OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can itbe? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)
noun[in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGINlate 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!
Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!
E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.
My bird watching map over Middle East
Monday 26thof November 2018and we left Radisson Blu at 6 thirty and we expect to reach Al Ansab Wetlands just before 7 o´clock. Before you are going to the Al Ansab Wetlands you need to book a visit. Just go to their web pagehttps://www.haya.om/en/Pages/Wetland.aspxand you will find a booking form.
They say it will take 3 days but I got my permission to enter in 24 hours. Anyway, my permit will never come to use as my Guide have a permit.
Al Ansab Wetland
Al Ansab Wetland is a natural wonderland in the heart of Muscat. It provides a showcase for Oman’s impressive nature with its abundance of bird´s life.
The Wetland is home to an amazing 293 species of birds that may be present at different times throughout the year Visitors can see wading birds such as the Black-Winged Stilt that are resident at the Wetland all year. Magnificent Eagles arrive in November and may spend the winter in Muscat.
Al Ansab Wetland is not just a special place for birds, it is also a safe haven for Oman’s plants, butterflies and other life species.
From www.haya.om
We drove on the Muscat Expressway and when we reached Al Ansab we left the expressway. We entered the Haya water plant and we drove down to the wetlands. We meet a girl that was going to be our Guide. She is working for Haya and she seems to be in charge of the wetlands.
We walked to the first pond next to the parking place. We could see flamingos and some waders. There were also a lot of ducks and we could see herons and egrets.
The first pond
The first pond
We were soon walking back to the cars, we are moving to some bird hides at another pond. The first pond was a wee bit disappointing as we could not get close to the birds. We drove down a dust road following the girl in her car. I was soon asking my Guide to stop. There was a bird sitting in a bush and I asked the Guide to put the car in reverse to get back to the bush.
I got a picture of the bird, and the girl was later on telling me that it was an Indian Silverbill when I showed her the pictures.
We drove up to the second pond and we good a look over the pond and we spotted a few birds. And there were a group of Great Cormorants just below us. We could not see the birds when we stood at the edge of the pond and we were not aware of the birds until they took off.
We walked down to the bird hide and we over looked the drain from the pond and there were a little water coming over the edge all the time. This attracted a lot of birds, more Great Cormorants, Stints, Sandpiper and a Yellow Wagtail. We also spotted a weaver in the bushes.
The girl left us as she had to take care of a school class coming to visit the wetland. Me and my Guide stayed behind and it was really a very nice place. Just a few meters away from the birds looking for food in the water.
We leave the bird hide and the pond behind and we walk down to the dirt road to check the other bird hide. We passed Sunbirds and Bulbuls on the way but it was not possible to get any pictures as the birds was very scared and they stayed far away from my camera.
We stopped at the bird hide and we stayed for a few minutes before we continued. My Guide found something in the bushes and I continued walking towards west.
I reach a few rows of plants and there a placards on the trees with the name of the tree. So I guess this was some kind of nursery. And there were birds, but darn it was hard to get them on picture. I managed to get a few pictures of the Indian Silverbill and later on I spotted a Purple Sunbird in eclipse plumage.
Eclipse Plumage
Many ducks have bright, colourful plumage, exhibiting strong sexual dimorphism. However, they moult into a dull plumage after breeding in mid-summer. This drab, female-like appearance is called eclipse plumage. When they shed feathers to go into eclipse, the ducks become flightless for a short period of time.
Some duck species remain in eclipse for one to three months in the late summer and early fall, while others retain the cryptic plumage until the next spring when they undergo another moult to return to their breeding plumage.
Although mainly found in the Anatidae, a few other species, including related red junglefowl, most fairywrens and some sunbirds also have an eclipse plumage. In the superb and splendid fairywrens, very old males (over about four years) may moult from one nuptial plumage to another whereas in the red-backed and white-winged fairywrens, males do not acquire nuptial plumage until four years of age – well after they become sexually mature and indeed longer than the vast majority of individuals live.
