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In December 1997, just after the Luxor massacre, Ray and Jane experienced no end of red tape and hassle, with soldiers, police and even taxi drivers doing far more than enough to ensure their protection. However, by April 1998 we were able to travel as far as Luxor without any trouble at all except for having to travel in convoy between Hurghada and Luxor. Once in the Luxor area we were free to travel anywhere. Page 2 One of the best spots for migrants here is the garden of the Safary Camp hotel. Helen Bantock also had a pair of Sinai Rosefinch in the fields in front of here. In December 1997, Ray o'Reilly and Jane Passfield had Scrub Warbler, Desert Lark, Sand Partridge, Tristram's Grackles and Mourning Wheatears but no Sinai Rosefinches. Page 4 Chris Holt reports that the building work which now surrounds the sewage farm is continuing to encroach further. Even so he had 35 Crowned Sandgrouse and, remarkably, 2 Levant Sparrowhawks on 28th and 31st December. A brand new sewage farm located between the town and the mountains may now be worth trying too. Ray O'Reilly and Jane Passfield complained that the plantation is occupied by bedouins whose curiosity made birdwatching 'impossible'. However, they also checked out fertile strips of land between the coast road and the coast and alongside the shops in town and had birds such as Cyprus Warbler and Hooded Wheatear. Page 7 There is now a smart new catamaran, The Flying Cat, which sails daily between Sharm el Sheik and Hurghada, costing only slightly more but taking only about 2 hours. Site 1 The ongoing proliferation of hotels makes it increasingly difficult to see birds here. I had more joy at site 2. Site 2 In April 1999 this lagoon seemed to have disappeared under concrete but a derelict area with puddles 4 km north of Hurghada had lots of White-eyed Gulls, one Sooty Gull and, remarkably, a Royal Tern, probably a first for the Middle East. Page 10 The new road is now open but is usually devoid of traffic and has a wonderful promenade along the edge of the bay from where you can get excellent views. Site 1 is now a complete waste of time as the pools have been converted into boating lakes. Site 2 was rather disappointing in April 99 (a few Lesser Crested Terns and Western Reef Herons were the highlights) but in December 1997 there were 'hundreds' of Slender-billed and White-eyed Gulls, Lesser Crested and Sandwich Terns plus Great Black-headed Gulls, Black-necked Grebes and lots of waders (Ray O'Reilly and Jane Passfield) Site 4 is also a waste of time as it has been 'tidied up'. Page 12 Wadi Hagul (pronounced Haghoul) is now signposted from the north end but not the south end. This may be because the road has deteriorated at the south end to such an extent that, although still negotiable, it is best avoided. I therefore recommend that you approach from the north and return the same way. Site 1 Wonderful news. The Hotel at Ain Sukhna is now open to the public, although you still have to negotiate the guards at the entrance. I managed to get through without any problem but don't be surprised if a little 'baksheesh' is needed. It will be worth it because, by walking to the beach side of the hotel, you will be guaranteed superb views of gulls and terns on the jetty. These will usually include White-eyed Gulls and Crested Terns. Lesser Crested Terns are also regular and in April 1999 I had a Whiskered Tern which I failed to turn into a White-cheeked Tern. Page 14 Site 4 In April 1999 the water level was high and the reedbed much depleted but still yielded the regular species mentioned in the book plus Purple Heron, Night Heron and 2 Senegal Thick-knees. For the best light, visit in the evening and walk south from the hotel end of the bridge; the first patch of reeds had all the key species on my visit. Site 5 In April 1999 the sunbirds were unmissable in the main car park (on the left before the hotel). One pair had a nest in the far corner of the car park. Page 16 Cruising down the Nile from Aswan towards Luxor, Jeff Brown had 3 African Skimmers flying south one evening. Site 2 Ray O'Reilly added Ferruginous Duck and Great White Egret here. Page 20 Site 7 This site was superb in December 1997 when there were lots of birds including hundreds of Slender-billed Gulls, a flock of over 250 Kentish Plovers and a terrific range of other species including Great Black-headed Gull, Kittlitz's Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Senegal Coucal and Senegal Thick-knee. Page 22 Site 1 was a complete waste of time in April 1999 but the Kittlitz's Plovers were easy to find once we'd got through the village (site 2). Page 24 The demise of Gebel Asfar is not yet complete - it is still well worth a visit. Finding it is now a little easier since a flyover now connects the 'Ismailiya road' to the road along the airport perimeter. Just drive around the edge of the airport, go over the flyover and continue for another kilometre or so. Just after a right hand turn to Suez (keep left) look out for a break in the dual carriageway below a huge advert for Sharp. Do a U-turn here to find the road to the north, signposted Zagazig, after less than 100 metres. Follow this for about 7 km, looking for a left-hand fork (now unsignposted) before the toll gates. Go left here, then keep left at the next fork and continue to the police sentry post which now has a road sign like a totem pole outside it. Turn left at the totem pole, continue through the rundown village, turn right at the grand-looking villas and look for the first track on the left down an avenue of tamarisks. On two occasions I found a padlocked barrier across the entrance to this track but the locals beckoned me to weave my way around the barrier through the trees to the left. I got stuck in sand but they were happy to pull me out again. Follow this track as far as the 'barrier' shown on my map; this has now been built up into a wall. Site 1 Beyond the wall is a water channel which, if you look left (east) is bordered by a reedbed (or is it papyrus?) and a steep sandy embankment. The reedbed is good for Clamorous Reed Warbler and had a Senegal Coucal on my visit. The embankment is the favoured spot for Senegal Thick-knees (up to 20) but if disturbed they may hide on the other side of this embankment or on the huge wall which surrounds the distant new sewage tanks. By walking right from the wall you'll pass a set of promising wader pools (lots of Tringa sandpipers on my visit, nothing else). The orchards around here are excellent for coucals which, at least in spring, can be located by their songs – soft like a Laughing Dove or Hoopoe but lasting longer and having the rhythm of a long laugh. White-breasted Kingfishers and Graceful Warblers are everywhere in this area. Site 2 The area beyond the wall, where there used to be wet fields, is now an area of old sewage beds where you can still expect flocks of waders (stints and ruffs on my visit), wagtails and pipits. Site 3 These tall trees provide a roosting site for hundreds of Black Kites, at least in April. Site 4 I couldn't find anywhere that even remotely resembled this area as I remembered it. I did walk south along another track but despite checking lots of water channels, failed to find either Painted Snipe or Avadavat. New sites Nuweiba, Sinai Helen Bantock stayed at Mustava's Place, Castle Beach, Devil's Head (north of Nuweiba) and had birds such as Hooded Wheatear, Red-tailed Wheatear, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler and a dark morph Reef Heron. Mohammed Kadir's oasis Helen Bantock stopped at this spot, signposted about 40 km East of St Catherine's Monastery, and had interesting birds including Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Desert Warbler, Crowned Sandgrouse and Scrub Warbler. |
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