Matti J. Koivula, Lauri J. Hänninen and Vesa J. Oksanen
Flights (Helsinki-Dubai-Helsinki) and hotel (Arif Castle, Dubai) were booked from Aurinkomatkat (Aleksanterinkatu, Helsinki), EUR 560 per person (including obligatory visa and hotel breakfasts). We rented a Nissan Sunny from Europcar, EUR 270 per week (ca. 1,000 dirhams). Gasoline EUR 0.25-0.30/l. Daily driving 80-370 km, total 1,543 km. Food: hotel breakfasts, during the day no food except chips, water and Coke. In the evenings we preferred "safe" pizzas and hamburgers. Total costs per person EUR 760 (including flights, hotel, living, car and food).
The weather was OK throughout the period: sunny, light winds, daytime peak temperatures 32-40 C. Visibility: some morning haze, usually clear from the noon till the evening. Birds started to be active at 7 AM. During the hottest hours (from 1 PM to 3 PM) birding was sometimes uncomfortable due to the high temperature, and the birds were hiding in shady places. We nevertheless birded throughout the days. The new book by Richardson & Aspinall (Birdwatching guide to the UAE) and some recent trip reports were useful, as was the book by Porter et al. (Field guide to the birds of the Middle East).
Most of the time birding was easy, except for minor problems with the police at Khor Dubai. Also at the Al Ain zoo we had a small conflict with the staff, as they believed our telescopes were cameras, and photographing was not allowed there. (Actually, we had cameras, too, but managed to hide them before the big shot arrived.) In some other parks our telescopes were thought to be shooting weapons. Everything was handled by explaining our purposes slowly and carefully.
Camel races in camel tracks and women's days in some parks may cause difficulties in planning trips. The traffic is total hardcore for people used to North European and North American conditions. Additionally, some attention has to be paid to camels, highway speed humps and numerous roundabouts.
We visited the following places (abbreviations used in the species list in parentheses). Al Ain camel track (AAC), Al Ain zoo (AAZ), Dubai Creek park (CP), Emirates golf course (EG), Ghantoot polo court (GP), Khor Al Beidah (KAB), Khor Kalba (KK), Khor Dubai (KD), Masafi, Mushrif park (MP), Qarn Nazwa (QN), Wathba camel track (WCT), Umm Al Quwain (UAQ), Zabeel fish ponds (ZF). We also shortly visited Khor Ajman, Lake Ghar, Ramtha lagoon, and Sharjah. 1/- = male, -/1 = female, 1/1 = male and female, " = adult, ' = juvenile/immature, a = flock.
The highlights of the trip: White pelican (UAE's second, 9 Nov. at Khor Dubai), Lesser flamingo at Khor Dubai, found by MK, 9 Nov., Crab plovers (90 at Khor Al Beidah), Booted eagle at Wathba camel track 7 Nov., Barbary falcon at Khor Dubai 3 Nov., Pin-tailed sandgrouse at Zabeel fish ponds 9 Nov., Striated scops owl in Mushrif park 4 Nov., White-collared kingfishers at Khor Kalba, Pied kingfisher at Zabeel fish ponds, good numbers of Blue-cheeked bee-eaters, eight Grey hypocoliuses at Ghantoot park 7 Nov., and Eastern pied wheatear in Masafi and in Qarn Nazwa. Plain leaf warblers were seen in these same places. A total of 148 species was observed.
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| SPECIES | SCIENTIFIC | OBSERVATIONS |
| Audubon's shearwater | Puffinus persicus | 5th KK 13 |
| Little grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 6th ZF 10, 7th GP 8, 9th ZF 3, KD 1 |
| Black-necked grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 7th GP 3 |
| Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | 6th ZF 4, 9th ZF 4, KD 4 |
| - | P. carbo/nigrogularis | 4th UAQ 60 |
| White pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | 9th KD 1 |
| White stork | Ciconia ciconia | 7th WCT 35 |
| Night heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | 6th ZF 6"2' |
| Green heron | Butorides striatus | 3rd EG 1 |
| Squacco/Indian pond heron | Ardeola ralloides/grayii | 5th KK 4 |
| Western reef heron | Egretta gularis | 3rd KD 4, 4th KAB 15, Khor Ajman 1, 5th KK 2, 9th CP 6, KD 10 |
| Little egret | Egretta garzetta | 5th KK 2, 6th ZF 1, 9th KD 1 |
| Great white egret | Egretta alba | 3rd KD 1, 4th KAB 3, Khor Ajman 1, 5th KK 2, 6th ZF 1, 9th ZF 1, CP 1, KD 8 |
| Grey heron | Ardea cinerea | common |
| Purple heron | Ardea purpurea | 5th KK 1 |
| Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | 3rd KD 37, 9th KD 48 |
| Greater flamingo | Phoenicopterus ruber | KK appr. 500, 4th KAB 7, Khor Ajman 2, 5th KK 1, 7th Lake Ghar 50 |
| Lesser flamingo | Phoenicopterus minor | 9th KD 1" |
| Egyptian goose | Alopochen aegyptiacus | 6th ZF 2, 7th GP 2, 9th ZF 1 |
| Ruddy shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea | 6th ZF 1 female, same 9th |
| Wigeon | Anas penelope | common |
| Teal | Anas crecca | common |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | common |
| Pintail | Anas acuta | 3rd KD 2, 4th KAB 1, 6th ZF 15, 9th ZF 10 |
| Shoveler | Anas clypeata | common |
| Egyptian vulture | Neophron percnopterus | 8th AAZ 28 |
| Pallid harrier | Circus macrourus | 7th WCT 4 + 1 mac/cya |
| Marsh harrier | Circus aeruginosus | 3rd EG 2, KD 10, 4th MP 1, Khor Ajman 1, 5th KK 4, 6th EG 2, ZF 3, 7th WCT 2, 9th ZF 3, CP 1, KD 3. We also found 43 shot harriers (mostly marsh) 8th Nov. at Al Ain camel track - a really shocking find! |
| Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | 5th Masafi 1, KK 2, 6th ZF 1 nis/bre |
| Spotted eagle | Aquila clanga | 3rd KD 2-3 + 1 cla/pom, 4th KAB 1 + 2 Aqu sp., 6th ZF 2 (1-y) + 1 Aqu sp., 9th KD 1 |
| Bonelli's eagle | Hieraeetus fasciatus | 8th AAZ 1 |
| Booted eagle | Hieraeetus pennatus | 7th WCT 1 imm. |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | 3rd KD 2, 5th KK 1, 9th ZF 1, KD 2 |
| Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | 4th KAB 4, 5th Masafi 1, 6th EG 1, 7th WCT 15, 8th QN 2, AAC 10, 9th CP 3 |
| Peregrine | Falco peregrinus | 3rd KD 1 pelegrinoides |
| Saker | Falco cherrug | 7th WCT 1, an escape |
| Grey francolin | Francolinus pondicerianus | common |
| Quail | Coturnix coturnix | 7th WCT 1 |
| Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | 6th EG 2, ZF 8, 9th ZF 12 |
| Coot | Fulica atra | 6th ZF 1, 9th same |
| Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | 3rd KD 41, 4th KAB 10, Khor Ajman 5, 5th KK 5, 9th KD 40 |
| Black-winged stilt | Himantopus himantopus | common; e.g. 9th KD 60 |
| Crab plover | Dromas ardeola | 4th KAB 90 |
| Cream-coloured courser | Cursorius cursor | 3rd EG 11, 6th EG 16, 8th GP 35 |
| Ringed plover | Charadrius hiaticula | common |
| Kentish plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | common |
| Lesser sand plover | Charadrius mongolus | 3rd KD 1, 4th KAB 20, 5th KK 2, 9th KD 20 |
| Greater sand plover | Charadrius leschenaultii | 4th KAB 31, Sharjah 5, 5th KK 8, 9th KD 1 |
| - | C. mongolus/leschenaultii | 3rd KD 20, 4th KAB 50, Sharjah 5, 5th KK 8, 9th KD 20 |
| Pacific golden plover | Pluvialis fulva | 6th EG 47, 7th WCT 1, 9th CP 1, KD 1 |
| Grey plover | Pluvialis squatarola | common |
