Introduction

Lake Nasser was created by the damming of the River Nile at Aswan early this century. The lakes present size, extending well into Sudan, is a result of the Aswan High Dam, built in the 1960s.

The lake has received little ornithological attention, mainly due to difficulties of access to much of the shoreline. Recently the Abu Simbel area has become well known as a site for seeing some African species at the very northern limit of their range -species such as Yellow-billed Stork, Pink-backed Pelican, African Skimmer, African Collared Dove and African Pied Wagtail; the area has also produced records of vagrants such as Abyssinian Roller and Grey Hypocolius. Abu Simbel now has a few small hotels, plus the larger Nefertari, catering mainly for visitors to the famous temples. It is sometimes possible to arrange a motorboat for an exploration of the bays around the town.

In the past few years five small cruise ships have started to operate between Aswan and Abu Simbel, visiting Wadi el-Sebua and Amada on the way. The cruise can be booked in either direction and takes three or four days; it is also possible to book the round trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back, giving the added advantage of a full day free at Abu Simbel. The cruise is easy to combine with a Nile cruise, a hotel holiday or a tour of the main Egyptian sites.

What we did was book a cabin on the MS Eugenie through Voyages Jules Verne, paying £695 each; this included a £100 pp supplement for an upper deck cabin with a balcony. The cost covered flights from Gatwick to Luxor and from there to Aswan, all meals, shore excursions to temples at Kalabsha, Wadi el- Sebua, Amada and Abu Simbel and airport transfers.

The MS Eugenie was very stable, allowing easy use of a tripod and telescope either on our balcony or on the deck of the other four ships on the lake (Prince Abbas, Nubian Sea, Tania, Kasr Ibrim) only the Kasr Ibrim has cabins with balconies. All the ships run to similar schedules, mooring up together at night. All carried well-armed tourist guards that accompanied shore excursions, and tourist safety was generally quite high profile.

Map

- map of Lake Nasser, southern Egypt

Itinerary and Activities

Monday 29 March
Gatwick to Luxor (Monarch)
Luxor to Aswan (Orca Air)
Coach transfer to MS Eugenie in Aswan East Dock

Tuesday 30 March
Left dock well before light
Cruise to Wadi el-Sebua
Visit to and birding around Wadi el-Sebua temples

Wednesday 31 March
Cruise to Amada
Visit and bird around Amada temples
Cruise to Kasr Ibrim

Thursday 01 April
Cruise to Abu Simbel
Visit temples
Birding around the temple and market areas

Friday 02 April
Ship moored at Abu Simbel
Birding around the temple area, the Nefertari Hotel, and the Nubian village to the west. (See sketch map)

Saturday 03 April
Cruise to Wadi el-Sebua via Amada

Sunday 04 April
Cruise to Aswan, arriving well after dark

Monday 05 April
Visit and bird around Kalabsha temples

While cruising we kept a watch from the ship for any birds on or over the water, along the shoreline, or flying over the hills on whichever side that offered the better light conditions, The ship was mostly cruising in mid-lake and this made the shoreline very distant at times. The water levels in the lake during our cruise were very high. only a couple of metres below the all time high of the 1998/99 winter.

The only area of the lake that could be described as having good numbers of birds was the northern section, within about six hours cruising time of Aswan. Here there were feeding flocks of terns, ducks on the water, and herons on the shorelines. Unfortunately we passed through this area entirely in darkness on the return section and missed half of it pre-dawn on the outward cruise. The amount of migration along the lake was surprisingly small and was mainly limited to early morning.

Notes on sites visited

Wadi el-Sebua (Wadi el-Seboua)

Three relocated temples on the west side of the lake, a little over half way from Aswan to Abu Simbel. The standard shore visit is about two hours.

There is a narrow fringe of tamarisks along the water's edge, and this held a variety of migrants during our visit. Several small islands had a lot of rubbish dumped on them and this attracted large numbers of Black Kites and Brown-necked Havens, with a few Egyptian Vultures. Shorelines provided feeding opportunities for Spoonbills and egrets, and several pairs of Spur-winged plovers seemed to be nesting on the islands.

