UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

1 to 8 March 2003

Introduction

Arriving Saturday 01 march 2003 at Dubai National Airport
All trip started from the Dubai Youth Hotel (65 Dirhams/night/person) located close to the Airport.
4 wheel drive car was not used (too expensive). All spots were easy to access except Whimpey pit (4X car needed)
Be carefull with the use of binoculars in Abu Dhabi city.

Remark : Common species were not accurately counted and therefore numbers given in this report are only indicative. Few species were only noted by presence (p).

The “Gull” question : I have used, in this report, the nomenclature used by Martin Garner (Emirat Bird report N°19) referring to “form” :
Pontic/Steppe yellow legged gull (Larus cachinnans cachinnans/ponticus)
Baraba yellow-legged gull ( Larus (cachinans/armenicus) barabensis)
Siberian (or Heuglin’s) gull ( (Larus heuglini heuglini/Taimyrensis)

I have lumped “cachinans” and “ponticus” ” forms “as steppe yellow-legged gull.
Only the darkest form of Siberian (Heuglin’s) gulls were specifically identified .
“heuglini” and “taimyrensis” form, due to clinal variation are therefore not subspecifically assigned.

01.03.03

Youth hotel

1 african rock martins, crested larks, 2 tawny pipits, 1 isabelline wheater, our first pallid swift.

Dubai Zabeel fish pond

1 spotted eagle, 1 booted eagle 1 Daurian shrike, and our first hoopoe and Indian roller, pallid swifts, 50 grey francolins (introduced species), 4 red-wattled plovers.

Khor Dubai reserve

Fenced natural reserve : no entrance. You might be ejected by police even outside the reserve.

2 caspian terns, 1 terek sandpiper and many little stints, dunlins, 1 whimbrel, > 10 grey plovers, 1 lesser sand plover, 100 flamingos, > 20 pallid swifts ( but police didn’nt let us check the birds)

Dubai creek park

1 daurian shike, 1 Turkestan shrike. And our first pied wheater (1 male) and 2 purple sunbirds, 2 siberian (heuglin’s) gulls, many baraba yellow-legged gulls and/or Caspian gulls in flight, chiffchaffs (p), 2 hoopoes, prinias (p),few house crows (p)*

*(p) : presence

02.03.03

Khor al Beida

15 crab plovers, 5 great egrets, 10 western-reef herons, 15 grey herons, black tail and bar-tail godwits, 1 spotted eagle, 3 greater sand plovers, 3 gull-billed terns, 20 terek sandpipers, many little stints, 2 curlew sandpipers, 1 curlew (orientalis race), 3 oystercatchers, many sand plovers not specifically determined, 5 indian rollers, 5 little green bee-eaters, hoopoe, < 5 terek sandpipers,

Al Jazeerah Khor

1 short toed eagle, 2 crab plovers, few lesser and greater sand plovers (<10), 1 striated heron, 1 osprey, 5 menetries’ warblers, 1 ruppel’s warbler (1st for UAE), 3 orphean warblers (crassirostris). 1 desert lesser whitethroats, 2 plain leaf warblers, 2 arabian babblers, 1 isabelline shrike, > 100 swifts (pallid and common), 1 sparrowhawk, 30 grey francolins, 1 marsh harrier, 20 little green bee-eaters, hoopoe, 1 swalow, 5 tawny pipits, 1 “eastern” black redstart, 2 pied wheaters, 1 song thrush, 10 desert warblers,5 lesser whitethroats, 1 pale rock sparrow, 6 indian silverbills, 3 southern grey shrike “aucheri”, < 5 purple sunbirds, > 1 slender-billed gull,

Digdaga- Hamraniyah Fields

1 corn bunting, 10 tawny pipits, 5 indian rollers, 2 purple sunbirds, hoopoe (p),

Digdaga-Hamranyiah – Agricultural palm tree research center

5 indian rollers, 3 hoopoes, 1 m menetries’ warbler, 2 arabian babblers, 1 sparrowhawk, chiffchaff,

