Taiga Here Run!!!

Day Out: 5th Dec, 2010

That is what Tommy Pederson wrote on UAEBirding.com after seeing the Taiga Flycatcher in Sila. Is it the same bird that I saw on the second plantation day before yesterday? I am not sure. I checked my field guide for Middle East. There is no Taiga Flycather on it. That means its a real rare bird in here.

Just came back from Sila day before yesterday after twiching for Khalifa's Black-throated Thrush. Thinking of driving another 700+ kms itself was a tiring. At the same time I dont want to miss this golden oppertunety. I may never see a Taiga Flycatcher in UAE. Its a real rare bird.

Called Khalifa to see if he is going. He said he will be starting by 12:30 from Jebel Dhana as it is a working day for him.

Oscar has reported a Pied Stonechat at Mirfa. Stopped at Mirfa Park only to be thrown out of it. Reason given? No camera is allowed inside the park! Amazingly simple reason. I knew there is no point in fighting with them. So I continued my trip.

Reached Sila around 11:00AM. The first place to visit is the park. I want to locate the Eurasian Wryneck. If I can see it, it's a lifer for me. Spend almost three hours in the park. Saw a Common Kestrel and a load of Pipits. But no sign of the wryneck. Another set back.

The next place to visit is the small plantation. When I reached there I found the visiting swedish birder Brent Larsson. He just saw the Taiga Flycather. Khalifa reached soon. Brent wants to see the Black-throated Thrush. Before he left he asked us about his chances of seeing a Egyption Nightjar. Recommended him Watbah Camel Racetrack as the best place to see Egyption Nightjar. Told him that I stay close to the place and if he wants any help asked him to call and gave him my mobile no.

Myself and Khalifa started twitching for the Taiga and in 20 minutes or so we found the bird. It's very difficult to photograph as the bird is always moving inside the bushes. Managed a couple of shots we left the place. Khalifa went back to Jebel Dhanna as I continued my trip back to the park to see if I can locate the Eurasian Wryneck. Spend another hour and I saw the bird. But before I could move my camera the bird just vanished into nowhere. It's a lifer but for me i need to have a decent photograph. Searched for the bird for another 20 minutes but in vain.

Not a bad day. End of the day I missed two lifers, the Pied Stonechat and the Eurasian Wryneck (again). Drove another 750 kms.

At the same time, I got a very very rare bird as far as United Arab Emirates is concerned: The Taiga Flycatcher.

All photos in this blog is copyrighted to Shah Jahan. Please do not use it without written permission. For more information please contact sjahanmi@gmail.com.

Black-throated Thrush & European Wigeon

Day Out: 3rd Dec, 2010

Two lifers and a much wanted photo of a Eurasian Skylark. That was the summary of the trip. Was a very long drive and had a number of issues during the trip. Met some awesome guys and really understood the meaning of Arabic Hospitality.

It all started when Khalifa found the Black-throated Thrush in Sila about 5 days back. Ever since I wanted to visit Sila and photograph the bird. Was kind of lazy when thought about driving 350km one way. So just waited for the right time to start. Well, it was today at 2:45AM when I started my trip. Was feeling really sleepy so two breaks in between. Reached Sila about 8:00AM after a long five hour drive (with two small nap breaks). Normally it only takes three hours to reach Sila.

The first place to visit is the dry fields. As usual they didnt let me go in saying its a public holiday. The Pakistani guard agreed to let me go in after a few minutes of buttering and pleaing. Saw around 40 Namaqua Doves and 6 Black-crowned Finchlarks. There were a couple of Tawny Pipits.

After coming out from the fields, thanked the Guard and then headed to the Plantation. Khalifa's Black-throated Thrush was present in the Small plantations nick named as Worker's Plantation. It took hardly 5 minutes to locate the cutie. It was unbelievable and I was over joyed. When I reversed the car to get a better shot, I went and hit the tree behind. My back door got jammed and there is big dent on it. But I didnt stop continued photographing the bird and end of the day, I was very happy to get some awesome photos. I just wished the bird came out to the sun. But you can not expect everything. The workers (Pakistani) on the plantation came to me asking for details. They said they saw a couple of europeans visiting the same area in the early morning. Since they can not speak English they dared to ask them. When they understood that I am Indian, they were happy to come and speak to me in Hindi. I explained them to my level best the importance of birds and nature and so on. (Are they laughing at me? My Hindi is so poor). End of the day they offered me Tea. Thanked them and went to the second plantation.

The place looked so empty. Suddenly there was a Crested Honey Buzzard just flying over me. I could not get any shots but I cleary saw it. There were three European Nightjars were also present in the second plantaion. One other bird was a Warbler and a unique looking flycatcher. It was very difficult to photograph it and ID it. And after a minute or so it just vanished to some bushes and never came back. The flycather just showed for a couple of seconds and left. There was nothing else present in the second plantation.

