Casual Oman Birding, November 2008 (1 Viewer)

[gerdwichers8]

Haha, great stuff all this. Must admit that I awaited a heavy load on my chest, before reading all this good news:eek!:.
Since I knew you people were going there and since I had to leave autumn migration in mind for a present trip I expected not to return with these irons in the oven.
It's your turn now Stuart and MollymawkB :-O:t:

Look at those smashing numbers of Gulls there at the beach!!! Far less in July and August.

 

[Stephen C]

trip report

Nice read Stuart/Mollymawk. Enjoying a few trip reports whilst looking after my ill 2 yr old over last couple of days. Probably have to catch up with the rest after Christmas now though so will check in later.

All the best

 

[Edward]

Fine stuff, Stuart and Alick, and some sumptuous photos. Has Stuart started on the slippery slope of gullwatching? Just say no, Stuart.
Plenty of potential lifers for me, but Verreaux's Eagle is the stand out (as I missed them in Kenya). Sure they weren't Rocs?

E

 

[StuartReeves]

Thanks for the interest folks.

Gerd, its swings and roundabouts with the timing; we did well for gulls and waders but the seawatching was nowhere near as good as when you were there.

Edward, I think they were Verraux's Eagles rather than Rocs, but I confess my eagle ID skills did prove a little shaky at times. As for the gullwatching, it's OK, I can handle it.

 

[StuartReeves]

Day 6, East from Salalah

We started the next day with a seawatch east of Salalah at Ras Mirbat. An hour’s vigil produced reasonable views of around 20 Jouanin’s Petrels and five Persian Shearwaters, along with 30 or so Bridled Terns. The first two were our primary target species, so job done, though it’s fair to say that the seawatch was functional rather than thrilling.

Next stop was back towards Salalah at Wadi Darbat, where once again, open water results in both greenery and birds. The initial highlights were overhead in the shape of two Greater Spotted Eagles and half a dozen Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. Walking along the water’s edge, we flushed the occasional snipe, and on each occasion we tried to convince ourselves that it might be a Pintail Snipe. In most cases we were unsuccessful, but eventually a bird flushed that had a clearly different call, and showed a dark barred underwing with no obvious pale trailing edge; all features consistent with Pintail Snipe. My attempts to find an Olive-backed Pipit amongst a flock of pipits were less successful, presumably because all of the birds present were Tree Pipits.

As you might expect, the best place for Yemen Serin is Yemen. The next best place however, is in Oman, at Tawi Atayr, which holds a small population 1000km away from the nearest known breeding site. The site itself is a large sinkhole, several hundred metres deep which was formed when a cave collapsed. Things looked promising when we arrived, with two Lappet-faced Vultures high overhead, but after an hour of staring into a large hole in the ground, trying to string distant African Silverbills or African Rock Buntings into our target species, we realised that at best we would get distant and unsatisfactory views of a small brown job neither of us was particularly bothered about seeing, so we cut our losses and left. The road out was actually more productive, producing three smart male South Arabian Wheatears.

Seeking to avoid the heat of the midday sun , we stopped for lunch under an acacia tree at Khawr Rawri. A Wood Warbler was also using the tree for the same purposes, and the site also held three Greater Spotted Eagles, including a juvenile of the pale ‘fulvescens’ morph. We were both feeling the heat at that point, so probably didn’t give the site the attention it deserved, but my notes have vague comments about flamingos and spoonbills also being present.

After a break in the village of Taqah, where we enjoyed refreshments, a power nap, and the tropical, almost African, ambience of the place, the last birding destination of the day was the small wooded park at Ayn Razat. Here we ran into “the Dhofar Swift problem”. The swifts that breed in this part of Oman, known as “Dhofar Swifts”, are of uncertain taxonomy, and their plumage characteristics are pretty much intermediate between Common and Pallid Swifts. The latter two species also occur, hence the swifts we noticed over the ridges above Ayn Razat required close attention. The first ones we saw were easy – they were Alpine Swifts! – but some smaller, dark birds were also present. With half-decent scope views I could make-out reasonable plumage details on these birds but really not enough to convince myself whether they were Common or “Dhofar” Swifts. Fortunately the other species we found in the area presented few ID problems and were much more obliging, as hopefully the photos show.

Those photos in full:
Greater Spotted Eagle
Ras Mirbat
Wadi Darbat area
Blackstart, Ayn Razat
Shining Sunbird, Ayn Razat

 

[StuartReeves]

Day 7, Into the Empty Quarter

Between the Muscat area, where we started our trip, and the Salalah area, lie around 1000km of desert. This is part of the Empty Quarter, one of the largest sand deserts in the world, and possibly the most forbidding environment on earth. Nowadays, there is a perfectly good road that runs through the Oman part of the area. Although we had opted not to drive the length of the country, we were still keen to sample the desert experience so after some local birding and organisation we left Salalah and headed north. The road climbed steeply out through the Dhofar mountains, before flattening out. The top of the escarpment marks the edge of the influence of the monsoon that accounts for the relative greenery of Dhofar. Once we passed that point, vegetation became very thin on the ground. For a while the scenery retained some of the rugged character of the mountains, but that soon fell away and we were left with essentially flat, sandy desert either side of the road. With the road ahead disappearing in to the heat haze, and the near absence of scenery it was surprisingly difficult to concentrate on the road when driving.