In contrast to the ducks, males of hummingbirds and most lek-mating passerines – like the Guianan cock-of-the-rock or birds of paradise – retain their exuberant plumage and sexual dimorphism at all times, moulting as ordinary birds do once annually.
Walking to the next bird hide
Looking out from the second hide
Walking along the dust road
My Guide looking for birds
White-eared Bulbul
Indian Silverbill or White-throated Munia
Indian Silverbill or White-throated Munia
Indian Silverbill or White-throated Munia
Indian Silverbill or White-throated Munia
Purple Sunbird
Purple Sunbird
Purple Sunbird
Purple Sunbird
Grey Heron
Walking back and we see several Green Bee-eaters sitting on the fence, but no pictures as the birds disappeared. I got pretty close to a Grey Heron when we came back to the car. I managed to get pretty close to the bird before the heron took off.
I took 2 cans of Diet Pepsi and a pack of toast in the car and we went to the pick-nick area under the trees. I enjoyed my Diet Pepsi and toast under the tress while watching the birds in the trees. I finished my toast and I followed the small stream and I ended up at a small pond.
I spotted a Great Egret at the pond but otherwise there was no birds at the pond.
Pick-nick area at Al Ansab Wetlands
Pick-nick area at Al Ansab Wetlands
Great Egret / Great White Heron
Grey Heron
We walked back to the car and I spotted the Grey Heron again and I tried to sneak up on the bird but it took off when I reached the car. We were going to check out the Al Ansab Dam and we leave the Al Ansab Wetland and we drove down the Muscat Expressway until we reached the next exit and we left expressway.
We drive around looking for a access road to the dam and as it is only desert we have to drive along a dust road until we see some water. We are below the dam and there are some water in the otherwise dry flood bed.
The first bird we see is a Great Egret looking for food in the water. We were soon at the end of the land and we over looked some water the size of a soccer field. There was a group of Black-winged Stilts and a Glossy Ibis in the middle of the water standing on a small mudflat.
There is a group of Stints and a Red-wattled Lapwing. Of course, all the birds are too far away for any good pictures of the birds.
Birds at Al Ansab Dam
Birds at Al Ansab Dam
Stilts at Al Ansab Dam
Egret at Al Ansab Dam
Frog at Al Ansab Dam
We left Al Ansab Dam and we drove to the Qurum Beach and there is a huge mangrove in the area. But sadly enough, not possible to enter the mangrove. But my Guide told me that they were developing the area and it will hopefully be a wetland nature reserve in the future. But today it was not possible to enter the mangrove.
Qurum Beach
Qurum Beach
We left Qurum Beach to go look for birds at the Sunub Rubbish Dump and we drive there to see if we have any luck. My Guide tell me that it is not alowed to go inside the garbage dump. So he goes of road trying to get us in behind the garbage dump. The 4 wheel drive really came in handy.
But we never managed to come close to the garbage dump and we were soon back on the highway. We tried another place but there was road blocks so we had to go to the main entrance. We could no get inside and we could not see any birds of prey flying over the garbage dump.
So we turned around and we started to drive back towards my hotel in Muscat. I spotted a bird after 20 meters and we stopped the car.
It was not a bird of prey, it was a small black and white bird looking like a wheatear. I don´t know the bird so I will have to try to identify the bird with my new book “Birds of the Middle East” Well, we called it a day and my Guide drove me back to the hotel and he will pick me up at 6 o´clock tomorrow morning.
I spent the afternoon in my room and I went to the restaurant for yet another Turkish mixed grill with creamy mash, EXCELLENT!! My plan was actually to stay in my room to eat oatmeal. But the Turkish mixed grill is very good so I could not help my self.
I was in bed early and my alarmis set to go off at 3 thirty with a back up call from the reception at 04:15. We will drive south along the coast to Ras AlShajer Nature Reserve and you just need to clickHEREto find out if we find any birds.