03.03.03

Whatba Camel Track

1 imperial eagle, 1 peregrine falcon, 1 long legged buzzard (dark phase), >5 egyptian nightjars, 1 pallid harrier, 40 pacific golden plovers, , 1 buf bellied pipit, 1 steppe grey shrike, 3 turkestan shrikes, 1 daurian shrike, >4 menetries’ warblers, chiffchaff (p) and many pipits (tawny 50, Richard >1 , red throated >10 and water pipits10 ), 1 tree pipit, 2 meadow pipits, 2 small skyklarks, >15 short-toed larks, 3 feldegg and our first black-crowned finch larks( 2 m, 1 f), 2 quails (in flight), 1 woodchat shrike, 2 bluethroats, 1 m “samamisicus” common redstart, 1 northern wheater, > 30 pied wheaters, 10 desert wheaters, , 20 isabelline wheaters, 1 m Siberian stonechat, 2 f black redstart, 30 white wagtails “alba”, prinias (p), 1 marsh harrier, purple sunbirds (p), >4 lesser whitethroats, 1 hume’s lesser whitethroat, 20 swallows, > 5 hoopoes, Indian roller.

Al Ghar lake

1 citrine wagtail,30 flamingos, 20 shovelers, 10 pintails, 2 marsh sandpipers, 10 littles stints, 15 ruffs, 1 curlew sandpiper, 10 black-winged stilts, > 10 kentish plovers, 2 ringed plovers, greenshanks (p), redshanks (p), dunlins (p), 1 hoopoe, 1 pied wheater, 4 little ringed plovers

04.03.03

International Airport hotel (Dubai)

1 long tail shrike (2nd for UAE), 2 indian silverbill,

Whimpey pit

1 crested coot (1st for UAE), 6 whooper swans, 2 mute swans, > 150 black necked grebes, 10 greylag geese, 1 osprey, 1 juv pallid harrier, > 10 white-tailed plovers, 7 white-winged black terns, > 100 little grebes, 3 little egrets, shovelers (p), wigeons (p), coots (p), 2 marsh sandpipers, ruffs (p), 4 red throated pipits, > 2little green bee eaters , 1 streaked weaver (escape),>5 tawny pipits, 1 citrine wagtail , 1 spotted eagle (ad), 1 marsh harrier, 5 garganeys, red-wattled lapwing ( p), dunlins (p),

pivot fields

40 glossy ibis, 2 vitata pied wheaters, 5 pied wheaters, 1 skylark, 6 tawny pipits, 25 red throated pipits, 1 lutea yellow wagtail, citrine wagtail (p), 20 yellow wagtails including 5 beema and 4 feldegg, 2 bimaculated larks, 1 bluethroat 15. Cattle egrets , > 40 water pipits , 10 isabelline wheaters ,

Ganthoot

1 hypocolius, 2 black throated thrushes (in flight) and our first chestnut bellied sandgrouses (1m-1f), 2 southern grey shrike “aucheri”, 4 lesser whitethroats, chiffchaff (p), 1 common redstart “samamisicus”, 4 song thrushes, 20 grey francolins, purple sunbirds (p), 1 desert warbler,

Mushreef park

1 striated scops owl, 1 long-eared owl

05.03.03

Ash Shu’ Ayb

1 lanner (en route) probably escape, 1 eagle spe, 1 pallid harrier, 10 african rock martins, 2 scrub warblers, 2 plain leaf warblers, 12 desert lesser whitethroats, 5 arabian babblers,
20 desert larks, > 5 red-tailed wheaters (chrysopygia), our first hume’s wheater, 1 house bunting “striolata”, > 3 desert warblers,

Lahbab Fields

1 siberian stonechats, > 3 red throated pipits, > 5 water pipits, 1 red-rumped swallow, 1 pied wheater

Qarn Nazwa

1 superb pale rock sparrow. 1 desert eagle owl “ascalaphus”, 1 rock thrush, 1 “eastern” black redstart, 1 pied wheater, 1 blue rock thrush, 1 little owl, 1 brown necked raven

06.03.03.

