Steve Happ Photography Ramblings and dissertations

Hurghada Birds

The gulls in Hurghada roost on a half-finished resort just going out of town to the north. There is a real mixture there. There may be more than I could tell.

Armenian Gull (Larus armenicus)

This is a first winter Armenian Gull at the back standing with some adults in front sitting down.

Heuglin’s Gull (Larus heuglini) – first winter

The black patch at the end of the dark bill gives me some sort of clue about this Heuglin’s Gull.

Heuglin’s Gull (Larus heuglini) adult

The adult Heuglin’s Gull has a red ring around the eye with a patch on the bottom bill.

Sooty Gull (Larus hemprichii)

The only all dark gull with a white patch at the top of the eye.

White-eyed Gull (Larus leucophthalmus)

The White-eyed Gull is essentially a Red Sea endemic. There is a white patch below and above the eye.

And that is the end of Egypt. Next post is from Istanbul, Turkey. More gulls. Probably the same ones.

Hurghada bird list

Armenian Gull (Larus armenicus)
Heuglin’s Gull (Larus heuglini)
Sooty Gull (Larus hemprichii)
White-eyed Gull (Larus leucophthalmus)

El Quseir Birding

What a horror of a journey getting to the Red Sea. I set off this morning hoping to catch the 10am bus to Hurghada and getting off at Safaga. But no 10am bus. So I went to GoBus and booked a ticket for the 3:30pm VIP bus. Dejected, I went and had a turkish coffee. While in the cafe, I met a guy who said he could get me on a mini-bus to Safaga. So off I went to the mini-bus station. But the first bus would not take me because tourists were not allowed to travel by minibus. But we found another driver and off I went. No hassles, except we went via Al Qusair which is more south than Safaga. So I got off there and found a hotel.

White-eyed Gull (Larus leucophthalmus) in flight

A flock of these White-eyed Gulls came wheeling towards me when I was on a wharf in the harbour. They flew around in circles for a while until they settled in what appeared to be an old swimming pool.

White-eyed Gull (Larus leucophthalmus)

I hurried up the road, crashed through a cafe and started clicking away at these White-eyed Gull in front of a bunch of yuppies sipping on their lattes. Satisfied after I had shot enough photos, I trudged off past all the yuppies and back through the cafe to the street, triumphant. A new species!

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

This Common Greenshank had only one shank. It looked like something had bitted one off!

Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)

There were not many waders along the shore. These were the only three there.

Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaulti)

At the end of the day, I found a great hotel on the sea-shore, I went for a walk along the beach, got ripped off, had a super cheap felafel meal and coffee, and I have erratic wifi. Tomorrow I must find a way to get to Marsa Alam. It is the weekend but I managed to book a guest house for a couple of nights. Christmas is coming up – I wonder where I shall spend it? Probably near Hurghada.

Red Sea Bird List

White-eyed Gull (Larus leucophthalmus)
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaulti)

Desert and Canals

This morning I rented a bicycle and headed west from the hostel into the desert. I went past where all the tombs were but no birds at all. I did find some birds around the canals.

Egyptian Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica savignii)

I have been trying to get some photos of the Egyptian Barn Swallow and finally found some on the wires. This is the Egyptian race, savignii.

Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

This is the nominate race Barn Swallow for comparison. The tummy is white as compared to the red of the Egyptian Barn Swallow.

Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

There were quite a few Black-winged Kites around lurking on the overhead wires.

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

At first I thought it was a Nile Valley Sunbird, but I was disappointed. doh!

Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus)

I am not sure if this is the Egyptian race, arsinoe whose range is Egypt (Nile Valley), eastern Chad, Sudan, and northern South Sudan.

Luxor bird list

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Egyptian Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica savignii)
Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus) or Egyptian Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus arsinoe)
Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

Luxor Birding 2

18/12/2017 Morning. Once again I set off along the river bank heading north at Luxor west bank. The sun was shining at ninety degrees. I thought it might be behind me but it was not.

Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis)

This is the first time I have seen a Greater Painted-snipe. Lucky.

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)

This Red-throated Pipit still has some summer plumage left.

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)

Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)

Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)

Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)

Luxor Bird LIst

Greater painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis)
Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)
Egyptian Barn Swallow
Common Hoopoe
Terek Sandpiper
Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)
Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
Ruff
White Wagtail
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava beema)
Glossy Ibis
Purple Heron
Black Kite
Common Moorhen
Zitting Cisticola
Graceful Prinia
Spur-winged Lapwing
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)
Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)

Luxor Bird Watching.

Yesterday afternoon I went for a walk along the west bank of the Nile River at Luxor. There are fields along the river growing onions, wheat, eggplants, watercress and lots of juicy vegetables on the fertile soil.

Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)

There were a few waders along the banks of the river but not that many.

Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)

Bluethroat were very numerous between the river bank and the fields and would come very close to me.

Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)

Lots of birds were flitting in and out of the fields.

Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava beema)

I could not get my head around the variety of Yellow Wagtail races. There seem to be many sub-species along the river. Maybe this one is race beema. I am no expert.

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava cinerocapilla)

This one appears to be Yellow Wagtail, race cinerocapilla. It could also be race pygmaea. Why are they all mixed up together?

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

Common Ringed Plover front on showing how the band is nearly joined.

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)

Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)

This one was a night-mare to identify. The yellowish eye and upward tail sealed it for me. I was thinking Chiffchaff, warbler. Bad photo just for record shot only.

Luxore bird list

Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)
Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
White Wagtail
Spur-winged Lapwing
Little Egret
Pied Kingfisher
Black-tailed Godwit
Common Coot
Common Hoopoe
Hooded Crow
Ruff
Glossy Ibis
Great Cormorant
Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)
Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)
Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava beema)
Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava cinerocapilla )
Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)

A Walk From Elephantine Island to KIMA.

This morning up at 7am, walk from the hotel to the west side of Elephantine Island to the Movenpick Hotel site. Checked out the Great Cormorants sleeping in the trees on the west bank of the river. A few things here and there but nothing earth-shattering.

White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)

Walked throught the Movenpick grounds and got a ferry to the east bank and walked north to the KIMA water outflow where there were a heap of White-winged Terns flying around in circles and dipping into the water. We tried to get some photos of the terns in flight but it was difficult. Most of the photos were out of focus.

White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)

Out of 200 photos I kept 40. That is normal when you are trying to photograph terns flying around. The ones that I kept were still not in perfect focus.

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

We kept walking north and saw a few more ducks but nothing else. Called it quits and walked to the supermarket, got some supplies and caught a micro-bus back to KFC and a ferry across the river back home.

Aswan bird list

Great Cormorant
Ruff
Grey Heron
African Swamphen
Black-winged Stilt
White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)
Western Marsh Harrier
Spur-winged Lapwing
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Egyptian Goose
Glossy Ibis
Little Egret
Black-tailed Godwit
Squacco Heron
Eurasian Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ferruginous Duck