After 50km we diverted off the main road along a rough track which eventually yielded views over Thumrayt Dump. This site proved to be not only an eyesore, but also virtually free of birds, with just half a dozen Steppe Eagles perched around the rim. Back on the road, another 150km of nothing passed before our next turn-off, this time to a farm where, as at Sohar sun farms, irrigation has created an isolated patch of greenery that is a magnet for birds. On our visit these included a rather lost-looking Squacco Heron, a nice selection of larks and pipits, a couple of Ruff, a Wood Sandpiper and the one and only Starling of our trip.

Another 50km of nothing, and finally something, in the form of Qatbit motel, our accommodation for the night. The gardens here are watered, so are themselves a good birding site. Highlights of our quick check were half a dozen Red-breasted Flycatchers, a few Desert Lesser Whitethroats, a single Lesser Whitethroat, a Cuckoo, and a characterful male Ménétries Warbler.

Below, livestock transport in the central desert

 

[mollymawk]

Comments from Day 6: Another early start for Ras Mirbat but it was worth it for the sea watching. I am not a great afficionado but I enjoyed both the petrels and the shearwaters.

Photos from Wadi Dirbat, Tawi Atayr and Ayn Razat:

Tristram's Grackle
Wood Warbler
Blackstart
Marsh Harrier
African Rock Bunting

 

[mollymawk]

so after some local birding and organisation we left Salalah and headed north.

This 'organisation' involved a visit to the souk where I haggled over and eventually purchased a complete frankincense burning kit. Looks quite a lot like a crack dealer's tool kit but makes a nice smell.

The desert was awe-inspiring. I have never seen such barren and featureless terrain I (and this was my 6th desert). Miles of complete emptiness, complete silence (away from the road) and quite scary in a way.

Quabit motel was hardly a comfortable haven - a bit run down but friendly enough with good grub. We could have done a beer or two. We saw the arabian subspecies of Red Fox in the car park. Further photos:

Desert Bin
A lot of nothing
Qatbit motel (bigging it up - it isn't as good as it looks)

 

[gerdwichers8]

Hi, the Pintail snipe is a great thing to see. For the Yemen Serin, you might have tried Wadi Darbat, more up to the wadi. There is a path leading from the cowcave near the parkingplace all the way leading into the wadi.
I found 10 Yemen Serin there last summer.

Desert Bin

Probably empty? I can't remember seeing one apart from the airport and some places in Muscat.
The thing is truly unique!!

 

[StuartReeves]

Day 8, More desert

I think I’d better try and finish this before Jos gets his report on here…

After another wander around the motel garden we headed around the corner to Qatbit pool. The short drive in was quite productive with a Desert Warbler feeding in association with a Desert Wheatear and a couple of gazelles. A small flock of Spotted Sandgrouse kept their distance out in the desert, preferring to wait until after we had left before coming in to drink.

Next up was a longer drive, first back on the main desert road, and then on a rough, barely graded track across the desert. This was rather rougher than we had anticipated, leading to a rather edgy and anxious 22km drive across empty desert. Our target was the natural oasis at Muntasar, a small patch of greenery and pools attractive to both desert birds and migrants crossing the hostile desert. Anything can happen here, as was apparent from the first bird we saw. Of all of the possibilities here neither of us had anticipated White-tailed Plover! Other, similarly out of context birds in the area include Pintail, Garganey, Quail, Sparrowhawk, Green Sandpiper and Red-throated Pipit. Only a flock of Crowned Sandgrouse actually seemed at home in this genuinely extraordinary place. As we went to leave a heron appeared. While the plumage suggested Western Reef Egret (common at the coast, but very lost here) we both independently had the impression that it was the size of a Grey Heron. Subsequent study of our photos showed that it could only have been a Western Reef Egret, so it must have been something about the context that affected our perception of its size.

Below:
Oasis Plover
Crowned Sandgrouse
Muntasar oasis
Not very much at all
Western Desert Egret

 

[Jos Stratford]

I think I’d better try and finish this before Jos gets his report on here.

My report is still some way off, struggling through hundreds of photographs still

You might like a certain photograph from the first day though - click on my website

Only a flock of Crowned Sandgrouse actually seemed at home in this genuinely extraordinary place.

A genuinely extraordinary place, but the only folk at home on my visit were 79 Spotted Sandgrouse! Only saw one flock of Crowned Sandgrouse on the whole trip, 10 birds in the desert near Barr Al Hikman

 

[StuartReeves]

You might like a certain photograph from the first day though - click on my website

Ermm, nice Pine Grosbeak? I think I'm missing something here...