Amada

Another three relocated temples, between Wadi el-Sebua and Abu Simbel. As at Wadi el- Sebua there is a fringe of tamarisks along the shore, providing cover and feeding for warblers and herons. Geographically. Amada looks well-situated for observing birds crossing the lake on spring passage, but there was no evidence of this during our two visits.

Abu Simbel

- map of Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser, southern Egypt

The famous relocated temples and associated town have become well-known as a birding site. We limited ourselves to exploring the areas nearest to our mooring on foot, and did not visit the area of agricultural land north of the airport (our guide suggested that there would be security problems if we tried).

There is a line of trees planted around the east side of the main temple site, as well as a grove of acacias used as shade by the police (very friendly); these held a lot of warblers, especially where they approach the shoreline at a small beach. The west side of the temple has not been planted up but there is a small reed-bed area where the toilets drain out, and this held a few small migrants. Both sides lead back to the entrance/exit and the small tourist market. Keeping to the left side of this leads to a park (or what will be a park) and then to the Nefertari Hotel. Just before the hotel is a tree nursery on the right, with plenty of migrant potential, as have the hotel gardens. Both areas had very welcoming staff, well used to birders. The perimeter path of the hotel gardens gives good shaded views to the south for scanning over the lake and the plains to the west. Beyond the hotel is a residential area with mature gardens, and then a Nubian village. These areas will also hold migrants, and are reported to be the best site for African Collared Dove, which we failed to see. Across the main road to the temple was, at the time of our visit, a large shallow inlet with plenty of tamarisks and our only Pied Kingfishers of the trip.

A Pharaoh Eagle Owl flew past the market and landed on the sands to the north-east at about 1830 one evening, and an Egyptian Nightjar was attracted to insects in the floodlights at the front of the temple a little later,

The usual 'Skimmer Island' was underwater during our visit but a very narrow, low island with some vegetation, about 2 km further north-east held at least three African Skimers as well as about 20 Gull-billed Terns. We saw them from the ship, at quite long range; We are not sure if the birds would have been clearly seen from the shore anywhere; it should be possible to find a boat to take you within range.

We climbed part of the way up the back of the temple dome to scan the surrounding areas by telescope. Large birds, such as Yellow-billed Storks, would probably have been visible in their favoured area, but we saw none except a Spoonbill and a Great White Egret, itself quite unusual.

Systematic List

Great Cormorant (phalacrocorax carbo)
1 in flight over the northern section of the lake, 30/3.

White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
140 in the northern section 30/3.
1 near Kasr Ibrim and 1 Abu Simbel 1/4.
Total of 250 over Abu Simbel 2/4.
14 Abu Simbel 3/4.
80 central section 4/4.

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
23 flew north over northern section 30/3.
1 near Amada 31/3.
2 near Kasr Ibrim 1/4.
30 (14 juvenile or first year) in tamarisks at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)
1 Wadi el-Sebua 30/3, 2 there 31/3, and 9 there 4/4.
2 Abu Simbel 2/4, 1 there 3/4.
1 Aswan East dock 5/4.

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
12 flew north over the northern section 30/3.
5 Wadi el-Sebua 30/3. and 2 there 4/4.
14 between Wadi el-Sebua and Arnada 31/3.
2 flew north at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Little Egret (Egretta qarzetta)
Seen commonly, total Ca. 130.
37 between Wadi el-Sebua and Amada 31/3.
A possible nesting colony was noted on a beacon on a large mid-lake rock in the northern section - 11 birds and 7 nests.

Great White Egret (Egretta alba)
1 in flight just north of Abu Simbel 3/4.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Seen commonly, total of ca. 110. 36 in the northern section 30/3.

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
4 Abu Simbel 2/4.
20 flew north at Abu Simbel 3/4.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
850 took off from the west bank of the northern section 30/3.
1 near Amada 3/4.
2 Wadi el-Sebua 4/4.

