Monday 27 February 2012

The Nile Valley - Part 3

Black shouldered Kite, Kings Island, Luxor, Eygpt
Black shouldered Kite
Black shouldered Kite

Black shouldered Kite

Senegal Thick-knee

Nile valley Sunbird

Nile valley Sunbird

Spur winged Plover

Hoopoe

Good birds continued to appear as the week drew to a close. The Black shouldered Kite became more obliging allowing great photo opportunities but the biggest surprise came on the last morning when a pair of Senegal Thick-knees flew in and landed close to the perimeter fence of the hotel complex. So a surprisingly good week for birds with 3 new W.P. species seen, a comfortable hotel set in open gardens with great views, and opportunities to explore some of the wonders of Eygpt. On the downside, the hotel was isolated from the town of Luxor and visitors were discouraged from exploring the local countryside. Although most of locals we came into contact with were friendly there was still a certain tension and unease about straying from the secure areas. The hotel did run regular Birdwatching walks around the island under the guidance of Abdul who was obviously very knowledgable about the bird life of the area. I could have done with his know how in identifying some of the calls coming from the reeds but I still clocked up 64 species, which I thought was OK for a non-birding week !

4 comments:

  1. What fantastic birds Bob.Super shots.

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  2. You have me excited with these posts. What an amazing collection of birds....and it's also good to know the current climate because we're planning on next year. So we're getting the money and planning set up for this trip right now......excellent shots and incredibly beautiful birds. Thank you for sharing and educating me a little more on that part of the world.

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  3. Thanks for the comments Guys.There were plenty of opportunities for photography. Many birds were quite approachable and the light was good at the right time of day.

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  4. Look's like you had a fantastic trip,stunning Birds.
    John.

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