EGYPT 27 August–9 September 2008 27 August–9 September 2009 Leaders: Richard Bonser and Vaughan Ashby

Egypt has always been a popular destination with tourists but its birding potential has only come to light in recent years. With good roads spanning the majority of the country and newly gained unrestricted movement along the Red Sea coast giving increased accessibility, now is an ideal time to visit. We will concentrate on the very best localities in the Nile Valley and on the Red Sea coast, where habitats include deserts, acacia scrub, open water and mangroves. Egypt is a must for anybody who is keen on Western Palearctic birds and we will search for several species that cannot be found elsewhere in the region. We will be there at the optimum time of year when the resident specialities are augmented by African species and Palearctic migrants are heading south to their wintering grounds.

Day 1 Scheduled flight from London to Cairo, where we will settle into our comfortable accommodation for a three-night stay. Birds in the city itself include Alexandrine and Ring-necked Parakeets and Laughing Dove.

Day 2 The day will be spent exploring Abassa, an area of pools and arable land within an hour of Cairo. Here we will hope to find several species that are extremely rare elsewhere in the Western Palearctic including Greater Painted-snipe, Senegal Thick-knee and, if we are lucky, Senegal Coucal. Pied and White-throated Kingfishers will be occupying every suitable perch and we should note the Egyptian races of Black Kite, Yellow Wagtail and Green Bee-eater. There will be a plentiful supporting cast including several species of heron, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Bulbul and Clamorous Reed Warbler. We will also search for Streaked Weaver, an introduced species that thrives in this area.

Day 3 Today we will leave our Cairo base for another excursion, journeying through the urban sprawl to Wadi El Natrum. This is an interesting area where a lake provides refuge for good numbers of Kittlitz’s Plovers along with other waterbirds. We will look for Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and have another opportunity to search for Senegal Coucal. Good numbers of Egyptian Nightjars have been seen in this area during daylight in recent years. We cannot leave Cairo without visiting one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, so some of the afternoon will be spent exploring the Pyramids at Giza. In addition to the historical value, a rather showy pair of aptly named Pharaoh Eagle-owls has made this their home and, with a little searching, we should find them. We will also visit the Sphinx.

Day 4 This morning we will leave Cairo and catch an internal flight to Abu Simbel, where we will transfer to a hotel in the town for a two-night stay. As we are now in the extreme south of the country, it will be noticeably warmer. An afternoon visit to Lake Nasser may give us our first views of African Pied Wagtail and Egyptian Goose along with migrant waterbirds which may include Marsh Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole and Gull-billed and White-winged Black Terns. If we are out and about in the town during the evening we may be lucky enough to locate Egyptian Nightjar.

Day 5 We will spend the day near the town of Abu Simbel exploring the shores of Lake Nasser. During the midday heat we will have an opportunity to explore the spectacular Temple of Ramses 11. While looking through the many species of waterbird at Lake Nasser, we should find some African species, which are at the northern extremity of their ranges here; these may include African Skimmer, Pink-backed Pelican or Yellow-billed Stork. Several species of raptor use the Nile as a migration route and we could see European Honey-buzzard, Steppe Buzzard or Montagu’s Harrier.

Day 6 We will leave Abu Simbel this morning and head north by road to Luxor. En-route we should see Black-shouldered Kites, Rock Martins and Green Bee-eaters. We will arrive at Luxor in the early afternoon and visit Crocodile Island, an area of arable land and marsh where birds abound. Nile Valley Sunbirds feed in the lush gardens whilst Senegal Thick-knees, Masked Shrikes, Bluethroats and Clamorous Reed Warblers also occur. The reedy channels offer another opportunity to see Greater Painted-snipe as well as, hopefully, Little Crake, Red Avadavat and Purple Swamphen of the race madagascariensis. While looking through the many Squacco and Purple Herons and Black-crowned Night-herons, we may well find our first Striated Heron of the trip. Overnight in Luxor.

Day 7 We will make the most of the morning activity on Crocodile Island then visit the Valley of the Kings and/or Karnak Temple. In the middle of the afternoon, we will say goodbye to the ancient city of Luxor and drive to the Red Sea coast. Overnight in Safaga.