Edit:, Ahh, I see it now. Nice Collared Kingfisher. So that's what they look like.

 

[Jos Stratford]

PS could you help me with some funny birds I saw in a few places

a. little brown thing

b. funny blackish thing, seemed to like eating things known in the trade as sardines


:-O

 

[StuartReeves]

Hmm, I've just been admiring Hanno's photo of a Bruce's Green Pigeon too. Just as well it was only a casual birding trip, otherwise I might be getting upset about all these excellent photos of gripping species (and Yemen Serin) that we missed.

 

[StuartReeves]

Day 9

Back for one last night in Salalah, next morning saw us back at East Khawr where the highlights were Spoonbill double vision (one each of African and Eurasian) and a pale Nightjar which we optimistically identified then as an Egyptian, but with the help of photos and 20:20 hindsight we subsequently reidentifed as a Eurasian Nightjar – see: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=128483.

The final stage of the trip involved a flight back over the desert to Muscat. This time, we turned south out of the airport and almost immediately saw yet another aspect of the country. The southern edge of the city rubs right up against a range of mountains, which has the fortunate effects of limiting development in that direction and providing a fine scenic backdrop for parts of the city, and for the drive southward. The drive was largely bird-free, though the fact that much of it was in darkness didn’t help. A new road from Quaryat to Sur was not officially open, but access was permitted, meaning that our drive to Ras Al Hadd was quicker and easier than anticipated.

Below: A car window in Southern Muscat

 

[StuartReeves]

Day 10, Ras Al Hadd

The view from breakfast suggested quite a brisk breeze and a fairly rough sea, prompting us to start with a seawatch. This revealed a steady movement of Red-necked Phalaropes, with about 100 every fifteen minutes, and a rather more sedate passage of Persian Shearwaters, with just one every fifteen minutes. A few Bridled Terns were also in the area along with a single Caspian Tern. The unquestioned highlight however, was a large gull. Not just any large gull, but an adult winter Great Black-headed Gull that cruised lazily over our heads.

Casual birding or not, there was one species we couldn’t go home without seeing, and Khawr Jirama, our next destination, was our last hope for it. Reaching the edge of the Khawr involved taking the car as far as we dared out on to the muddy margin, then yomping and squelching through the mud the rest of the way. The khawr held a now familiar mix of birds including Terek Sandpiper, Osprey, Kentish Plover, Western Reef Egret and Caspian Tern. However, it took a lot of squelching and scoping before we finally got a look at our quarry. The main problem was that the strange, tall, white shapes that could only have been our bird were about two kilometres away on the far shore of the khawr. We decided to go for Plan B (try and find a way of getting to that part of the shoreline), with a fall back of Plan C (come back later in the day when the tide had changed). Plan B was unsuccesful, in as much as we didn’t find a way to get to that shore, though our explorations did land us a bonus Hume’s Wheatear.

Driving south to have a look at the area, there were a few Red-tailed Wheatears along the roadside. A Kestrel overhead prompted the comment that, in contrast to Dhofar, raptors were thin on the ground in this area. A couple of minutes down the road, another raptor appeared. This proved to be a juvenile Sooty Falcon, a species we thought we’d missed as they have generally left Oman by early November. Thus it was quality, rather than quantity, on the raptor front.

Back in the mud of Khawr Jirama, Plan C proved succesful, as we finally got reasonable views of Crab Plover. And mighty fine birds they were too. The Avocet-like plumage notwithstanding, they don’t really look like anything else, which rather befits a bird which, taxonomically speaking, has a whole family to itself. Plovers they may not be but they did seem rather keen on crabs, which were dealt with using a combination of their strong bills and a bit of head-shaking.

Photos:
Our accommodation, the Ras Al Hadd Beach Hotel
Gull of the day
Red-tailed Wheatear habitat
Crab Plover habitat - Khawr Jirama

 

[Jos Stratford]

Crab Plover habitat - Khawr Jirama

Where's the Crab Plover?

 

[StuartReeves]

Where's the Crab Plover?

I have some very poor, dodgy-scoped pics, but I was relying on Mollymawk to get his act together and post one of his.

Oh. alright then...



PS, I look forward to your Sooty Falcon pics...

 

[Jos Stratford]

PS, I look forward to your Sooty Falcon pics...

Hmm, okay that shuts me up

 

[mollymawk]

Proper wheels at last

What Stuart didn't say that we treated ourselves to a decent vehicle for the third leg- the north east. A Landcruiser Prado. It only had a 2.4 litre straight 4 petrol but it had sufficient grunt to be able to cruise at 110 km/h uphill and rode effortlessly over all the crap that we had pussyfooted over in the two roller skates we had had hitherto. No frills like leather upholstery, CD player or drinks cabinet - just stripped down off-roader with a proper chassis and knobbly tires. Brilliant and with petrol at 20p/litre and great gobs of torque it merely underlines that diesels are for cheapskate wusses. I loved it. Stuart didn't get to drive it much.