5 to 12 August 2001

Introduction.
I spent 7 days at the Sharming Inn hotel in Sharm el Sheikh, on a family holiday from the 5th August to the 12th August 2001. We flew from London Gatwick directly to Sharm el Sheikh and then went by coach about a 30-minute drive to our hotel.

I went bird watching on only a few occasions early in the morning, as after 8-30 the heat became pretty unbearable and most of the birds seem to take cover in any shade they could find.

On 2 occasions I visited the sewage ponds at Sharm el Sheikh, 9th and 10th August. The ponds and the adjoining plantation proved a magnet for many different species of birds. The 4 ponds with reedy edges can be found between Naama Bay and Sharm el Sheikh. Just past the Mobil petrol station. The plantation and ponds can easily be seen on your left from here. There is a monument with DELTA written on it. Turn of the main road and head towards the New Tower Hotel and the sewage ponds are on the left. There are many new hotels under construction in the area. One can only hope that the land round the sewage ponds and the plantation will be spared.

I made one visit to the water treatment plant, 10th August 2001, north west of Naama Bay. This area has more water than the Sewage ponds at Sharm el Sheikh. This apparently is the best area to see Sandgrouse. The water treatment plant can be found on the back road between Sharm el Sheikh and Naama Bay. I took a taxi from my hotel and we made took a right turn after the Mobil petrol station, at the end of that road we made a right turn towards Naama Bay. The water treatment plant can be seen from the road on your left-hand side, the track that the quad bikes use runs along side it.

We visited St Catherine's monastery and had no luck firstly our coach broke down in the middle of nowhere and we had to wait over an hour for a replacement, then we couldn't find any Sinai Rosefinch. But it was well worth the visit to where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

We hired a taxi to take us to Ras Mohammed national park. The driver stayed with us, the cost was about £30-00 for the day. Ras Mohammed is at the southern most tip of the Sinai desert. Here the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet to form the Red Sea. The National Park is one of the most delightful and beautiful places that I have ever visited. From the huge impressive stone pillar's at the entrance to the reserve, the Mangrove swamp, salt water lakes, desert, the cliffs and the world famous coral reefs. The coral reef is a world of its own and should not be missed. The many different shapes, sizes and colours of the fish and corals, have to be seen to be appreciated. No doubt the Green .Turtle that swam under my son and I while we where snorkelling off the main beach, is a sight that we both will never forget.

Species List

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
1 flew north close in to the southern point of Ras Mohammed National Park, Sunday 11th August 2001.

Striated Heron (Butorides stiatus)
1 under the small pier on Albatross beach Sharm el Sheikh, 8th August.
1 flew from the mangrove swamp at Ras -Mohammed National Park, 11 August 2001.

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)
6 including 2 juveniles at Sharm el Sheikh sewage ponds, and sat in the trees in the plantation next to the sewage ponds.

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
5 flew over the Sharming Inn hotel Sharm el Sheikh, 6th August 2001.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
1 flew from the plantation at Sharm el Sheikh sewage ponds.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
1 in the plantation next to Sharm el Shiekh sewage ponds.
400+ at the new water treatment plant north west of Naama Bay.
50+ south of the entrance to Ras Mohammed National Park.
600 north of the entrance to Ras-Mohammed National Park and more flying to join them from the south.

Egyptian Goose (Alopchen aegyptiacus)
1 at the new water treatment plant north west of Naama Bay with White Stork.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
3 At Sharm el Shiekh sewage ponds.

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
1 flew low over Sharm el Shiekh sewage ponds, then landed on the road next to ponds giving excellent views.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
1 flew over the cliffs at the observation point at Ras Mohammed National Park, and perched on cliff top railings. Allowing me to walk to within 7 meters of it while it preened and called to another Osprey on the cliffs about 35 meters away.

Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor)
1 sat on the cliffs at Ras Mohammed National Park next to an Osprey.
2 flew over the swimming pool at the hotel Sharming Inn. At least 2 on one visit to Sharm el Shiekh sewage ponds. Possible 3 on second visit to sewage ponds.

Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus)
1 flew from the plantation next to the sewage ponds at Sharm el Shiekh, 9th August 2001.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
2 calling from the reeds at the sewage pools at Sharm el Shiekh.

