United Arab Emirates May 2011, Dubai

Five days were spent in this desert city, mainly to visit my uncle, but still managed to do some birding, which actually yielded some decent species. Especially because it was May, so migrating season, some birds up in were sighted some rather unexpected places, like an Osprey soaring over the desert!

The first site where I did some birding were the Arabian Ranches. It is some sort of expat campus, where my uncle lives, but it has a huge golf course with some green around it and believe it or not, some wet patches. The first birds that were seen were escapes like Rose-ringed Parakeets, Red-vented Bulbuls, Common Myna´s and House Crows. However after a bit of searching I found quite a set of interesting native residents including Graceful Prinia, Grey Francolin, Purple Sunbird, Red-wattled Lapwing, Laughing Dove, Little Green Bee-eater, Arabian Babbler, White-eared Bulbul, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Pale Crag Martin and Black-crowned Sparrow Lark (only two birds flying over). I recorded also some migrants in this area in the form of a Spotted Flycatcher, a Red-backed Shrike, several Hoopoes, Common Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpipers. The golf course is officially off limits to non-members, but I found that nobody will notice your presence before 7:00. After that you will be asked to leave immediately. 

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis muscatensis)

White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)

Arabian Babbler (Turdoides squamiceps)

Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus)

A site that is probably more interesting for world listers is the Dubai Creek, which is a good site to see the endangered Socotra Cormorant. I saw them twice near the Sheraton Hotel, but they can be seen anywhere on the creek. The first time I observed 13 and the second time 15 indivduals. Other species observed here included White-cheeked Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Sooty Gull and Striated Heron.

Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis)

Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis)

Another interesting site is the Mushriff Park. This place is a very reliable place for Pallid Scops Owl. The best place in the park to search for this species is the lawn between the mosque and the swimming pool. A picture of this place can be found here. I saw two birds within an hour and they were very tame and approachable. At one point an individual dived at an insect that was a mere half meter away from where I was standing!

Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei)

Another site that I found very productive are the mangroves at the end of the Dubai Creek. There is a dirt road that leads quite close to the mangroves and allows good birdwatching. Species I observed here within just one hour included Caspian and Gull-billed Tern, Slender-billed Gull, Western Reef Egret, Greater Flamingo, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt amongst other waders, Turkestan, Daurian and Woodchat Shrike. A soaring Accipiter was probably a Shikra, but given the rarity of this species in this area, the sighting remained unconfirmed. 

Female Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Female Daurian Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)

Male Turkestan Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides)

On our last day we also went to check out a random piece of desert Southwest of the city. This piece proved good for Greater Hoopoe Lark, several Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and two Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. There are probably more rewarding desert sites, but most were too far away or I did not know them. 

Greater Hoopoe Lark (Alaemon alaudipes)

Birding in Dubai can be a lot of fun for a few days, but for a longer trip I would probably prefer to go to Oman. Also, birding in Dubai is probably close to impossible by public transport, just because of how the country works, so your own car will be necessary.