4-19 July 2000.
Emri, Tamás
July 5-6 Aswan
I had not too much time for birding, so I walked along the Nile to the North until I reached some gardens lying on the riverbank. This place was good for the usual birds (e.g. Little Green Bee-eater, Nile Valley Sunbird, Pied Kingfisher)
July 7-9 Abu Simbel
When you go to the Temple from the airport on the left side of the road you can see a house in the lake and a long bridge from the shore to the house (in reality the house is a ship and the bridge is a pipe above the water). It is about 6 km north of the Temple. The islands and the shore around the “house” proved to be a good place to find the “African” birds (African Pied Wagtail, Yellow-billed Stork, Pink-backed Pelican). Watching the lake from the Hotel Nefertari can be also good (Egyptian Goose, Sooty Falcon).
July 10 travelling from Aswan to Hurghada
It is absolutely worth stopping at Edfu and watch birds from the bridge of the city. You can find several Purple Swamp-hens, Clamorous Reed Warblers and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.
The desert between Edfu and Marsa Allam also good for birds. Last year I was together with Barna Zöld and we sow and adult Vereaux’s Eagel about 40 km west of Marsa Allam. This year I found several Trumpeter Finches, Desert Larks and a Hoopoe Lark.
The seashore anywhere between Marsa Allam and Saffaga is recommended to check for birds (gulls, terns, herons, shorebirds).
July 11-12 Hurghada
The beach between the El Gouna Hotel (there are regular buses to there from the city) and Hurghada is quite good for birds (e.g. Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Crested Tern, White-cheeked Tern). And, of course the boat trips usually offer lots of sea birds.
July 13 Ain Shukna
I got only 15 minutes from the manager of the Ain Shukna Hotel for visiting the beach but it was enough to find the terns (Crested and Lesser Crested Terns) sitting on the metal railings.
July 14 El Abbasa
I went by minibus to Abbasa and walked back to Bilbeis along the road. There were many excellent spots (reedbeds, fish farms, rise fields) there.
July 15 Suez
It is still worth checking the beach (Lesser Crested Tern, Little Tern, Slender-billed Gull).
July 16 El Alamein
Probably it was not the best idea of mine to try to find birds there. I sow only a Short-toed Eagle. But when I went back to Cairo the train had to wait a lot at Tanta late afternoon. This waiting resulted 2 Egyptian Nightjar!
Birds Seen
Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens
July 8 Abu Simbel 1
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
Edfu, Abbasa
Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Abbasa many pairs breed among Cattle Egrets
Striated Heron Butorides stiratus
July 5 Beri Suef 1, Luxor 1; July 6 Aswan 1; July 7-8 Abu Simbel 3; July 10 Edfu 2; July 10 Marsa Allam 1 juv.
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
common along the Nile; Abbasa 15000+
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Aswan, Abu Simbel, Edfu, Abbasa
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Aswan, Abu Simbel, Edfu, Suez, Abbasa
Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis
July 10 between Marsa Allam and Saffaga 12 (2 dark); July 11 Hurghada 8+
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Abu Simbel
Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis
July 7 Abu Simbel 3 imm.; July 8 Abu Simbel 2+2 ad.
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus
July 7 Abu Simbel 1 pair with 3 juv. and 2 ad.; July 8 Abu Simbel 26+; July 9 Abu Simbel 13 6juv.
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
July 10 Marsa Allam 1 ad.
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
July 10 Marsa Allam 1; July 10 between Marsa Allam and Saffaga 3; July 11 Hurghada 2
Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus
July 16 El Alamein 1
Black Kite Milvus migrans aegyptius
Aswan (1); Abu Simbel (18); Abbasa (1); Cairo (>4)
Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus
Edfu (6), Abbasa (10)
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Abbasa
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor
July 8 Abu Simbel 1; July 9 Aswan 1; July 11 Hurghada 1
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Aswan, Edfu, Abbasa
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio madagascariensis
July 10 Edfu 18+
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
July 8 Abu Simbel 1; July 11 El Max 6
Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis
July 7-8 Abu Simbel 2; July 14 Abbasa 2; July 16 Alexandria 4
Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius
July 7-8 Abu Simbel 6, a family?
