Anne and I spent a wonderful week at Luxor immersed in ancient history, beautiful scenery, fantastic weather and excellent birding. My target species was Nile Valley Sunbird and I couldn’t believe how easy it proved to be, seen daily outside our bungalow.

We chose to stay at the Maritim Jolie Ville Hotel located some 4 kilometres south of Luxor on Kings Island, a private island in the Nile. Access to the island was via a bridge and controlled by security guards resulting in our ability to walk throughout the island without any hassle. The River Nile runs south to north and the island is shaped like an oval with the main river some 500 metres wide running to the west, and a smaller channel some 100 metres wide to the east. Reed-beds and low mangrove cover 75% of the river boundary with the remainder being concrete edges for boats to berth backed by swimming pools and gardens. A track runs around the whole island.

Accommodation is in bungalows around the grounds. Unfortunately for birders the hotel is currently undergoing a massive programme of renovation and expansion so some good habitat has been lost but hopefully by next year when the building work is finished the army of gardeners will have created new habitats. Having said that, we were not disappointed by our birding.

We chose a package for our trip with Thomas Cook flying from Manchester. Our board was on a bed and breakfast basis and, following advice on Tripadvisor,  we upgraded to half-board on arrival taking a package from the hotel which gave us two meals in each of its three restaurants and an ‘Egyptian night’. This proved to be a better option and a more flexible buy.

Breakfasts and most evening meals were taken on a terrace overlooking the Nile. It was always worth watching the river. We had new species every day of our stay with four during our last breakfast including a fly-past by two Egyptian Geese.

Sunrise was around 6am and sunset 5pm. During the day the temperature peaked early afternoon at 36 degrees and the evenings didn’t drop below 16 degrees. Early morning was a good time to bird before the heat of the day. During the day the sky was blue and clear with excellent light for birding.

Trips to see the sights usually left early morning and returned at lunchtime. We enjoyed three such outings; two organised by ourselves using the hotel courtesy bus to Luxor to visit Luxor Temple and Museum, both of which are recommended; the third was a private tour to the West Bank and Valley of the Kings arranged through Petra Travel which was excellent and also highly recommended. The remainder of the daylight hours during our stay were either spent birding Kings Island and the hotel grounds or watching the river from either the restaurant terrace or the infinity swimming pool.

For me, the memorable birds were the Nile Valley Sunbirds seen daily feeding in the tops of the Floss Silk Trees around the bungalows; Little Green Bee-eaters of the ‘cleopatra’ race; Pied Kingfishers always noisy and confiding; Clamorous Reed Warblers, a new bird for me seen calling, singing and perched out in the open; a Turkestan Shrike found near the building works on the one day the workers were missing due to a religious festival; and the last new birds just before our departure – a flock of 150 White Pelicans which rose from the West Bank opposite our hotel, circulated for a few minutes then headed south following the river – lucky things as we were about to head north back to the cold and rain! A comprehensive list of bird sightings is itemised below using the order from the new Collins Bird Guide.

