SUMMER BIRDING TRIP: Day One: Dubai

For this year's summer holiday my family and I went on a 2-week long trip to Botswana and Zimbabwe. We flew to Victoria Falls via Dubai and Johannesburg, spending a night in each city. We then spent 2 nights in Victoria Falls, travelled across the Botswana border, spent a night in Chobe National Park and finally spent 2 nights in Moremi Game Lodge. We returned to Australia via Sri Lanka, where we stayed for another 6 nights and visited family (though I did manage to squeeze some birding in).
We arrived in Dubai at around 6:30 am. While looking around the hotel we were staying in, I immediately noticed several lifer white-eared bulbuls. The plants surrounding the hotel's pool held many of these small but pretty birds, along with red-vented bulbuls, common mynas, Eurasian collared doves and house sparrows. A small tree held a well-hidden laughing dove sitting on its nest. Several distant black-headed gulls were also flying above the hotel.

The white-eared bulbul is abundant throughout Dubai

Eurasian collared doves have an extremely large range across much of Europe and South Asia

This laughing dove sat perfectly still on its nest, trusting its drab plumage to hide it

At around 9 o'clock we left the hotel and took a taxi to the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Reserve. This reserve consists of a large area of wetlands that attracts various waders and other waterbirds, including flamingoes. We first stopped over at the Mangrove Hide. Almost immediately, I spotted a distant Eurasian marsh harrier soaring high above the reserve. From the hide, many greater flamingoes could be seen feeding in the distance. A group of small waders too distant to identify was feeding next to some black-winged stilts and a large flock of Eurasian spoonbills. Around 20 lifer common teal were resting on the shores of the wetland, along with mallard and garganey. Greater cormorants, grey herons and Western reef egrets were scanning the waters for fish. Finally, several black-headed gulls were perched near the hide. The fog above the wetland made it hard for me to photograph any of the more distant birds, though a very obliging Western reef egret flew near the hide and allowed me to get some decent shots of it.

The Western reef egret is sometimes thought to be a subspecies of the little egret

As we moved onto the second hide, aptly named the Flamingo Hide, the fog over the wetlands began to clear. Several grey francolin were feeding along the road. By the time we reached the second hide, the fog had cleared completely. Some more distant grey francolin could be seen from the carpark. Scanning the trees produced a lone white-eared bulbul. A stunning hoopoe flew next to a tree, showed itself off and then dashed across to a nearby lawn. Close examination of some black-and-white birds on this lawn revealed them to be Asian pied starlings.

The Eurasian hoopoe is quite a common bird in Dubai

The laughing dove was seen many times on our trip: both in Dubai and southern Africa

Upon reaching the hide we were stunned by amazing views of hundreds of greater flamingos. Food left out for the flamingoes was being voraciously pecked at by some birds, while others searched the water with their beaks. A few juvenile flamingoes, their plumage mottled brown instead of the vivid pink and white of the adult birds, were visible around the edge of the flock. Finally, several common redshanks and a Pacific golden plover were also feeding behind the flamingoes.

The greater flamingoes at the reserve are a mix of year-round residents and migrants stopping over

The food provided by the rangers is one of the factors that entices greater flamingoes to the reserve

The dull, brown bird in the foreground is an immature greater flamingo, not yet fully grown

After eating lunch at the hotel, our last birding activity of the day was a walk in the park behind the reserve. Throughout the park Eurasian collared doves, white-eared bulbuls, red-vented bulbuls, Asian pied starlings, house crows and common mynas were extremely common. Many of these birds gave close views. An area of flowering shrubs hid many grey francolins, several of which occasionally ventured out of the shrubs and onto the path. A lone, migrant white wagtail was sitting atop a stone in the middle of the park. Finally, while leaving the park I saw several lifer graceful prinias perched in a tree.

The Asian pied starling was introduced to Dubai and now thrives in the city's parks

This Eurasian collared dove was quite tame, sitting perfectly still right above us

The grey francolin is another widespread bird which can be seen in northern Sri Lanka

The graceful prinia was one of my target birds in Dubai and I was quite happy to see it

We then spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel.