UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2009

After a break of 4 years, Birdfinders reinstated UAE tour went ahead as scheduled this with a full group. With the exception of Grey Hypocolius which has been in short supply this year, all of the regional endemics and most of the speciality birds were seen with highlights including Hume’s, Persian and Variable Wheatears, Plain Leaf-warbler, Arabian Babbler, Asian Desert Warbler, Sooty Gull, Saunders’s and White-cheeked Terns, Socotra Cormorant, Persian Shearwater, Collared Kingfisher, Indian Pond-heron, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Black-crowned Finch-lark, White-tailed Lapwing, Crab Plover. An added bonus was a vagrant Sociable Lapwing. With good accommodation and food, an excellent infrastructure and nice warm winter sunshine this is the ideal winter break. A full report, checklist and photogallery can be found on the website. This highly successful tour will be repeated 5–13 February 2010 so book early to avoid disappointment.