sign in sign up
<<
Home , Khor Fakkan, Liwa Oasis, Madha, Marawah Island, Wadi Helo, Wadi Helo (wadi)

The National weekend Friday, February 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

BLACK BLACK-SHOULDERED BLUE ROCK THRUSH → CASPIAN GULL → ARABIAN WILLOW WARBLER → REDSTART → KITE → Total observations: 198 during the second Recent sighting: PARTRIDGE → Average observations per month, 1971-2015: Recent sighting: Recent sighting: week of April, the peak spring migration April 19, 2011 Recent sighting: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC March 21, 2015 March 3, 2013 of the species, when many congregate Birding hotspot: May 21, 2015 Birding hotspot: Birding hotspot: at coastal migration points. Port Beach Birding hotspot: Balghelam Island Green Mubazzarah, 1935 willow warblers observed ↑ RUDDY SHELDUCK Al Khasal Most recent sighting: March 26, 2013 Birding hotspot: Water Treatment Plant Wad i Sha’am Observer: Khalifa Al Dhaheri Mina Saqr

Dhayah ↑ WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW Recent sightings: Wadi Bih Al Wathba Wetland Reserve and Ajban Tower Links Golf Centre Farms, Al Jazeera Khor Ice Land waterpark Kharran Here, Wadi Naqab

Nursery Al Baya Ras Al Khaimah Sambraid Beach SACRED IBIS → airport Wamm Farms: 274 species Ras Dibba Total observations: Aquapark March to May Hamraniyah Fields Dibba Mountains Tawiyeen Dam Dadna Khor Al-Beida Banyan Tree Al Wadi 200 Aqqah b Al Halah Sharm 100 water treatment plant irdie! Al Ghail Ajman Wasit Nature Reserve 0 Falaj Al Moalla The UAE sits on a major migration Al Mamzar Park 1/4 15/5 Sharjah Rubbish Tip Masafi Species of birds observed path for more than 300 species of Bird observations Abu Dhabi Port: 39 : 124 Al in Abu Dhabi year-round, Sharjah University City Safa Park: BIMACULATED birds, most of which come from all years (1971-2015) 210 species Elebriddi Qurraya A birder simply enters when, where and Mushrif Park LARK ↓ Protected Area Europe and Central Asia to escape how they went birding, then fills out a Birding hotspots: Ras Al Khor Dubai Pivot Fields: 268 species Fujairah checklist of all the birds seen and heard Lulu Island: 190 Wildlife Sanctuary Port Beach Island, Al Sila’a, the harsh winter. The Cornell Lab of Fossil Rock Mountain Pipeline during the outing. eBird provides various Al Warsan Lakes Al Qua’a Fodder Field, : 62 Ornithology and National Audubon options for data gathering including point Fujairah Al Wathba Camel Marina Mall breakwater: 33 Emirates Golf Club Academic City Nakhali Elfaya counts, transects, and area searches. Nad Al Sheba Racetrack Society has been recording the UAE’s Corniche: 59 Protected Area Khalba Automated data quality filters developed Khalidiya breakwater: 40 Nature Reserve Lahbab and Wetland Reserve Jumeirah Tijarah Khor Harbour birding hotspots since 1971 and by regional bird experts review all Village and Abu Dhabi Health Hilton/Spinneys area: 114 Alqurm Protected Area submissions before they enter the Emirates Palace: 163 The Sevens & Fitness Club their results can also be found on Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary database. Local experts review unusual Abu Dhabi Eastern Mangrove Lagoon: 149 Al Qudra Cycling Path the website, eBird.org. Using these records that are flagged by the filters. Khalidiya: 108 Mushrif Palace Gardens: 191 COMMON results, we’ve created a map showing 19th Street: 77 Sai Ash Shaib Desert 500+ CUCKOO ↓ the bird concentrations across the Abu Dhabi Golf and Ghantoot Sai Al Salam Total observations: 38 400 Equestrian Club: 209 Al Bateen Airbase: 52 Al Marmoom Dubai Desert Conservation Area Around the last week seven emirates. So, go get your 300 Conservation Reserve Western Lagoon: 177 Hatta of April each year binoculars, keep your eyes and ears 250 (Map markers with Hatta Dams Al Hudayriat Bab Al-Shams desert 200 brighter colors indicate wide open; you might still find one more species observed Island: 36 Abu Dhabi to Dubai Road New Shwaib 150 RED-TAILED on that grid cell or SHRIKE → of these unique and colourful birds 100 ABU DHABI AREA Abu Dhabi Officers’ Club: 133 hotspot location) Abundance: 0.977 around these spots before they fly far 50 Al Rahba 15 Ajban away, looking for milder climates. Al Haye 1 Abundance is the average number Al Bahya Nahel Dalma Island of birds reported on Abu Dhabi all checklists within Al Reef Ghaghah Islands a specified date range and region. no MERLINS, → Abu Dhabi Golf Club primarily a winter Ras Khumais visitor, can be Ras Ghumeis expected in an Island: 203 species Fazia’a Island average day’s Mafraq Water Treatment Plant Dabb’iya Peninsula Al Dahmaa birding. Al Wathba Wetland Reserve Al Ain Airport Al Buraimi Al Nahda Lake Al Dhafra Air Base Al Wathba Camel Racetrack Al Ain Jananah Island Al Khatim Palm Sports Resort Yasat Sufia Island Abu Al Abyadh Qareen Al Aish Al Wathba Cycle Track Al Batha Jebel Dhanna Al Khazna Green Mubazzarah: 211 species Sila’a: Mirfa 220 species Zakher Lake: 200 species Al Ruwais Abu Dhabi to Mirfa Road Wadi Tarabat Sila’a Ruwais Water Treatment Plant Jebel Hafit Harbour Tarif SKYLARK → Plantation Mirfa Water Treatment Plant Recent sighting: RED-CRESTED Ain Al-Fayda: 202 species March 13, 2015 POCHARD ↓ Location: Braka Coastal Al Ain Water Birding hotspot: Treatment Plant Dubai Pivot Fields Al Ain Water Treatment S Observer: Plant Ghiyathi E Wes Carrington Bab Oilfield T A R I Bu Hasa M Umm Al-Ishtan E ↑ B GOLDEN-BACKED A WEAVER Al Wigan ↑ R Hotspot location: RUFOUS-TAILED A Al Mamzar Beach ROCK THRUSH Birds per hour: 3.004 WHITE-BREASTED D Park, Dubai WATERHEN → Bu Hasa E Similar to abundance in that T Al Qua’a Fodder Field Birding hotspots: I it gives a measure of the Al Barsha Pond Park, N status of birds in a specific U area, “birds per hour” goes Dubai Pivot Fields, Wadi Al-Reum Sharjah Desert Park, one step further and Wamm Farms incorporates time into the Last reported sighting: calculation providing a April 11, 2014 measure of correction for Sabakha Plantation the e•ort expended while birding.