| Red-wattled lapwing | Hoplopterus indicus | 3rd EG 3, 6th EG 16, ZF 10, 8th AAC 1 |
| White-tailed plover | Chettusia leucura | 3rd EG 1, 6th same |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | 3rd KD 5, 4th KAB 5 |
| Little stint | Calidris minuta | common |
| Curlew sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | common |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | common |
| Temminck's stint | Calidris temminckii | 3rd EG 2, 6th EG 4 |
| Broad-billed sandpiper | Limicola falcinellus | 4th KAB 3, 9th KD 11 |
| Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | common |
| Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | 3rd KD 1, EG 1, 6th EG 12 |
| Black-tailed godwit | Limosa limosa | 3rd KD 5, 9th KD 5 |
| Bar-tailed godwit | Limosa lapponica | 3rd KD 2, 4th KAB 200, 9th KD 40 |
| - | L. limosa/lapponica | 3rd KD 10, 4th KAB 50, 9th KD 50 |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | 4th KAB 25, 5th KK 1, 9th CP 1 |
| Curlew | Numenius arquata | common, e.g. 4th KAB 30, Khor Ajman 20 |
| Redshank | Tringa totanus | common |
| Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | 3rd EG 1, KD 2, 4th KAB 30, 5th KK 3, 6th EG 2, 9th KD 25 |
| Green sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | 3rd EG 1, 5th KK 1, 6th EG 1, 8th AAC 1 |
| Spotted redshank | Tringa erythropus | 6th ZF 1 |
| Terek sandpiper | Xenus cinereus | 3rd KD 4, 4th KAB 50, 5th KK 1, 9th KD 5 |
| Common sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | 3rd EG 4, 5th KK 8, 6th EG 6, 7th GP 1, 9th ZF 2, KD 2 |
| Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | 4th KAB 8, UAQ 2, 9th KD 5 |
| Pomarine/Arctic skua | Stercorarius pomarinus/parasiticus | 5th KK 3 |
| Black-headed gull | Larus ridibundus | 3rd KD 1, 9th CP 60 |
| Slender-billed gull | Larus genei | common, e.g. 9th KD 250 |
| Lesser black-backed gull | Larus fuscus heuglini | 3rd KD 2", 4th KAB 5"2', 5th KK 1", 7th GP 1", 9th CP 2" |
| - | L. fuscus fuscus | 3rd CP 1 3-y |
| Yellow-legged (Pontic) gull | Larus cachinnans | 4th KAB 60, 5th KK 70, 9th Dubai 80 |
| - | L. cach/mich/arme/barab | 3rd KD 50, 5th KK 20, 9th Dubai 30 |
| Gull-billed tern | Gelochelidon nilotica | 3rd KD 2, 4th KAB 15, Khor Ajman 12, 5th KK 1, 6th ZF 2, 9th ZF 2, KD 3 |
| Caspian tern | Sterna caspia | 3rd KD 5, 4th KAB 1, 9th KD 78 |
| Lesser crested tern | Sterna bengalensis | 4th KAB 3, UAQ 1, 5th KK 50 |
| Sandwich tern | Sterna sandvicensis | 3rd KD 4, 4th KAB 1, Sharjah 10, 5th KK 4, 9th KD 12 |
| Saunders' tern | Sterna saundersi | 4th UAQ 3, 5th KK 1 |
| - | Sterna saundersi/albifrons | 4th UAQ 25 |
| White-cheeked tern | Sterna repressa | 5th KK 40 (includes Sterna sp.) |
| Common/arctic tern | Sterna hirundo/paradisaea | 4th UAQ 1, Sharjah 2 |
| Whiskered tern | Chlidonias hybridus | 3rd EG 2, KD 1 (hyb/leu/nig), 4th Ramtha lagoon 8, 6th ZF 1, 9th ZF 1 |
| White-winged black tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | 9th KD 4 + 1 leu/hyb/nig |
| Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse | Pterocles exustus | 5th KK 31 (3a), 6th EG 32 |
| Pin-tailed sandgrouse | Pterocles alchata | 9th ZF 1 male (origin?) |
| Rock dove | Columba livia | common |
| Collared dove | Streptopelia decaocto | common |
| Palm dove | Streptopelia senegalensis | common |
| Striated scops owl | Otus brucei | 4th MP 1 |
| Ring-necked parakeet | Psittacula krameri | common |
| Pallid swift | Apus pallidus | common |
| White-collared kingfisher | Halcyon chloris | 5th KK 6 |
| Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | 5th KK 5 |
| Pied kingfisher | Ceryle rudis | 6th ZF -/1, 9th same |
| Little green bee-eater | Merops orientalis | 3rd EG 6, 4th KAB 2, MP 2, 5th Sharjah 1, Masafi 2, 6th EG 6, 8th QN 1, on the roadsides 5, 9th ZF 1, CP 5 |
| Blue-cheeked bee-eater | Merops superciliosus | 3rd EG 2"1', 4th MP 10, 9th ZF 13 |
