Visit your favourite destinations
Western Europe
North America
Caribbean
Africa
Asia
Eastern Europe
South America
Australasia
Middle East
East Indies

A Report from birdtours.co.uk

Birding Trip to Tunisia, Winter 2002-2003,

Jens Hjerrild Hansen

Skovskolen, Nødebovej 77 A, 3480 Fredensborg, Denmark

foto  Kim Aaen, - Denmark

The following recordings are based on a charter flight to the town of Sousse. The first week was only spent with halftime birding whereas the second week was spent with proper birding. We hired a Fiat Uno for 10 days (420 Dinar). We found our way with the Michelin 172 Map. 

All of the numbers are maximum daily counts.


Hammam Sousse:
   29/12 - 2002   (13.00-14.00)                                        
30/12 - 2002   (09.20-09.50)
31/12 - 2002   (07.15-08.15)    

All bird seen in the surrounds of the beach hotel "Dreams Beach"
Great Crested Grebe 1
Mediterranean Shearwater 350
N Gannet 3   
Kestrel 1
Barbary Partridge 2
Pomarine Skua 1
Black-headed Gull 120
Sandwich Tern 2
Laughing Dove 10
Little Owl 1
Meadow Pipit 2
White Wagtail 1
Robin 2
Black Redstart 1
Stonechat 2
Blackbird 10
Songtrush 1
Sardinian Warbler 6
Southern Great Grey Shrike 3
Spotless Starling 20
Starling 50
Serin 3
Greenfinch 4

Sebk. Halk el Menzel: 
30/12 - 2002  (10.00-11.00 & 14.30-17.30) , 01/01 - 2003  (16.00-17.00)
Great Crested Grebe 118
Black-necked Grebe 37 Cormorant 175
Little Egret 42 
Great Egret 29
Grey Heron 219
Spoonbill 98
Greater Flamingo 1010
Shelduck 67
Marsh Harrier 1
Osprey 1
Avocet 635
Kentish Plover 36
Grey Plover 1
Lapwing 1
Little Stint 31
Dunlin 650
Ruff 70
Black-tailed Godwit 33
Curlew 7
Redshank 4
Greenshank 4
Common Sandpiper 2
Mediterranean Gull 2
Black-headed Gull 10+
Slender-billed Gull 267
Yellow-legged Gull 250
Caspian Tern 19
Crested Lark 20+
Stonechat 10+
Spectacled Warbler 1 ad. male
Sardinian Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 1
Southern Great Grey Shrike 3

Hergla:
   30/12 - 2002  (12.00-13.00)
From the harbour of Hergla, following bird were seen.
Mediterranean Shearwater 1660
Gannet 6
Common Swift 1

Ouled Chamekh:
  01/01 - 2003  (11.30-12.45)
All birds seen at a small swallow freshwaterpond 2 km. SW of Ouled Chamekh on route El Jem to Kairouan.
Shelduck 29
Wigeon 78
Gadwall 3
Teal 23
Pintail 26
Shoveler 24
Marbled Teal 6
Black-winged Stilt 79
Avocet 12
Kentish Plover 115
Little Stint 80+
Temminck's Stint 1
Dunlin 30+
Ruff 5
Spottet Redshank 11
Redshank 12
Greenshank 3
Short-toed Lark 2
Crested Lark 10+
White Wagtail 10+

Sebk. Kelbia:
   01/01 - 2003  (PM)                                                           
Completly dried out !!.  At Qued Alem further norther following bird were found.
Spoonbill 2
Lanner Falcon 1
Black-winged Stilt 35
Little Stint 50
Dunlin 20
Greenshank 6

Sebk. Mecheguig:
02/01 - 2003  (08.05-08.10)
Common Crane 12

Qued el Hassan:
 02/01 - 2003  (10.00-10.30)
Approx. 20 km. N of Gabes on route (P1) to Sfax.
Green Sandpiper 1
Moussier's Redstart 2
Stonechat 2
Chiffchaff 2
Southern Great Grey Shrike 1
Brown-necked Raven 6

Matmata-Douz: 
02/01 - 2003  (11.00-17.00)
Red-rumped Wheatear 2
Desert Wheatear 1                                                     
Southern Great Grey Shrike 2
House Bunting 7

Douz:   03/01 - 2003  (07.45-10.45)
All birds observed at "Lake Douz" a rather small salt lake outside the town.
Ruddy Shelduck 2
Teal 8
Pintail 1
Shoveler 86
Black-winged Stilt 15
Ringed Plover 2
Kentish Plover 25
Little Stint 95
Dunlin 2
Ruff 2
Spottet Redshank 1
Marsh Sandpiper 2
Green Sandpiper 3
Wood Sandpiper 9
Hoopoe 1
Water Pipit 3
White Wagtail 3
Stonechat 2
Fan-tailed Warbler 1
Sardinian Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 7
Corn Bunting 20

Other bird from the surounds of Douz
Marsh Harrier 1
Black-winged Stilt 1
Wood Sandpiper 1
Stonechat 4
Hoopoe Lark 6  (Zaafrane)
Chiffchaff 7