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
July 10 Marsa Allam 4; July 12 Hurghada 2
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
July 15 Suez 9
Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus
Abu Simbel (50), Abbasa (80+), El Alamein (2)
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Hurghada, El Alamein
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Abbasa, El Alamein
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Marsa Allam
Redshank Tringa totanus
Suez
Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Hurghada
Curlew Numenius arquata
Marsa Allam, Hurghada
Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Suez
Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis
July 14 Abbasa 1 male
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei
Marsa Allam (1); Hurghada (4); Suez (150)
Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii
July 10 Marsa Allam 3; July 11 Hurghada 20
White-eyed Gull Larus leucophtalmus
July 10 Marsa Allam 10; July 11 Hurghada 700+; July 13 Ain Shukna 10
Little Tern Sterna albifrons
July 15 Suez 30
Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica
July 7-8 Abu Simbel 11
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
July 15 Suez 18
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
July 10 Marsa Allam 1; July 11 Hurghada 12; July 15 Suez 1
Swift Tern Sterna bergii
July 10 Marsa Allam 1; July 13 Ain Shukna 5
Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis
July 13 Ain Shukna 2; July 15 Suez 2
Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus
July 11 Hurghada 10+
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa
July 11 Hurghada 1000+
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
July 16 El Alamein 1
White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias hybridus
July 14 Abbasa 1; July 16 El Alamein 5
Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur isabellina
Abu Simbel
Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Edfu, Hurghada, Suez, Abbasa, El Alamein
Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis
July 14 Abbasa 8
Short-eard Owl Asio flammeus
July 5 Cairo (airport) 1
Little Owl Athene noctua saharae
July 15 El Alamein 1
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius
July 16 Tanta 2
Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
Cairo (100+)
Hoopoe Upupa epops
Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Abbasa
Smyrna Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
July 14 Abbasa 2
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
Aswan (3), Abu Simbel (1), Edfu (>5), Abbasa (>200+), Alexandria (30)
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus
Edfu (5), Abbasa (25)
Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis cleopatra
Aswan (6)
Crested Lark Galerida cristata
Abu Simbel (300+), Ain Shukna, Abbasa, El Alamein
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti
July 10 Eastern Desert (110 km West of Marsa Allam) 25+
Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes
July 10 Eastern Desert (110 km West of Marsa Allam) 1
Pale Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula
Aswan (5), Abu Simbel (25)
Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica/sawignii
Cairo sawignii, Aswan sawignii, Abbasa sawignii, Abu Simbel rustica, El Alamein sawignii
African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp
July 8 Abu Simbel 2 ad. with 4 juv. + 2 ad. together (feeding?) + 2 ad. together + 1 ad.
Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus
Aswan (20), Edfu (3), Abbasa (5)
Rufous Bush Robin Cercotrichas galactotes
July 6 Aswan 1; July 8 Abu Simbel 1
White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga
Abu Simbel (16), Eastern Desert (110 km West of Marsa Allam) (4)
Graceful Warbler Prinia gracilis
Abu Simbel (60+), Edfu (5), Abbasa (70)
Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis
Edfu (3), Abbasa (50)
Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus
Edfu (10), Abbasa (30)
Olivaceus Warbler Hippolais pallida
Aswan (2), Abu Simbel (20)
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor elegans
July 5 Beni Suef 3
Nile Valley Sunbird Anthreptes metallicus
Aswan (5), Edfu (1 male)
Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix
Cairo, Aswan, Hurghada, Abbasa
Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis
Abu Simbel (>2), Marsa Allam (20), between Marsa Allam Saffaga (100+), Ain Shukna (5), Eastern Desert (110 km West of Marsa Allam) (20)
House Crow Corvus splendens
Ras Gharib (15), Suez (50)
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Edfu, Marsa Allam, Hurghada, Ain Shukna, Suez, Abbasa, El Alamein
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
Abbasa
Trumpeter Finch Bucaneteus githagineus
Eastern Desert (110 km West of Marsa Allam) (15)
Streaked Weaver Ploceus manyar
July 14 Abbasa 4 male with nest
Tamas