| Indian roller | Coracias bengalensis | 3rd EG 6, 4th MP 6, 5th KK 1, on the roadsides 4, 6th EG 4, 8th Al Ain 2, AAC 3, 9th CP 1 |
| Hoopoe | Upupa epops | 3rd EG 6, 4th MP 6, 5th Masafi 3, 6th EG 3, 7th GP 1, 9th CP 3 |
| Black-crowned finch lark | Eremopterix nigriceps | 4th KAB 40, 5th KK 15, 7th WCT 20, 8th QN 40 |
| Desert lark | Ammomanes deserti | 5th Masafi 6 |
| Hoopoe lark | Alaemon alaudipes | 4th KAB 4 |
| Crested lark | Galerida cristata | common |
| Skylark | Alauda arvensis | 6th EG 4 |
| Short-toed lark | Calandrella brachydactyla | 7th WCT 40, 8th AAC 30 |
| Lesser short-toed lark | Calandrella rufescens | 8th AAC 4 |
| Pale crag martin | Ptyonoprogne fuligula | 5th Masafi 1 ful/rup, 7th Dubai 6, GP 2, 8th Dubai 5, 9th Dubai totally 15 |
| Sand martin | Riparia riparia | 7th WCT 4 |
| Barn swallow | Hirundo rustica | 4th KAB 2, 5th KK 9, 7th WCT 15 |
| Richard's pipit | Anthus novaeseelandiae | 7th WCT 1 |
| Tawny pipit | Anthus campestris | 3rd EG 4 + 1 Ant sp., 4th KAB 4, 5th KK 5, 6th EG 14, 7th WCT 25, GP 1, 8th AAC 40, 9th KD 1 |
| Water pipit | Anthus spinoletta | 7th WCT 25 |
| Red-throated pipit | Anthus cervinus | 3rd EG 1, 5th KK 1, 7th WCT 2, 9th CP 1 |
| Citrine wagtail | Motacilla citreola | 6th EG 1 ad male, 9th KD 1 juv |
| Wagtail | Motacilla alba | common |
| Yellow wagtail | Motacilla flava | 7th WCT 3, 9th CP 2 |
| White-cheeked bulbul | Pycnonotus leucogenys | common |
| Red-vented bulbul | Pycnonotus cafer | common |
| Yellow-vented bulbul | Pycnonotus xanthopygos | 5th Masafi 4, 8th AAC 1 |
| Grey hypocolius | Hypocolius ampelinus | 7th GP 5"3' |
| Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica | 6th EG 1, 7th WCT 1 |
| Black redstart | Phoenicurus ochuros | 4th MP 1 och/pho, 5th Masafi 3/1, 7th GP 1/-, 8th QN 1/- |
| Stonechat | Saxicola torquata | 3rd EG 1/- rub/hib, 4th KAB 1/- rub/hib, 6th EG 1/1, 7th WCT 1/- |
| Pied wheatear | Oenanthe pleschanka | 4th KAB 1 ple/his, 5th Masafi 1 ple/his, 7th WCT 1 ple/his |
| Desert wheatear | Oenanthe deserti | 3rd EG 1/-, 4th KAB 2/1, 5th Masafi -/1, KK 1/-, 6th EG 1/1, 7th WCT 5/2, GP 2/-, 8th AAC 15, 9th KD 2 |
| Red-tailed wheatear | Oenanthe xanthoprymna | 5th Masafi 2, 8th QN 5 |
| Hume's wheatear | Oenanthe alboniger | 5th Masafi 1/- |
| Eastern pied wheatear | Oenanthe picata | 5th Masafi 1 juv, 8th QN 1 juv |
| Isabelline wheatear | Oenanthe isabellina | 3rd EG 2, 4th KAB 4, 5th KK 1, 6th EG 2, 7th WCT 1, GP 2, 8th QN 1, AAC 8 |
| Graceful prinia | Prinia gracilis | common |
| Scrub warbler | Scotocerca inquieta | 5th Masafi 7 |
| Clamorous reed warbler | Acrocephalus stentoreus | 5th KK 5, 6th EG 2, 9th ZF 1 (ste/aru/bas) |
| Menétries' warbler | Sylvia mystacea | 5th Masafi 2/4 |
| Desert warbler | Sylvia nana | 4th KAB 2 |
| Desert lesser whitethroat | Sylvia (curruca) minula | 5th Masafi 2, 8th QN 1 |
| Plain leaf warbler | Phylloscopus neglectus | 5th Masafi 2-3, 8th QN 2-3 |
| Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | 3rd Dubai 1, 5th Masafi 1, KK 2, 6th EG 1, 9th ZF 1 |
| Arabian babbler | Turdoides squamiceps | 4th MP 3, 5th Masafi 6, 8th AAZ 2 |
| Purple sunbird | Nectarinia asiatica | 3rd Dubai 1, EG 4, 4th MP 2, 5th Masafi 2, KK 4, 6th EG 2, Dubai 2, 7th GP 1, 8th QN 4, AAZ 7, 9th ZF 5, CP 5 |
| Isabelline shrike | Lanius isabellinus | 3rd EG 2, 5th KK 3, 6th EG 3, 7th GP 1, 9th CP 1 |
| Southern grey shrike | Lanius meridionalis | aucheri common; in addition, 7th WCT 2 pallidirostris-type |
| Indian house crow | Corvus splendens | common |
| Brown-necked raven | Corvus ruficollis | 4th KAB 1, 5th Sharjah 1, 8th QN 1 |
| Pied mynah | Sturnus contra | 9th ZF 1 + 1 hybrid |
| Common mynah | Acridotheres tristis | common |
| Bank mynah | Acridotheres ginginianus | 8th Al Ain 10 |
| House sparrow | Passer domesticus | common |
| Indian silverbill | Euodice malabarica | common |