Reports 2003 to present

Egypt, Nile Cruise Luxor to Aswan 11/11/02 – 18/11/02

• A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan gives some excellent birding opportunities, and is particularly useful if you have a non-birding partner as you can see good birds without needing to disappear for a half or a whole day in search of them. I went on all the excursions provided instead of taking a day off to look for birds. This proved well worthwhile, as the temples and other monuments are not only breathtaking but are often good places for birds....Rhion Pritchard reports

Egypt October 7th-20th 2002

• Egypt contains the only remaining ancient wonder of the world in the shape of the Great Pyramids at Giza, a real 'must see' experience for many people. It also offers relaxed autumn birding and the chance to see species like Nile Valley Sunbird, Sooty Gull, Kittlitz's Plover...Mark Dennis reports

South Sinai, Egypt 16th-23rd October 2002

• I decided to have another morning trip to the pools NW of Na'ama Bay. I arrived about 7am just as the sandgrouse were coming in to drink. 158 Spotted Sandgrouse came in and 45 Crowned Sandgrouse. Many were drinking in the lower pools. White Storks started arriving about 8.15 and eventually about 230 came down to the lower pools, along with the immature White Pelican...Bob Swann reports.

Short Notes on birding Sharm el Sheikh Egypt 10-17 September 2002

• We had read with interest a trip report on the Ornithological Society of the Middle East (OSME) Website which indicated that some interesting species including Lichtenstein's and Spotted Sandgrouse could be found not far from Na'ama Bay - the base for our diving holiday.....Moira and Graeme Wallace report.

Egypt - Nile Valley, Luxor, Abu Simbel April 15^th-22^nd 2002

• The area around the boat jetty was full of herons, including Little Bittern, Night, Squacco and Striated Herons at close quarters. Near the bridge we were finally able to confirm that the call we had heard several times over the preceding days was indeed Clamorous Reed Warbler...Chris Cameron reports.

Egypt 4-11 April 2002

• There was a flock of 90 White Storks in a thermal. At the edge of Qena town we saw a Spur-winged Lapwing flying over dried channel. As we drove further we could see the channel was surrounded by small cottages, villages and birds. Along all the way from Qena to Luxor we saw colonies of Cattle Egrets, Pied Kingfishers, 1 Green Heron ...Tomasz Kulakowski reports

Hurghada, Egypt Nov. 2001

• Hurghada has a perfect climate at this time of the year - 27 degrees in the air and about the same in the sea.  We didn't see any clouds the week we were there.  Most days we were snorkeling- from the beaches.  One day we went by boat to Giftun (Paradise) Island to snorkel.  But we didn't see any birds on this island and only one species on the boat trip.  Hurghada isn't famous for its birdlife, but if you take a closer look in the hotel gardens, there are always some birds to see...Jan Landsverk reports

Egypt, Luxor area 10/9 to 24/9.01

• Combining sightseeing, birdwatching and just relaxation. Luxor was chosen due to its proximity to birdwatching sites and accessibility to the R.Nile (West Bank) & historical ruins. The weather whilst we where there was very hot, temp over 100 degrees on most days thus ensuring that any activity was carried out in the morning...John Bateman reports

Nile Cruise, Luxor to Aswan 19th– 26th March 2001

• An early start saw the bus take us over the bridge and away to the Valley of the Kings where we were greeted with several trumpeter finches and a very tame brown necked raven.  Rock martins were everywhere as well as pallid swifts and passing common swifts...John Miles reports

South Sinai (Dec 1st - 7th 2000)

• Bruce Hansen and myself flew from directly from Oslo to Sharm el Sheikh international airport with Egyptian carrier Shorouk Air.....The sewage-ponds northwest of town can be reached on foot from the main road. This is an excellent site for birding.....Tommy Pedersen reports...Maps and photo's included.

Egypt , 2000  (16--30^th  October 2000)

• John Bateman went on a two week package holiday (1week cruise & 1 week hotel) based in Luxor staying at the Hotel Isis. Most of his spare time was spent birdwatching the Nile.... This is his report.

Birds Seen at Luxor (1991)

• Norman Ford visited Luxor in 1991. This is a list of the birds that he saw.
  

Birds of the Middle East R.F. Porter, S. Christensen, P. Schiermacker-Hansen: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk If your going to this region you must buy this book. It is a great break through. Comprehensive and complete, it eliminates the need to carry too many books in the field: we know how important that is! The text is well written by experts, and many of the plates are fantastic; those by John Gale especially stand out; just dream about those raptors! Birds of the Middle East" is the first comprehensive field guide dealing exclusively with the birds of this region. It covers all the species, including vagrants likely to be seen in the region.

Collins Bird Guide Lars Svensson et al: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk An excellent field guide covering all of the birds of the region. Stunning drawings by the worlds finest bird illustrators. (and it shows.) Check out the Wheatears and Larks and some of the other difficult to identify birds of Egypt.

The Birds of Egypt
Steven M. Goodman (Editor): Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• New information on the birds of Egypt is incorporated in this book with a critical review of earlier knowledge. The species found in the area, both resident and migratory, details of their occurrence, distribution and breeding patterns are surveyed by the authors. The subject is set in its historical context and the long history of Egyptian ornithology, which stretches back to the Predynastic Period (4500-3000 BC), is outlined. The changes in the environment and their effects on the avifauna are considered, together with the effects of hunting and of conservation and protection. Also included are tabulations of official and regional Egyptian bird names. At £80 this is a "heavyweight" book.

Recommended Travel Books for Egypt

Lonely Planet: Egypt Andrew Humphreys, Siona Jenkins: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk We took this book everywhere! From the suggested sites to visit in each location to the suggestions about how much to pay for a felucca or callesh (and how much baksheesh to give on top of the price), it was informative, accessible and above all accurate.