Further details are available from the author at anne.alan.miller@btinternet.com        

Bird Sightings

1. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca 2 flying north along the Nile at breakfast on 17th
2. Eurasian Teal Anas crecca 9 flying south along the Nile at breakfast on 17th
3. White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus A raft of 150 lifted off from the West Bank of the Nile opposite the hotel, circled then flew south on 17th
4. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Up to 12 seen daily along the Nile
5. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutes 2 in reeds on east of Kings Island on 14th
6. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Up to 4 regularly roosting in trees along driveway and near swimming pool
7. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Seen daily, max 30 on 13th
8. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Seen daily, max 20 on 14th
9. Little Egret Egretta garzetta Seen daily, max 24 on 11th
10. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Seen daily, max 4 on 14th and 15th
11. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 1 in reeds on east of Kings Island on 15th
12. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Seen almost daily, max 44 on 13th
13. Black Kite Milvus migrans Seen daily, max 11 on 15th
14. Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 1 seen daily over reeds on west of Kings Island
15. Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus 1 on 12th, 14th and 15th on east side of Kings Island
16. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1 around Kings Island on 12th, 14th and 15th
17. Little Crake Porzana parva Male and female seen in reeds on east of Kings Island on 13th
18. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Up to 12 seen daily around Kings Island
19. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Seen on the Nile on 11th, 12th and 15th. Max 23 on 12th
20. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Seen regularly in reeds around Kings Island, max 6 on 15th
21. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 1 on 14th in reeds and 1 on 15th in flight along Nile
22. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 1 on muddy scrape on east side of Kings Island on 16th
23. Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus Up to 8 seen daily around Kings Island
24. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii  1 on 15th and 2 on 16th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island
25. Little Stint Calidris minuta 1 on 15th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island
26. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 1 on 15th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island
27. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 1 on 11th on north-west bank of Kings Island
28. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 3 in flight heading south along Nile at breakfast on 17th
29. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 2 on 15th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island
30. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 7 in flight heading south along Nile on 17th
31. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica seen in flight along Nile on 14th, 15th and 17th. Max 4 on 17th
32. Black Tern Chlidonias niger 12 seen in flight heading north along Nile on 14th
33. White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus Up to 3 seen regularly in flight over Nile
34. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida Up to 6 seen regularly in flight over Nile
35. Feral Pigeon Columba livia (domest.) Seen daily, especially in Luxor and around the Temple
36. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Seen regularly around Kings Island, max 6 on 12th
37. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 40+ seen daily around Kings Island
38. Pallid Swift Apus pallidus Seen regularly in flight over Kings Island, max 10 on 15th
39. Hoopoe Upapa epops Seen regularly around Kings Island, max 12 on 13th
40. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Up to 12 seen daily fishing from Nile-side trees on the Island
41. Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis Cleopatra Up to 12 seen daily around Kings Island
42. Crested Lark Galerida cristata Up to 8 seen daily around Kings Island
43. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica savignii Seen daily, max. 30 on 16th
                         Hirundo rustica rustica 1 seen on Kings Island 13th to 17th incl.
44. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta Seen on 15th, 16th and 17th. Max 4 on 16th
45. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Seen on 13th, 16th and 17th. Max 4 on 16th and 17th
46. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus Seen on 13th, 16th and 17th. Max 3 on 16th and 17th
47. White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba Up to 4 seen daily around Kings Island
48. Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flava Seen daily around Kings Island, max 27 on 13th
                           Motacilla flava thunbergi 1 on 17th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island
49. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula Seen in reed-beds; 1 on 11th, 3 on 15th and 2 on 17th
50. Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 1 in garden on north-west of Island on 11th, 14th and 15th
51. Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis Up to 6 seen daily in reeds around Kings Island
52. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curraca Up to 4 seen daily around Kings Island
53. Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris 2 on 11th and 1 on 12th on Kings Island
54. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis Up to 10 seen daily in reeds around Kings Island
55. Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus Seen in reeds, 1 on 14th, 6 on 15th & 3 on 17th
56. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Up to 3 seen most days around Kings Island
57. Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Up to 3 seen most days around Kings Island
58. Turkestan Shrike Lanius phoenicuroides 1 in trees to south-east of Kings Island on 16th
59. Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus 1 in garden trees to north-west of Kings Island on 11th
60. Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus Up to 8 seen daily around Kings Island
61. Nile Valley Sunbird Anthodiaeta metallica Up to 6 seen daily around Kings Island
62. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix Up to 24 seen daily around Kings Island
63. House Sparrow Passer domesticus Common and abundant – seen daily
64. Red Avadavat Amandava amandava Up to 5 seen regularly in reed-beds around Kings Island

Other sightings

Plain Tiger butterfly – 1 or 2 seen regularly on the south-west edge of Kings Island
Yellow Pansy butterfly – 1 seen on the grass around the bungalows
African Migrant butterfly – Seen daily on the flowers around the grounds
Long-tailed Blue butterfly – seen regularly on the south of Kings Island
Millet Skipper butterfly – 1 seen on the reeds on the north-east edge of Kings Island
Bat species – seen twice outside our room
Brown Rat – seen twice on the east edge of Kings Island
Moorish Gecko – seen regularly in the evening around the buildings
Wall Lizard sp. – good numbers seen daily throughout Kings Island
Blue-tailed Damselfly – 1 seen on the north-east border of Kings Island
Violet Dropwing dragonfly – 1 or 2 seen regularly on the east edge of Kings Island
Banded Groundling dragonfly – 1 to 3 seen regularly on the track surrounding Kings Island
Hawker dragonfly sp. – 1 seen on the north-east border of Kings Island and 1 around the bungalows