Egypt must be one of the best countries in the world for combining birdwatching with more popular forms of tourism. If you were to visit the sites described in this booklet you would not only add several species to your Western Palearctic list but you would also enjoy the famous pyramids, tombs and temples amidst the timeless scenery of the Nile. You could also visit an ancient monastery on Mount Sinai or be overwhelmed by the splendours of some of the world's best coral reefs. All this and birdwatching too, in search of Senegal Coucal, Senegal Thick-knee, Painted Snipe, Kittlitz's Plover, Sooty Falcon, Sinai Rosefinch, Nile Valley Sunbird, Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, African Skimmer and a wonderful collection of seabirds more typical of the Indian Ocean than the Mediterranean. The migrations of raptors over Suez and the colonies of gulls and terns in the Red Sea present world-class birding experiences whilst for the most dedicated observers there are migration watch-points which, if they were 'worked', would surely turn up 'new' species.

There are some drawbacks to visiting Egypt. Bureaucracy can be tedious, car-hire phenomenally expensive, meals potentially poisonous and the heat overbearing (except in winter). But, for anyone who wants exotic birds as well as temples or some tombs as well as new birds, then it really is unmissable.