Left the place and went to the pools to find whether there is something interesting. Found the Eurasian Skylark and took sometime for me get a decent photo of it. The I saw some ducks. As I was trying to photograph some ducks, I got stuck on the sands. It took a long hour for me to pull the car out. Later went to the Mosque for Juma prayers and when I came back, I saw there were two cars parked behind my car. Waited almost 10 min before the local guy named Mohammed who came and said sorry to me. He was praying in the mosque. He saw my big camera on the seat and started asking more information about it. I explanined him what I am doing. Once he came to know that I am a birder, he asked me whether I can help me him ID one of the photos he took of a bird. He invited me to his house for lunch. I tried to skip the guy but he insisted. Ended at his house which is around 5 km from the mosque, had a great lunch (Fish Biriyani and a lot of fruits). In fact I dont eat fish, so I ended up having only rice. It was a unique experience. My self, Mohammed, his father and two his brothers all ate from the same plate. This is what they call the arabic hospitality. He then showed me the photo of the bird. It was a Water Pipit. Not a bad shot with a normal camera. I spent around 1 and half hour with them. They asked me to visit their house anytime. Mohammed and his family is based in Sila but they currently live in Abu Dhabi. They comes to Sila only on holidays. They called their watchman and asked him to let me come in whenever I come to Sila. What a treatment? I really enjoyed every bit of it.

Thanks Mohammed and his family for a great lunch and the greatest hospitality.

Left from Mohammed's house, I headed to the Park to locate the much awaited Eurasian Wryneck. As I entered the park, the guard stopped me and said its family day and you can not go inside. Phew!!! thats another set back. But this time the buttering did not work. So called Khalifa to see what is his plans. He said he is going to go the beack in Jebel Dhana which around 110 kms from Sila. Told him I will be there in one hour. Drove in around 160kms per hour to reach Jebel Dhana in 50 min or so. Speeding is something that I avoid these days. I loved speeding and even now I like to drive fast. But I think I am reaching maturity. Speeding thrills but it kills. May be thats what I am thinking. Anyway reached Jebel Dhanna around 4:15 and joined Khalifa. We had a long walk in the beach looking for waders. We found the Eurasian Wigeon and was able to photograph it. That was another tick for me.

Around 5:30 I left Khalifa and started home. Reached home around 8:30 safe and sound and sleepy. It was a 750 kms driven in around nearly 18 hours. What a day? Two lifers and some great people.

All photos in this blog is copyrighted to Shah Jahan. Please do not use it without written permission. For more information please contact sjahanmi@gmail.com.

Summary of November, 2010

Here is the summary for the month of November 2010. Ticks (Lifers)/New Birds Photographed:

1. Tree Pipit (Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi)
   
2. Baillon's Crake (Green Mubazarah, Al Ain)
   
3. Black Redstart (Green Mubazarah, Al Ain)
   
4. Grey Hypocolius (Sila, Abu Dhabi)
   
5. Barred Warbler (Sila, Abu Dhabi)
   
6. Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Dubai Pivot Fields, Dubai)
   

All photos in this blog is copyrighted to Shah Jahan. Please do not use it without written permission. For more information please contact sjahanmi@gmail.com.

European Robin @ Safa Park

Neil Tovey reported a European Robin at Safa Park today. It's a bird I want. If found, a tick.

Left early from the office to Dubai to find the small cutie. Spent almost two hours twitching for the bird. When the bird showed at last there was no light at all. No chance of getting a photo. Bad luck. Met Simon Peter Lyod while I was Safa Park. He saw it about 20 min before I reached there. Simon also saw the Red-breasted Flycatcher and Shikra. Both worth a tick...

Well, its not my day. Went all the way to Dubai and returned without anything. Sad day. Will go back during one of the holidays and will try to find Shikra, European Robin and the Red-breasted Flycatcher.

Target Species for Dec, 2010

Target Species for the month of Dec, 2010 (UAE).

Every end of month I create a target list of birds to be ticked for the next month. Normally not even the half of list is ticked. Its quite common. By the time I get into the field, these birds are gone 1000s of miles. I normally only do birding during Fridays and Saturdays. It is mainly because of my job. After work, especially during the winter where day time is less, it is very hard to bird watch.

The Target Species for the month of Dec 2010 is as follows. Let us see how many ticks can I have!!! 14 new species for me. It does look tough. But if I can make 8 or 9 out of it, I would say that I am really lucky. And who knows? You will get new birds that are not in the list!!! This is what normally happens...

