After pretty exhausting and emotionally intense night I was on my way to the first birding stop – Al Ansab Lagoon. I was supposed to get permission to enter the place but the website of the company managing the site was constantly showing errors when I tried to book a visit so I gave up.
Managed to find the place but initially I was pretty disappointed. No access and no visibility, pretty overgrown. Well I drove up and down the road searching for any good view point but there was no. The only thing I could do I just watch from the road for birds flying over the reed beds. Marsh Harriers, Cormorants, Mallards and that’s about it. Recent news were suggesting thee was supposed to be a Cotton Teal but I didn’t see any. I did manage to tick of a few lifeous though: Purple Sunbird, Little Green Bee-eaters, Indian Silverbill and finally managed to get a good view of Common Myna. Yesterday with all this traffic I couldn’t pay enough attention to all the birds along the road.
eclipse male Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus)
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
In an hour or so I decide to change the place and go my second one called Al Qurm National Park. According to the books this is one of the first sites that a newcomer to Oman should visit as it offers good introduction to local birds. Since I have never been to the Middle East at all, this site proofed to be spectacular. I did over 15 new birds just like that.
Al Qurm park in Muscat
In the park along the canal and the little garden I had Citrine Wagtail, White Spectacled Bulbul, Red vented Bulbul, White eared Bulbul, Grey Franconlin, Red wattled Lapwing, Indian Roller, more Indian Silverbills, Little green Bee-eaters, Daurian Shrike, House Crow etc. I just stood by a little water pool and all the birds were coming over. For 15 min I was getting a new bird nearly every minute. Absolutely spectacular. Even more amazing was a mating scene of Indian Silverbills.
one of my first Little Green Bee-eater pictures
Indian Silverbillsright after mating.
Scaly breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)
Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
Later on I moved towards the beach where I added Sooty Gull, abundant in hundreds, and Swift Tern, Lesser crested tern, Western Reef Heron and more Common Myna, Indian Silverbills, Little green Bee-eaters, Indian Rollers etc.
Sooty Gull (Ichthyaetus hemprichii)
Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis)
I wanted to see a part of Muscat and since I won’t have many possibilities I decided to have a walk in old Muscat and see the palace of the Sultan. What a place! Majestic. Took some night photos and off I went to another attempt for finding good camping location.
Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
This time my direction was clearer than yesterday’s. I approached the area and found a quiet place where I parked the car. I was pretty calm all might long but decided to sleep in the car and didn’t dare to put up a tent. Anyway, it was a long but productive day.