Ghidma:
  03/01 - 2003  (11.00-13.00)
All birds observed at "Ghidma Pool" just outside the small village of Ghidma on route Douz-Sabria.
Little Grebe 18
Glossy Ibis 7
Ruddy Shelduck 2
Gadwall 1
Teal 153
Shoveler 18
Pochard 11
Ferruginous Duck 1 ad.
Marsh Harrier 2
Lanner Falcon 1
Black-winged Stilt 5
Kentish Plover 3
Little Stint 4
Water Pipit 5
White Wagtail 2
Fan-tailed Warbler 2

Sabria:
03/01 - 2003  (14.00-14.05)
The so called "Lake Sabria" was allmost completly dried out !!
Kentish Plover 2

Zaafrane-Bridet-Kebili:
  03/01 - 2003  (14.10-15.30)
Kentish Plover 126
Little Stint 68
Common Snipe 1
Spottet Redshank 1
Southern Great Grey Shrike 1

Kebili-Gabes:
    03/01 - 2003  (15.30-17.00)
Half an hour visit to a small and isolated date palm plantation produced:
Desert Lark 5
Crested Lark 10+
White Wagtail 2
Moussier's Redstart 1
Songtrush 1
Chiffchaff 2
Wolf 1

Thyna Salinas:
04/01 - 2003  (08.00-11.00)            
08/01 - 2003  (all day)
09/01 - 2003  (all day)
Great Crested Grebe 5
Black-necked Grebe 63
Cormorant 30
Little Egret 5
GreatWhite Egret 8
Grey Heron 15
Spoonbill 25
Greater Flamingo 4022 (77 1k)        (at least 68 colour ringed)
Shelduck 46
Pintail 4
Shoveler 203
Peregrine Falcon 2 ad.
Oystercatcher 52
Black-winged Stilt 1
Avocet 610
Ringed Plover 2
Kentish Plover 58
Grey Plover 14
Sanderling 6
Little Stint 85
Curlew Sandpiper 74
Dunlin 700
Ruff 9
Black-tailed Godwit 281
Curlew 74
Spottet Redshank 4
Redshank 130
Marsh Sandpiper 21
Greenshank 9
Common Sandpiper 2
Turnstone 42
Red-necked Phalarope 2
Meditterranean Gull 11
Black-headed Gull 360
Slender-billed Gull 126
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1150
Yellow-legged Gull 365
Caspian Tern 6
Sandwich Tern 56
Common Tern 14
Common Kingfisher 1
Crested Lark 2

Mahdia: 
04/01 - 2003  (14.00-16.00)
All birds observed at a freshwaterpond near the coast in the southern part of the town.
Ringed Plover 2
Kentish Plover 74
European Golden Plover 3
Little Stint 148
Common Snipe 6
Wood Sandpiper 2
Common Sandpiper 3
Mediterranean Gull 2
Black-headed Gull 700+
Lesser Black-backed Gull 103
Yellow-legged Gull 490
Caspian Tern 1
Sandwich Tern 4
Lesser Short-toed Lark 1
Water Pipit 2
Stonechat 4
Serin 3

Sebk. Sidi el Hani:
05/01 - 2003  (13.00-17.30)
Peregrine/Lanner Falcon 1
Common Crane 685
Hoopoe 1
Moussier's Redstart 7
Stonechat 6
Songtrush 4
Spectacled Warbler 3
Sardinian Warbler 9
Marmora's Warbler 5
Chiffchaff 1
Southern Great Grey Shrike 2
Fulvous Babbler 13
Spotless Starling 2

Seldja Gorge:
06/01 - 2003  (08.30-12.00)
Bonelli's Eagle 1 ad.
Desert Lark 6
Crag Martin 3
Moussier's Redstart 2 male
Black Wheatear 3
Mourning Wheatear 5
White-crowned Black Wheatear 1
Trumpeter Finch 8
House Bunting 1

Qued el Melah:
  06/01 - 2003  (13.30-16.00), 07/01 - 2003  (08.00-12.00)
Nearby the crossing with the mainroad (P3) from Gafsa to Tozeur.
Desert Lark 1
Lesser Short-toed Lark 15
Water Pipit 1
White Wagtail 3
Moussier's Redstart 5
Stonechat 6
Desert Wheatear 3
Mourning Wheatear 3
Sardinian Warbler 4
Marmora's Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 4
Linnet 5
Serin 2
Trumpeter Finch 22

Nearby the crossing with road (P16) from Tozeur to Tamerza (Algerian border)

Ruddy Shelduck 2
Black-winged Stilt 3
Kentish Plover 6
Green Sandpiper 1
Stonechat 3
Desert Wheatear 2
Red-rumped Wheatear 2
Sardinian Warbler 7
Tristam's Warbler 7
Southern Great Grey Shrike 1

Hazoua:
  07/01 - 2003  (15.00-17.00)
Crested Lark 20+
White Wagtail 4
White-crowned Black Wheatear 1
Tristam's Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 2
Fulvous Babbler 6
Southern Great Grey Shrike 2
House Bunting 2

Sousse Harbour:
11/01 - 2003  (14.00-16.00)
Gannet 1
Peregrine Falcon 1 ad.
Black-headed Gull 18
Sandwich Tern 2
Laughing Dove 5

Best Regards

Jens Hjerrild Hansen

 

Why not send us a report, or an update to one of your current reports?