

I thought I might add a few instructions for Mudhai, as it's not really featured in the guide book or any trip reports I've seen. The oasis is at 17.477118N, 53.35259E. From Route 31 at Thumrait, turn west on Route 45 and drive 81km. At the roundabout take the second exit and continue roughly south for 1.5km. Look for the trees!
 

Attachments

  • Hoopoe Lark_Dhofar_090114a.jpg
    Hoopoe Lark_Dhofar_090114a.jpg
    199.2 KB · Views: 66
  • Desert_Dhofar_090114a.jpg
    Desert_Dhofar_090114a.jpg
    87.7 KB · Views: 51
  • Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    Mudhai_090114a.jpg
    255.2 KB · Views: 61
  • Mudhai_090114b.jpg
    Mudhai_090114b.jpg
    207.8 KB · Views: 56
  • Qatbit_090114a.jpg
    Qatbit_090114a.jpg
    323.2 KB · Views: 57
The quality just seems to keep on coming . . . Oman is rising steadily on my wishlist of countries to visit.

The first shot of the Nile Valley Sunbird is a real beauty.

Cheers
Mike
 
10th January 2014: Qatbit – Muntasar – Sur

Before looking for the thrush, I drove a few kilometres into the desert to investigate a vegetated plain that has, in the recent past, been good for a few specialities. Getting on for an hour walking round this area produced one Hoopoe Lark, an Asian Desert Warbler and three Brown-necked Ravens, which rather disconcertingly were following me around! I spent another hour or so wandering around the compound but no thrushes of any kind were in evidence. I had brief views of a Grey Hypocolius, a male Pallid Harrier, a few Desert Whitethroats and some of the same birds as the previous day, such as Hume’s Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Nile Valley Sunbird and Bluethroat. But, that was about all I had time for at Qatbit and, with a long drive ahead of me, I had to leave.

I turned off the highway a bit further along the road to go to the famous oasis at Muntasar. This was easy enough to get to once I’d found the right roads. Asian Desert Warbler, Water Pipit and a Sparrowhawk all appeared around the trees and wetlands. The main feature were Spotted Sandgrouse, which were starting to arrive in just as I got to the oasis. Around 210 flew in and landed on the desert plain. They sat about not doing a lot before getting disturbed by a four-wheel drive, after which most of them seemed to leave.

The rest of the day was spent on the road, travelling north through the desert before heading east through the rather scenic landscapes to the south of the Al Hajar mountains. My destination was Sur on the coast and I arrived just before nightfall. I’d be spending my final day of the trip along the coast between here and Muscat.
 
11th January 2014: Ras al Hadd – Al Ayjah – Sur Sewage Works – Qurrayat

I began the day a little to the east of Sur at the headland of Ras al Hadd. This sandy promontory is well-known as a site for seawatching and I was hoping I might finally be able to add some tubenoses to my list. The conditions seemed promising with a brisk onshore wind and good viewing conditions. The tubenoses, however, were not forthcoming. Seeing any pelagic seabirds in Oman in early January seems to be pretty tricky, although at most other times of the year the chances appear to be much higher. One good seabird was around though, in the shape of several Bridled Terns. These elegant birds were regularly seen, sometimes at close range, picking at the surface of the sea. This was also a good place to get some decent views of Red-necked Phalaropes, with many birds in the channel at the mouth of the lagoon. A Great Black-headed Gull also flew past. I tried another seawatch at Al Ayjah near Sur but didn’t see much other than four more Bridled Terns.

Next stop was Sur Sewage Works, which appear to be an easy enough place to access. The main area for birds was a shallow flooded pool on the northeast side of the main lakes. This area was studded with Greater Flamingos, Glossy Ibis and various waders. These included three White-tailed Lapwings, four Pacific Golden Plovers, three Marsh Sandpipers and two Temminck’s Stints. Two Egyptian Vultures flew in and a Greater Spotted Eagle was overhead. It was nice to see Purple Sunbirds again, after all the other sunbirds down in the southwest. This site looks very good for crakes, but none decided to pop out of the reeds during my stay.

The afternoon was spent a bit further up the coast at Qurrayat, a nice area with a good mix of habitats. And a dump, which is usually a good thing but this one only held several Egyptian Vultures and not much else. It was good to see a few more eastern species again, such as Red-wattled Lapwing, Indian Roller, Arabian Babbler and White-eared Bulbul. More impressive still was what appeared to be a male Oriental Honey Buzzard drifting over an area of scrub. The various khawrs along the coast were the centre of attention for the remainder of the day. They weren’t as bird-packed as some I’d been to in Dhofar but Black-necked Grebe, Spoonbill, Marsh Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper were all found. A Red-tailed Wheatear was in an area of dunes. I finished up around the harbour in the town of Qurrayat, where nine Great Black-headed Gulls joined the throng of other species on the beaches. Then night closed in and I headed for the road north through Muscat, arriving into the airport at around nine o’clock. By around midnight I was on a plane bound for Heathrow and I eventually got back home to Aberdeen at around 10am the next morning. In all, I saw 220 species in Oman, with around 48 being lifers: a really exceptional trip.

1. Ras Al Hadd
2. Sur Sewage Works
3&4. Qurrayat
 

Attachments

  • Ras al Hadd_110114a.jpg
    Ras al Hadd_110114a.jpg
    239 KB · Views: 33
  • Sur Sewage Works_110114a.jpg
    Sur Sewage Works_110114a.jpg
    297.3 KB · Views: 44
  • Qurrayat_110114a.jpg
    Qurrayat_110114a.jpg
    191.9 KB · Views: 38
  • Qurrayat_110114b.jpg
    Qurrayat_110114b.jpg
    167.8 KB · Views: 43
Thanks for this great account Andrew. Had my eye on Dhofar ever since the Wild Arabia series. This has pretty much sealed the deal.
 
Thanks for the comments. I'd love to go back to Dhofar in the monsoon season - would be really interesting to see it then and there would be a few additional birds as well.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 10 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top