Two from Shams Alam Egypt last week (1 Viewer)

[markm]

First two flew off from a small lagoon 2km south of the Shams Alam hotel . They looked and sounded like bittern but it would be out of normal range ?there were 4 of them.
The third one was on a jeep trip to 'Cleopatra's temple' about 40km inland of the Shams Alam in a large very dry wadi, nubian nightjar?

 

[andyb39]

I suspect your herons are Striated.

The Nightjar could well be Nubian but I don't have any experience of the species.

 

[markm]

Much much bigger than striated .There were a few striated around the hotel on the reef flats. We also had a flock of night herons fly over one night but the photos were of different birds.

 

[andyb39]

I see. I guess it's possible they were Eurasian Bitterns, which have a harsh flight call(although I've never heard it). They could occur on passage on that coast.

 

[markm]

Any more thoughts , especially on the nightjar , it would be a lifer!

 

[Nutcracker]

Ditto to Eurasian Bittern for pics 1-2.

 

[Nutcracker]

A similar recent record on Bitterns:
https://twitter.com/Turnstonecology/status/1054729387965407238

 

[markm]

Thanks for the confirmation , photo is a bit better than mine! Still no opinions on the nightjar?