This trip was a celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary. Concessions had to be made after our disastrous 10th anniversary 4 day trip in search of Bustards, which nearly ended in divorce. Improved negotiation skills meant we were able to spend 3 mornings and 2 evenings at the local Water Treatment Zone (Sewage Works).Another day was spent climbing Mount Sinai whilst we were based at the guest house at St Katherine’s Monastery.

Having developed a recent allergy to the rubber on my camera, I decided my good wife should wield the lens and carry some of the equipment. All these photos are hers.

We are indebted to Colin Bradshaw for his advice on birding in the area on this short trip.

General information

We hired a car during our stay from the Avis office in Na’ama Bay . It cost us Egyptian Pounds 1400 or US$215 . The sterling rate they offered us was rubbish .so we paid in Egyptian pounds. This included 100km per day which we exceeded by 100km . This bumped up the cost of the car to 1500 in total. ( The excess charge was 1 Egyptian pound per extra kilometer). Petrol was cheap and it cost about GB£10 to fill up the tank. We were glad we hired a car. Driving was straight forward as long as you realized there was a general ‘free for all’ mentality.

If you have a vague interest in Natural History in general and you don’t mind developing another obsession, we’d advise you to try snorkeling. There was an excellent reef off the Hyatt Regency and we had a short session at Ras Mohammed - both were equally good. We managed to see a couple of Indian Lionfish, at least 5 species of Parrotfish, Exquisite Butterfly fish, Red Sea Bannerfish, Lunar Fusillier, Red Sea Picassofish, Yellowtail Tang, Masked Pufferfish, Bird Wrasse and many many more exotic looking fish ( - lifers everywhere we looked – just a bit awkward taking notes!). In total we only spent about 3 hours under water, as it was about half way through the holiday that we discovered the spectacle associated with coral reefs. We would recommend the rather up market  Hyatt on the basis of its excellent reef. Having a car ensured we could eat inexpensively and well in Sharm el Sheikh , without  being tied to the Hyatt.

A visa needs to be purchased if you plan to visit St Katherine’s and cost US $ 15 each. We bought these on arrival at the airport. US currency would also have been helpful for entry into Ras Mohammed. The park closes quite strictly at 4pm and we were literally escorted off the premises, albeit dragging our feet.

Site Information

The Water Treatment Works located north-west of Na'ama Bay, was about a 10 minute drive from the Hyatt Regency. Because of the road system, you are best driving past the Na'ama Bay Marriott, and taking the next right inland. This track goes into the desert and you meet a large road. Treat this as a crossroad and head directly ahead (taking a minor detour to get across the carriage way).Keep going straight and you come to another similar road set up , where you essentially want to cross the carriage way. Once again, this is only possible by taking a right , then a left to double back on yourself. There is a small check point in this area. The dirt track to the right is used frequently by trucks and quad bikers. There is a nearby riding club which you keep to the right of you. The water treatment area consists of about a dozen square/rectangular ponds with very little fringe vegetation. They are at a raised level from the main road. There is a lower level overflow pool which we understand is good for Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse and Buff bellied Pipit. We tried unsuccessfully for the former on 2 evenings. The first evening we were too high up and inundated with quad bikers. Not sure what went wrong on the second attempt. You will need mosquito repellent.

St Katherine’s was well worth a visit. Most tourist end up going up the mountain to watch the sunrise from the top of Mount Sinai. We would of preferred an extra day there but were constrained by time. We stayed at the Monastery Guest House, Wadi el Dier, St. Katherine, South Sinai Egypt.Phone: +20 693 470 353.Reception closes between 1pm and 5pm. The people there after 5pm spoke good English.