Fujairah (beech + port)

30 red necked phalaropes, , 8 lesser crested terns, 4 white checked terns, 5 sandwich terns, > 10 great cormorants, 1 black necked grebe, house crow (p), 3-4 western reef heron, 1 great egret, 3 striate herons, >5 sooty gulls, common, 1 great black headed gull, > 200 slender-billed gull, 5 indian rollers, 1 baltic gull, >70 baraba yellow-legged gulls, >5 siberian (heuglin’s) gulls

Khor Kalba (mangrove + port)

1 spotted eagle, 2 crested terns, 2 saunder’s terns, 2 common kingfishers,> 7 white collared kingfishers ssp “kalbaensis”, 5 syke’s warblers,3 menetrie’s warblers, 1 western reef heron +1 , 6 lesser crested terns, >50 baraba yellow-legged gulls, > 7 sooty gulls, > 1 pontic gull, min. 3 siberian (Heuglin’s) gulls, 5 sandwich terns, 5 greater sand plovers, 1 lesser sand plover, 1 great cormorant, 1great black headed gull ad, 5 tawny pipits, 5 short toed larks, > 1 isabelline wheater, 3 whimbrels, > 1 eastern curlew “orientalis”, greenshank (p), redshank (p), 1 clamorous reed warbler (+>5 heard), 1 marsh harrier, 1 oystercatcher , 5 chestut bellied sandgrouses, 1 black-crowned finch lark, 1 pied wheater, grey heron (p)10 Kentish plovers,1 cat,

07.03.03

Watba Camel Track

3 woodchat shrike, 2 black eared wheathers , 35 pied wheaters + 1 pied wheather “vittata”, 1 desert wheater, 1 menetrie warbler, 1 imperial eagle, 1 pallid harrier (1st y m), 3 bluethroat (red spotted and white spotted), 1 blyth’s pipit, 8 richard pipits, > 20 tawny pipits, 1 black-crowned finch lark, red throated pipit (p), 1 meadow pipit, 50 chestnut bellied sandgrouses, 15 water pipits,120 short toed larks, 2 kestrels, 10 isabelline wheaters, 1 feldegg, > 100 crested larks, 2 skylarks, 90 pacific golden plover, 1 steppe grey shrike, 4 isabelline shrikes (>1 daurian, >1 turkestan), 1 southern grey shrike “aucheri”, 1 siberian stonechat

Abu Dhabi – Mushreef palace garden

1 forest wagtail (1st year), 1 western red throated flycatcher, 5 eastern olivaceous warbler, purple sunbirds (p), >5 chiffcaffs, 10 cattle egrets, 1 grey wagtail, 1 night heron,

Abu Dhabi port

1 caspian tern, 1 great black headed gull, 2 saunder’s little terns, 3 socotra cormorant, 2 ospreys, 10 lesser crested terns, 5 indian humpback dolphins

Ghantoot polo club

5 pacific golden plovers, 20 ringed plovers, 4 temminck stints, ruffs (p), 2 southern grey shrike “aucheri”

Mushreef park Dubaï

1 striated scops owl

08.03.03

Fujairah National Dairy Farm Fields (Dibba)

50 Indian rollers, 5 glossy Ibis, 3 menetrie’s warbler, 5 citrine wagtail, 1 pintail snipe, 1 black throated thrush, 1 daurian shrike, 1 Turkestan shrike, 1 steppe grey shrike,1 Blyth’s pipit, 1 richard pipit, 1 red spotted bluethroat, 14 rosy starlings, 2 bonelli’s eagles, 1 short toed eagle, 3 quails, 4 common snipes, 1 green sandpiper, 20 cattle egrets, prinias, 10 tawny pipits, 4 eastern curlew “orientalis”, 6 indian silverbills, common sandpipers (p), 4 kestrels

Wadi Khab Shami (Oman)

1 pallid harrier, 5 hume’s wheaters, 3 southern grey shrike “aucheri”, 2 kestrels, 1 daurian shrike, 1 house bunting, 1 isabelline wheater, 2 arabian babblers,

Dibba (sea-watching)

1 bridled tern, 5 swift terns, 5 socotra cormorants, 10 great cormorants, 1 osprey, 4 sooty gulls, 3 western reef herons, 5 sandwich terns, 3 lesser sand plovers, Kentish plovers (p), common sandpipers (p), 2 striated herons,
5 turtles (carfetta caretta),

09.03.03.

Khor Dubai

3 marsh harriers, >100 flamingos, little stints (p), dunlins (p), shelducks, teals (p), 1 pied wheater, 10 spoonbills, 5 black-tail godwits,

Didier Vieuxtemps, Thomas de Thier, Jacques Leclercq, Marc Ameels
Marc AMEELS
46 Grand rue
6740 Etalle
Belgium