1. Bar-tailed Lark
2. Blyth’s Pipit
3. Black-throated Thrush
4. Broad-billed Sandpiper
5. Eurasian Blackcap
6. Eurasian Wigeon
7. Eurasian Wryneck
8. Eversmann's Redstart
9. Northern Shoveler
10. Oriental Skylark
11. Shikra
12. Short-toed Snake Eagle
13. White-breasted Waterhen
14. Houbara Bustard

Eversmann's Redstart and Five Eurasian Nightjars

Day: 26th Nov, 2010

Was busy making my pond at home when Khalifa ringed to say that they found a Evermann's Redstart at Emirates Palace Hotel. UAE has very limitednumber of sightings of Evermann's Redstart. They are considered as rare in UAE. Khalifa also said Oscar is speaking to the Emirates Palace Hotel manager to arrange a birders walk inside the Emirates Palace Hotel. He then confirmed that the walk starts at 3:30PM. Oscar Campell, Mark S, Huw Roberts and Steve James is going to be there.

Met Oscar, Mark and Huw at the gate we parked the car and started walking around the Emirates Palace Hotel grounds to locate the Evermann's

Redstart. Steve joined us later. There was also a report about spotting a Hume's Warbler at the same place. Spend almost three hours looking for the birds. We could not find both. All the effort was going on vain when Mark found 5 Eurasian Nightjars. Two of them roosting on the same tree! It was a feast for the camera. Both Huw and me were trying to get the best shot out of it.

The main attraction of the trip for me was not the European Nightjar but a Tree Pipit which is a common species in UAE. I have seen a lot of Tree Pipits, but never photographed any. So it was my turn to tick Tree Pipit as photographed. Now it is 235 species photographed in UAE. Not bad... Isn't it?

Apart from the common birds, there was one Chiffchaff and a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling.

I would like to thank Andy and Clare at the beach club, Khalifa, my friend and brother for letting me know about the bird and Oscar. And during the walk I have gained some important knowledge about the Swifts from Mark. Thank you Mark.

All photos in this blog is copyrighted to Shah Jahan. Please do not use it without written permission. For more information please contact sjahanmi@gmail.com.

The Variable Wheatear

Day: 25th Nov, 2010

It has been a long since myself and Mubish went on a birding trip together. Ahmed Al Ali has reported that one of his friend has spotted a Bustard in Ras Al Khaimah.

Started at home around 2:45AM and picked Mubish at 3:10AM. Drove the 250km to Ras Al Khaimah in one strech to find out that the coordinates provided by Ahmed is a military area. We reached there just before sunrise and dont have much to do than sending a text message to Ahmed asking for the correct location. He called in a minute to tell us that he is on his way to the same spot. In fact the coordinates given by Ahmed was right. There military fence had an opening. We didnt see the opening mainly becuase it was pitch dark when we reached there first.

Ahmed soon joined us and we started twitching for the bird. All we could find is only the footprints of the Houbara Bustard. We searched the whole three km long half km wide area looking for the bird. But at the end it was just the footprint that we could get. The general birding was not good. It was just the common waders we could find apart from Desert Wheatears and House Crow. No sign of any raptors. Pipits and Crested Larks were quite common.

Finished from there we visited Hamariyan Fields. Around 30kms from the first spot, it took us an hour with our breakfast break. Again Hamariyan fields looks empty. There are not much birds other than Black Redstart, Isabelline Wheatear, Variable Wheatear and the usuals. To our surprise the Variable Wheatear was very cooperative and allowed us to have some great shots. At point of time, I have to back out as the bird was so closer to us. Both female and male birds were very cooperative but the male was an execption. I guess the photo shows the result.

Ras Al Khaimah Spot 1:

Great Egret

Great Egret was one of the first birds I have seen in UAE, mainly due to its size. It is one of the biggest bird in UAE. I always admired its beauty. We saw one in our first spot and it was quite coporative too. The result is not an awesome photo, but a normal one.

Grey Heron

Another bird from the first spot was a Grey Heron. I have photographed numerous Grey Herons. This one when looked different to me mainly because of the morning light and the rock on which it was standing. Not very happy with the result. The bird flew away before I could get the photo that I wanted. Neverthless, I have no regrets.

Lesser Sand Plover

There we around 50 Lesser Sand Plovers mainly on the beach. They are quite corporative birds when it comes to photographing them.

Desert Wheatear

The Desert Wheatear is a common bird in UAE during winter. Sometimes they are quite tough to photograph. At times they become very friendly and allows the photographer to take some great shots. I guess I was lucky today.

Hamariyan Fields:

Black Redstart

Black Redstart is a winter visitor in UAE. I have not had so many chances to photograph the Black Redstart. As far as I am concerned, it is a shy bird. Always hides inside the bushes and very difficult to photograph.

All photos in this blog is copyrighted to Shah Jahan. Please do not use it without written permission. For more information please contact sjahanmi@gmail.com.