Check out this website for general information and accommodation. http://st-katherine.net/en/

Sightings

1st Dec 2008 Hyatt Regency

Western Ref Egret
Osprey
Laughing Dove
Common Kestrel  
Sardinian Warbler
Redstart
Chiffchaff
White Wagtail
House Sparrow

2nd Dec 2008
Water Treatment Works NW of Na’ama Bay 06:30- 08:50 and 16:40-18:15

Squacco Heron
Night Heron
Little Egret
White Stork
Wigeon
Teal
Eastern Imperial Eagle 1 juv



Long legged Buzzard 1juv
Common Kestrel
Common Crane 3
Coot
Greenshank
Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Spur-winged Plover 12+
Temminck’s Stint
Black headed Gull
Laughing Dove
Sand Martin
Red throated Pipit 3
Eastern Water Pipit 3
Bluethroat 4
Yellow Wagtail
Chiffchaff
House Sparrow
(Reed Warbler in Sharm el Sheikh Old Market in the evening!)

3 rd Dec 2008 Ras Mohammed 14:15 – 16:20

White Stork
Kentish Plover
Eastern Mourning Wheatear

4th Dec 2008
Water Treatment Works NW of Na’ama Bay 06:40- 08:00
(Spent mainly trying to get photographs of Imperial Eagle and Bluthroats)

Little Egret
White Stork
Eastern Imperial Eagle 1 juv
Common Kestrel
Coot
Greenshank
Redshank
Spur-winged Plover
Laughing Dove
Red throated Pipit
Eastern Water Pipit
Bluethroat
Chiffchaff
Reed Warbler
House Sparrow
Brown necked raven 1 near the airport

Drive to St. Katherine’s Monastery arrived around 15:00(about a 3 hour drive)

Pale Crag Martin 5
Desert Wheatear 1 female
White crowned Black Wheatear 1
Mourning Wheatear 1
Brown necked Raven 14+

Around St. Katherine’s Monastery/ lower end of track up Mount Sinai15:30-17:30

Desert Lark 4
White-crowned Black Wheatear 6
Sinai Rosefinch 25-30

5th Dec 2008
St. Katherine’s Monastery to the top of Mount Sinai

We opted to climb after the main tourist ‘day trippers’ and set off just after dawn. The bulbuls were seen at the Guest House, as were the common European passerines. Tristrams Grackle was first seen on the side of the monastery and feeding around the first Bedouin camp. The Beduoin camp/refreshment shops above Elijah’s Basin even at mid day had Grackle , Rosefinch , Desert Lark and Scrub Warbler  in close proximity. Almost all the target birds listed were seen above Elijah’s Basin at about 11am or later (marked in bold); the exception to this was the Sand Partridge which were seen with Chukar in a valley about half way up the mountain mid morning. The Rosefinches were common but shy and flighty; White Crowned Black Wheatear and Desert Lark were common en route.
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Chukar 6
Sand Partridge 6
Rock Dove
Collared Dove
Laughing Dove
Desert Lark 8+
Spectacled Bulbul 3
Tristram’s Grackle 12 at the Monastery and 13 above Elijah’s Basin
Scrub Warbler3-4
Sardinian Warbler
Chiffchaff
Black Redstart
White crowned Black wheatear 8+
White Wagtail
Chaffinch
Sinai Rosefinch20+
Brown necked Raven2

6th Dec 2008
Water Treatment Works NW of Na’ama Bay 09:30- 12:00

Little Grebe
Cormarant
White Pelican 1 juv
White Stork
Black Vulture 1



Eastern Imperial Eagle 1 juv
Steppe Eagle1 juv



Common Kestrel
Common Buzzard
Long legged Buzzard 1juv



Crowned Sandgrouse 11 flew in around 9:30 and drank from road side puddles on approach road to main pools



Coot
Northern Lapwing 1
Spur-winged Plover
Common Snipe
Greenshank
Redshank
Black headed Gull
Laughing Dove
Pale Crag Martin 4 or 5
Sand Martin
House Martin 1
Red throated Pipit
Eastern Water Pipit
Bluethroat
Chiffchaff
Stonechat
White Wagtail
House Sparrow

Botanical Garden between Airport and Hyatt Regency

Common Buzzard
Tawny Pipit 2
Stonechat