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Aswan (Movenpick) & Abu Simbel, Eygpt 30th November-6 December 2010,
Although not a bird watching holiday this week in did provide a lot of opportunities for birding. I was based in the Movenpick Hotel Aswan (http://www.moevenpick-hotels.com/en/pub/your_hotels/worldmap/aswan/overview.cfm) which is situated on Elephantine Island ie in the middle of the River Nile.
The back of the Movenpick faces the Botanical Garden on Kitchener’s Island and there are notable flows of birds past the hotel in the morning (must be great on passage). Although there is considerable building work going on at the moment, as the hotel extends, there are benches facing the river that over look a small beach and some Papyrus Reeds and from there you can see almost everything the island has to offer. I think this beach will probably survive the redevelopment so all should be well
In addition I took a couple of Fleicia rides around the other Nile Islands at Aswan (cost around £7 an hour).
Out side the Island I also spent a night at Abu Simbel (to see the temples) it also provided some interesting additions to my holiday list. I stayed at the Eskaleh (http://www.eskaleh.net/) and the Thomas Cook holiday rep (Asem) there is a local and can arrange bird watching trips (which I only learnt to late when I got there) you can contact him at asem_scorpio@yahoo.com phone 0103331920
Top 5 birding moments
Bird List
1. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
2 flying north along the Nile at breakfast on 17th2. Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
9 flying south along the Nile at breakfast on 17th3. 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 17th4. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Up to 12 seen daily along the Nile5. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutes
2 in reeds on east of Kings Island on 14th6. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Up to 4 regularly roosting in trees along driveway and near swimming pool7. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Seen daily, max 30 on 13th8. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Seen daily, max 20 on 14th9. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Seen daily, max 24 on 11th10. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Seen daily, max 4 on 14th and 15th11. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
1 in reeds on east of Kings Island on 15th12. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Seen almost daily, max 44 on 13th13. Black Kite Milvus migrans
Seen daily, max 11 on 15th14. Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
1 seen daily over reeds on west of Kings Island15. Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus
1 on 12th, 14th and 15th on east side of Kings Island16. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
1 around Kings Island on 12th, 14th and 15th17. Little Crake Porzana parva
Male and female seen in reeds on east of Kings Island on 13th18. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Up to 12 seen daily around Kings Island19. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Seen on the Nile on 11th, 12th and 15th. Max 23 on 12th20. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
Seen regularly in reeds around Kings Island, max 6 on 15th21. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
1 on 14th in reeds and 1 on 15th in flight along Nile22. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
1 on muddy scrape on east side of Kings Island on 16th23. Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus
Up to 8 seen daily around Kings Island24. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii
1 on 15th and 2 on 16th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island25. Little Stint Calidris minuta
1 on 15th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island26. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
1 on 15th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island27. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
1 on 11th on north-west bank of Kings Island28. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
3 in flight heading south along Nile at breakfast on 17th29. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
2 on 15th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island30. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
7 in flight heading south along Nile on 17th31. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
seen in flight along Nile on 14th, 15th and 17th. Max 4 on 17th32. Black Tern Chlidonias niger
12 seen in flight heading north along Nile on 14th33. White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
Up to 3 seen regularly in flight over Nile34. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
Up to 6 seen regularly in flight over Nile35. Feral Pigeon Columba livia (domest.)
Seen daily, especially in Luxor and around the Temple36. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
Seen regularly around Kings Island, max 6 on 12th37. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
40+ seen daily around Kings Island38. Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
Seen regularly in flight over Kings Island, max 10 on 15th39. Hoopoe Upapa epops
Seen regularly around Kings Island, max 12 on 13th40. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
Up to 12 seen daily fishing from Nile-side trees on the Island41. Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis Cleopatra
Up to 12 seen daily around Kings Island42. Crested Lark Galerida cristata
Up to 8 seen daily around Kings Island43. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica savignii
Seen daily, max. 30 on 16thHirundo 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 16th45. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Seen on 13th, 16th and 17th. Max 4 on 16th and 17th46. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus
Seen on 13th, 16th and 17th. Max 3 on 16th and 17th47. White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
Up to 4 seen daily around Kings Island48. Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flava
Seen daily around Kings Island, max 27 on 13th48b. Motacilla flava thunbergi
1 on 17th on muddy scrape, east Kings Island49. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula
Seen in reed-beds; 1 on 11th, 3 on 15th and 2 on 17th50. Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
1 in garden on north-west of Island on 11th, 14th and 15th51. Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis
Up to 6 seen daily in reeds around Kings Island52. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curraca
Up to 4 seen daily around Kings Island53. Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris
2 on 11th and 1 on 12th on Kings Island54. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
Up to 10 seen daily in reeds around Kings Island55. Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus
Seen in reeds, 1 on 14th, 6 on 15th & 3 on 17th56. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
Up to 3 seen most days around Kings Island57. Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Up to 3 seen most days around Kings Island58. Turkestan Shrike Lanius phoenicuroides
1 in trees to south-east of Kings Island on 16th59. Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus
1 in garden trees to north-west of Kings Island on 11th60. Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus
Up to 8 seen daily around Kings Island61. Nile Valley Sunbird Anthodiaeta metallica
Up to 6 seen daily around Kings Island62. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
Up to 24 seen daily around Kings Island63. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Common and abundant – seen daily64. 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
Graeme Wright [dddongle@msn.com]
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