Black-Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
1 at the mangrove swamp at Ras-Mohammed National Park.

Spur-winged Plover (Hoplopterus spinosus)
3 on the sewage ponds at Sharm el Sheikh.
20 on the water treatment plant north west of Naama Bay 10th August 2001.

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
1 on Sharm el Sheikh sewage ponds.

Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
1 on a salt lake at Ras Mohammed national park.

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
3 on the water treatment plant north of Naama Bay.

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
1 between Albatross beach Sharm el Sheikh and the lighthouse.

Sooty Gull (Larus hemprichii)
1 flew north along Albatross beach Sharm el Sheikh.
Several in the bay near the Sharming Inn hotel Sharm el Sheikh.
2 from the cliffs near the Sharming Inn hotel.

White-eyed Gull (Larus leucophalmus)
5 from the cliffs near the Sharming Inn hotel.
On a one and a half-hour sea watch between 7-00 and 8-30am on Sunday 11th August 2001. Distance and a heat haze made identification of 50+ gulls impossible as they flew past well out in the bay from cliffs near the Sharming Inn hotel.

White-cheeked Tern (Sterna repressa)
2 on the sewage pools at Sharm-El Sheikh, 1 adult and one juvenile seen on both
visits. 2 in the bay at Sharm-El Sheikh.

Bridled Tern (Sterna anaethetus)
1 flew round the bay at Albatross beach. 1 flew north at the beach near the Sharming
Inn hotel.

Crowned Sandgrouse (Pterocles coronatus)
45 at the water treatment plant north west of Naama Bay, at 7-30 am coming in to
drink, in small groups then flying back out to the desert, Friday 10th August 2001.

Rock Dove (Colomba livia)
Seen in good numbers on the cliffs at Albatross beach, common at the sewage pools at Sharm el sheikh.

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
2 in the plantation next to Sharm-El Sheikh sewage pools.

Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
Common, seen most of the day a drinking from the waterfall and pools behind the
swimming pool at the Sharming in hotel. 50+ at Sharm el Sheikh sewage pools.

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)
1 adult in the tree tops of the plantation, next to the sewage pools at Sharm el Sheikh,
9th August 2001.

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo athis)
1 flew from the mangroves at Ras Mohammed National Park, 11 August 2001.

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
At least 4 in the plantation next to the sewage ponds at Sharm el Sheikh 10th August 2001.

Desert Lark (Ammomanes deserti)
1 on the wall near the coach park at St Catherine's Monastery, 8th August 2001.

Hoopoe Lark (Alaemon alaudipes)
6 at the triangular shaped road junction near the mangrove swamp in Ras Mohammed
National Park, 11th August 2001.

African Rock Martin (Ptyonoprogne fuligula)
Common. 30+ at the sewage ponds at Sharm el Sheikh. Seen flying over hotel
Sharming Inn and the hotels in Naama Bay. 8+ at Saint Catherine's Monastery.

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
20+ at Sharm el Sheikh sewage pools.

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys)
1 at the monastery garden in Feiran Oasis, 8th August 2001.

Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens)
1 at the security check point near Saint Catherines Monastery, 8th August 2001.

White-crowned Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga)
2 near Naama Bay, 3 in the desert on the way to Saint Catherine's Monastery, 8th August 2001.

Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolias pallida)
Common in the plantation next to the sewage ponds at Sharm el Sheikh, heard more often than seen.

House Crow (Corvus splendens)
2 on route to Saint Catherine's Monastery, Wednesday 8 August 2001.

Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis)
A flock of 70+ at the water treatment plant north west of Naama Bay, 10th August.
3 at the entrance to Ras Mohammed National Par, 11th August 2001.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Very common. 300+ in the reeds at Sharm-El Sheikh sewage pools. Large numbers drinking in the pools and waterfalls at the Sharmming Inn hotel.

Mammals, etc.

2 dolphins swimming north at Ras-Mohammed National Park leaping occasionally, Saturday 11th August and 8 dolphins north from the beach near the Sharming Inn hotel, Sunday 12th August 2001.

A green turtle swam under us while snorkelling off the main beach at the southern tip of the Ras Mohammed National, 11th August 2001.

Mick Wilson

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