Birding and the Tourist police in Sharm el Sheikh (1 Viewer)

Those are two things that won't work well together in Egypt, especially not here in Sharm el Sheikh.

Today I wanted to go for a quick hop to the 'Sharm Pools' to check if there are some bird of preys around, or if I can even get a better shot of the Barbary falcon.

No such luck, since the tourist police was parked in the shade of the few trees at the foot of the sewers and stopped us.

My taxi driver went to talk to the 3-star 'general' whilst I 'talked' to one of the policemen who tried to explain to me, after asking if I were English or Russian (thanks, I'm German), that there are no more birds at the sewers.
The birds are there only from January to April.
Really?
And what month is now?! :crazy:

The 'general' finally wanted to let me take photos, but only away from the main pool area, as far as I understood it right.
But I already had lost interest, plus there were no birds of prey in the skies to begin with.

They could have saved themselves and me loads of trouble and bad spirits, if they had just let me pass.
What are the sewers, a National Secret?

Egypt, if you ever want to attract more birders (as tourists or as people to create some account of what birds really are in Sharm), you need to change your attitude.


Anyhow, to finish this on a more positive note: who needs to go to the sewers anyway, if the birds of prey, hence 3 Sparrowhawks this morning, circle right above our apartment?
I managed to get one decent shot in and am a happy camper
http://www.nicoleb.org/photo/birdwatching/birdwatch egypt 2010/sparrowhawkapr18.jpg.php

Having visited Egypt and the Suez area there are two things stopping me as birdwatcher from returning. To say that the police are over zealous is an understatement and go way over the top stopping birdwatchers do what birders do...watch birds!

I have to admit something now.... I am no spy, and if I was, I wouldn't carry binoculars and a scope whilst looking at the sky and into trees and bushes. The simple thing with the police in Egypt is that they have absolutely little else to do apart from sitting by some bird rich stinking sewer and give a lone woman a telling off. And before someone jumps to their defence, can I tell you, I have had lots of run-ins with these guys around Suez whilst watching the raptor passage. It's strange though how 20 cigarettes got me a 'free pass' to bird where I wanted.

I was due to return to Sharm this spring but the logistics of car hire, along with the attitude of the police, beat me, despite lots of help and offers from 'Nicole B'.

Birding in Israel is a doddle compared to Egypt and not once have I been stopped.

Your Sparrowhawk looks like a Levant, Nicole. Huge flocks passing through Eilat in the next few days.

Perhaps a meeting with the chief of police, where you can explain your hobby, would be an idea.

John.

Bubbs said:

The simple thing with the police in Egypt is that they have absolutely little else to do

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Like my Taxi driver said: They should keep doing what they do Best: SLEEP!

Israel sounds good, I just can't have that durn stamp in my passport (I know, there's a way around, but that involves talking a long and intensive time to uniformed people again).

I doubt you missed too much around here this spring, plus it was way too hot (in my opinion).

I guess I'll have to put that Sparrowhawk into the 'ID pls' section, or are you sure about the Levant, then I change it (would be an adult male, no?).
(So much for ME trying to ID something myself, ggrrrr.... but Levant would be better, not on my list yet )

I stay as far away from any police here as I can. Usually you get away with a friendly smile and such and I would have been able to bird today, but I just hate that hassle sometimes.

B with a cold Stella

When I was there last month I wasn't too keen on getting too close to the police checkpoint on the dual carriageway road near the entrance to the new pools, so I made a point of getting dropped off by the taxi at the end of the road from Naama Bay, where it meets the dual carriageway and walking the rest of the way (about 15 minutes) to the pools across the desert.

On the way back (I went 5 times and walked back to Naama over the desert each time - cream coloured coursers there the first time I did it) I made a point of crossing the road some distance away from them just in case they got interested.

So, you walked behind the trees in that fenced off area?
Now, that's an interesting idea.

Or maybe I should simply buy a Squad and act like a Tour guide,... sigh

I have to add that this was the first time they really tried to stop me from going birding (with the excuse that there are NO birds).

The only other time was at the small sewers about 6 weeks back and there I talked my way into staying too.

One usually gets to do 'the Job', but it can be a pain in the a**

NicoleB said:

So, you walked behind the trees in that fenced off area?
Now, that's an interesting idea.

Or maybe I should simply buy a Squad and act like a Tour guide,... sigh

Click to expand...

No, I left Naama Bay by the road that joins Peace Road next to the Marriot Hotel and then I walked in from the road junction with the dual carriageway close to the south end of the pools (at the opposite end of the pools to the Bedouin camp). I think it's the old access road to the pools - it's blocked off where it meets the dual carriageway but there some other buildings there.

Coming in from the other end of the fenced off trees could be an option if you were coming from the opposite direction, but I never approached from that direction.

Ah, I forget that people from Naama in this case comes from the same direction as I do (Hadaba).
Then I know which way to go.
Thanks for the tip