Day 8 At the Red Sea we will notice a different array of species compared with those in the Nile Valley. House Crows are common in the town of Safaga and these should be seen and the harbour checked before we head south along the coast, birding as we go. Ospreys and Caspian Terns will be present in good numbers and we may find our first White-cheeked and Lesser Crested Terns. We must also look out for Sand Partridge. Just beyond the tourist town of Marsa Alam we will visit a resort hotel at Shams Alam that acts as a migrant trap. This area often attracts good numbers of migrating Sooty Falcons, especially as dusk approaches, and the gardens may produce African Collared-dove along with a whole host of migrant species. We may also see our first Sooty and White-eyed Gulls offshore. Overnight at Shams Alam.

Day 9 With good birdwatching on our doorstep, we will again explore the garden for migrants before heading south along the Red Sea to Egypt’s most extensive mangrove area at Hamata. The crystal clear turquoise waters abound with marine life and hence Bridled, Lesser Crested and White-cheeked Terns will be present offshore in good numbers along with Sooty and White-eyed Gulls. There is also a chance of Red-billed Tropicbird. As the tide goes out, the rapidly expanding exposed mud should attract good numbers of waders, which may include Terek Sandpipers and Greater Sand Plovers, as well as Western Reef Egrets and Striated Herons. We cannot leave this site, however, until we have enjoyed the real star of the show, Crab Plover, and this area is one of the best places in the world to see this enigmatic species. Towards the end of the day, we will head to nearby Wadi Lahami where we will stay for two nights.

Day 10 The early morning will be spent exploring Wadi Lahami, which, in recent years, has been the only reliable site in the Western Palearctic to find the exquisite Goliath Heron. With a bit of luck we should get excellent views of this species as it perches unobtrusively in the mangroves. After breakfast we will head south to Shalatein near the border with Sudan. Here we will search the acacia scrub for African Collared-dove and Namaqua Dove and hopefully see good numbers of Lappet-faced Vultures by the town’s camel market. The adjacent desert area can be productive and we should see plenty of Desert Wheatears, Greater Short-toed and Hoopoe Larks and Brown-necked Ravens. The area also holds flocks of Crowned Sandgrouse. When we arrive back at Wadi Lahami in the late afternoon we will have the opportunity to revisit either the local mangroves or those at Hamata before dark.

Day 11 Today we will travel north up the Red Sea coast, birding en route. We may stop and search the gardens at Shams Alam again and visit another green area at Wadi Gimal where migrants are attracted by a small, reed-fringed pool. This will largely be a day of travel but we will reach our destination of Hurghada in time for an evening seawatch. We will see good numbers of White-eyed Gulls and Lesser Crested and White-cheeked Terns, but we will need to keep our eyes open for Crested Tern, a species that tends to favour the Red Sea from Hurghada northwards to the Gulf of Suez. We will spend two nights at Hurghada.

Day 12 We will spend some of today on a boat exploring islands just offshore from Hurghada. We should be treated to excellent views of seabirds, including Bridled and White-cheeked Terns, and we will also keep a lookout for the scarce Brown Booby. Back on dry land we will explore the coast leisurely as far as El Gouna, where we may see Crested Tern, as well as visiting a golf course that can be full of migrants, perhaps including Yellow Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit and Isabelline and Black-eared Wheatears.

Day 13 This morning we will head north along the Red Sea coast from Hurghada towards the Gulf of Suez. Hopefully we will already have seen Crested Tern; if not, we will spend time in the area around Ain Sukhna, which is usually good for this species. If the wind is right we may be treated to some good views of raptors here before we journey back to Cairo where we will spend the night.

Day 14 Flight from Cairo to London.

General Information Egypt can be very hot at this time of year, so we will spend a lot of time birding in the early mornings and evenings and enjoy the shade offered by the historical sites in the heat of the day, when bird activity is relatively low anyway. Although this is primarily a birdwatching tour, we will visit some of the famous historical sites. There are some health requirements for trips to Egypt, so please consult your doctor. Only a general degree of fitness is required for this holiday, although the heat can be tiring at times. Security is not a general problem but on occasions we may travel in official convoys between sites. Visas are required.

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 6; maximum group size: 14 with 2 leaders.