I have just returned from 2 weeks in Hurghada and a Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan from 2.04.18 to 08.05.18. I kept a list for each as they are such different habitats. The weather was hot in Hurghada averaging 27-34 degrees C with 2 days with high minds and sandstorms. The weather down the Nile was blisteringly hot with lows of 38 and highs of 46 degrees C, even the Egyptians were complaining.
I will start with the Hurghada birds which were seen mainly from the Hotel and the surrounding seafront. 44 birds in total in Hurghada. Cormorant Western Cattle Egret Western Reef Egret Straiated Heron Western Osprey European Honey Buzzard Euraisian Sparrowhawk Levant Sparrowhawk Black kite (ssp aegyptus) Harrier species possibly Montagu's Common Sandpiper Ruff Slender Billed Gull White Eyed Gull Sooty Gull Caspian Tern Lesser Crested Tern Black Tern White Winged Black Tern Feral Pigeon Eurasian Collared Dove Laughing Dove Barn Owl Barn Swallow Red Rumped Swallow Sand Martin House Martin Eurasian Crag Martin Eurasian Kestrel Common Swift Ring Necked Parakeet Euraisian Bee Eater Water Pipit Tawny Pipit Western Yellow Wagtail Spotted Flycatcher Whinchat Eastern Olivacious Warbler Lesser Whitethroat Hooded Crow House Sparrow White Crowned Wheatear (in desert on way to Luxor) Brown Necked Raven (in desert on way to Luxor)
I spent 7 days cruising down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan on 30 April -8th May.
Ferruginous Duck (seen in flocks of up to 10) Mallard Egyptian goose Cormorant Grey Heron Purple Heron Great White egret Little Egret Western Cattle Egret Squacco Heron Straiated Heron Black Crowned Night Heron Eurasian Spoonbill Little Bittern Goliath Heron (6 seen in total in Aswan area) Great White Pelican (2 seen at Edfu) Western Osprey Black Shouldered Kite Black Kite African Swamphen Moorhen Black Winged Stilt Spur Winged Plover Common Sandpiper Senegal Thick Knee (4 seen on Nile at Aswan) Whiskered Tern White Winged Black Tern Feral Pigeon Laughing Dove Eurasian Collared Dove Pallid Swift Common Swift Pied Kingfisher Little Green Bee-eater Eurasian Bee Eater Blue Cheeked Bee Eater Eurasian Hoopoe Eurasian Kestrel Hooded Crow Brown Necked Raven (in valley of the Kings) Crested Lark Rock Martin (at Karnak) Barn Swallow Sand Martin House martin White Crowned Wheatear (at Abu Simbel) Masked Shrike Common Bulbul Clamorous Reed Warbler Graceful Prinia Eastern Olivacious Warbler Nile Valley Sunbird Water Pipit House Sparrow Western Yellow Wagtail
A total of 55 for the Nile Valley, which was a great week with the highlights being Nile Valley Sunbird, Black Shouldered Kite and African Swamphen. Also Great White Pelican was a great spot with close views. Two real bonuses are the difficult Western Palaearctic birds Goliath Heron and Senegal Thick Knee. Three other excellent birds were Little Bittern, Ferruginous Duck and Blue Cheeked Bee Eater. Also the another speciality bird was the Clamorous Reed Warbler which was heard constantly but seen less so right down the Nile.
Highlights for Hurghada were levant Sparrowhawk, Straiated Heron, White Crowned Wheatear and Brown Necked Raven of which the last three were seen in both areas. Trip total of 74 birds in all.
I have just returned from 2 weeks in Hurghada and Luxor from 20.01.15 to 03.02.15. I kept a list for each as they are such different habitats. The weather was excellent averaging 22-25 degrees with only a couple of less warm days with Northerly breezes.
I will start with the Hurghada birds which were seen mainly from the Hotel and the surrounding seafront. I had one trip to the desert for a couple more birds. The gull watching was particularly good and rather pleasant as it was done from the sun lounger with a Rum and Coke. Brown Booby Cormorant Grey Heron Western Reef Egret Common Sandpiper Black Tailed Godwit Slender Billed Gull Black Headed Gull White Eyed Gull Sooty Gull Caspian Gull Armenian Gull Lesser Black Backed Gull Caspian Tern Feral Pigeon Eurasian Collared Dove Laughing Dove Common Kingfisher Eurasian Kestrel House Crow Hooded Crow Chiffchaff Sardinian Warbler Bluethroat Blue Rock Thrush White Wagtail House Sparrow Mourning Wheatear (in desert the other side of the airport) Also in the desert a flock of unidentified Sandgrouse too far away for anything conclusive. That is 29 in all in that area.
I spent 2 days in the Nile Valley and Luxor on 28-29th Jan. We stayed overnight on a cruise ship on the Nile so I was able to get some great birding in. Most of the birds were seen from the ship moored by the Luxor Bridge. Some were seen from a small boat trip taken from Luxor which I can recommend as a great way to see birds as they were totally unfazed by our presence so making close watching easy. I also got a couple in the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple.
Cormorant Grey Heron Purple Heron Great White egret Little Egret Cattle Egret Squacco Heron Glossy Ibis Black Shouldered Kite Marsh Harrier Black Kite Purple Swamphen Black Winged Stilt Spur Winged Plover Common Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Black Tailed Godwit Ruff Temminck's Stint Common Snipe Black Headed Gull Gull Billed Tern White Winged Black Tern Feral Pigeon Laughing Dove Barn Owl (at Karnak) Pallid Swift (in valley of the Kings) Pied Kingfisher Little Green Bee-eater Eurasian Hoopoe Eurasian Kestrel Hooded Crow Crested Lark Rock Martin (at Karnak) Barn Swallow Chiffchaff Zitting Cisticola Graceful Prinia Nile Valley Sunbird White Wagtail Water Pipit Trumpeter Finch (in valley of the Kings) House Sparrow Spanish Sparrow Yellow Wagtail ( I am still working on the sub-species of this as it was radically different from any form I have ever encountered, I will edit and add when I know) It would seem to be M. f. pygmaea (A. E. Brehm, 1854) Egyptian yellow wagtail from the description but I have as yet to find any photos or illustrations to confirm.
A total of 45 for the Nile Valley, which was a great couple of days with the Nile Valley Sunbird being an absolute joy as I got close views of a pair. Even though seen before Black Shouldered Kite was superb and I have always wanted to see Purple Swamphen.
Total for an excellent holiday was 62 including the Sandgrouse.
Lawrence
-- Edited by Lawrence Hindley on Saturday 7th of February 2015 07:17:27 AM
There's a good web site for the area-sinaibirds.com,which gives all the important sites essential for any holiday visit such as the the location of the local sewage works etc.Should give you enough gen to plan some birding trips there,I went in spring several years ago,primarily to see Sooty Gull,a species I'd missed on several visits to Israel in the eighties.The spring passage was very poor compared to Israel,but not sure whether Autumn passage is any better.However if you've not visited this part of the world before there should be a few new birds to see.