Liwa

OMAN Liwa South West Liwa Oasis East

← WHITE STORK Hameem Birding hotspots: Wamm Shah Oilfields Farms, Dubai Pivot Fields, Ras al-Khor Wildlife MEADOW PIPIT → Sanctuary Mangrove Hide, Birding hotspots: , Mushrif Palace Wamm Farms Quzaihwira Gardens and Ruwais to Sila’a Road Umm az Zumul

COMMON REDSTART → COMMON MASKED SHRIKE → ASHY DRONGO → RUFOUS-TAILED SCRUB ROBIN → Frequency of sightings: CORN CRAKE → KINGFISHER → Abundance: March to May Birding hotspots: Average count: 5,238 March to May Birding hotspots: Safa Park, Birding hotspot: 1200 Mushrif National Park, a large Starting the week of March 15 24% Al Mamzar Park, Emirates Golf Club, ↑ SHORT-TOED SNAKE EAGLE Khor Kalba Plains protected park with indigenous Ghaf expect to see about five scrub-robins RED-FLANKED Ain Al-Fayda, Emirates Palace, Birding hotspots: Wamm Farms (Alqurm Protected woodland. To cover the area thoroughly, in birding areas across the UAE. BLUETAIL → Sila’a Public Park, Sir Bani Yas The area is one of the key birding sites 600 12% Area) plan to spend two to three hours here. This number indicates the spring-summer Birding hotspots: among others. in the UAE, consisting of the Fujairah Safa Park and Mushrif Other hotspots: Safa Park, Dubai flocking behaviour of this species 0% National Dairy Farm, the goat farm 0 and Ain Al-Fayda in Al Ain Palace Gardens and surrounding gravel plains 22/3 22/4 22/5 1/3 22/5

Source: eBird: an online database of bird distribution and abundance, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: www.ebird.org. (Accessed: February 14, 2016); openstreetmap.org. Illustrations: Mathew Kurian / The National