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
1 Abu Simbel 2/4.

Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
1 near Amada 31/3.
1 over Abu Simbel 3/4.
2 Wadi el-Sebua

Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus)
Commonly seen, total ca.150.
40 northern section 30/3.
50 at Wadi el-Sebua to Amada 31/3.
Families of adults and young near Amada (2), Kasr Ibrim (1) and Abu Simbel (1).

Wigeon (Anas penelope)
123 northern section 30/3.
6 at Amada 31/3.

Garganey (Anas querquedula)
112 flew north in five flocks, northern section 30/3.

Tufted Thick (Aythya fuligula)
23 northern section 50/3.
1 at Wadi el-Sebua 31/3.

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
Commonly seen, total Ca. 280.
60 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
60 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
3 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3 and 3/4.
5 between wad! el-Sebua and Arnada 31/3.
S at Abu Simbel 2/4.
1 at Arnada 3/4.
4 near Aswan town 5/4.

Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
1 near Arnada 31/3.
1 near Kasr Ibrim 3/4.

Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
1 near Amada 31/3.
1 flew north at Abu Simbel 2/4.
1 near Wad! el-Sebua 4/4.

Osprey (Pandion halaetus)
4 northern section 30/3 and 3 there 4/4.
1 at a possible nest on Buoy 30 31/3.
1 near Kasr Ibrim 31/3, 2 there 1/4.
4 flew north and 1 fishing at Abu Simbel 2/4.
2 between Kasr Ibrim and Amada 3/4.
1 Wadi el-Sebua 4/4.

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
1 flew north over northern section 30/3.
1 Wadi el-Sebua 30/3 and 4/4.
1 near Amada 31/3.
1 near Kasr Ibrim 1/4.
2 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Barbary Falcon (Falco peregrinoides)
2 singles at Abu Simbel, including 1 across the lake, 2/4.

Quail (Coturnix coturnix)
1 at Abu Simbel 2/4 and 4/4.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
2 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
130 in the northern section 30/3.
2 near Amada 31/3.

Senegal Thick-knee (Burhinus senegalensis)
1 heard at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Spur-winged Plover (Hoplopterus spinosus)
21 northern and central sections 30/3.
9 Wadi el-Sebua (some probably nesting) 30/3.
16 between Wadi el-Sebua and Arnada 31/3.
8 around Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.
10 central section 4/4.
Birds were frequently seen mobbing Brown-necked Ravens.

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
1 in flight over the central section 30/3.

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
1 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3 and 31/3; 2 there 4/4.
2 at Abu Simbel 1/4, with 1 there 2/4 and 3/4.

Great Black-headed Gull (Larus icthyaetus)
1 first summer bird at Abu Simbel 1/4 and 2/4.

Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
115 flew north over the northern section 30/3.
7 at Abu Simbel 2/4 and 4 there 3/4.
5 central section 4/4.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
4 flew north over the northern section 30/3.
1 near Kasr Ibrim 1/4.
2 flew north and 4 others at Abu Simbel 2/4.
2 flew north and 3 others at Abu Simbel 3/4.
12 at Aswan 5/4.

Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)
3 flew north over the northern section 30/3.
1 at Amada 31/S, and 2 there 3/4.
23 at Abu Simbel 1/4, 22 flew north there 2/4, 24 there 3/4.

White-winged Black Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)
160 feeding over the northern section 30/3.
4 at Abu Simbel 1/4.
88 feeding over the central section 4/4.

African Skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris)
3 on an islet north-east of Abu Simbel 3/4.

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)
11 at Abu Simbel 1/4 and 15, including 2 juveniles, there 2/4.

Palm Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
25 around Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.
10 at Aswan 5/4.

Pharaoh Eagle-Owl (Bubo ascalaphus)
1 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Egyptian Nightjar (Caprimulgus aegyptius)
1 in the lights of the temples at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Common Swift (Apus apus)
1+ flew north at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)
6+ flew north at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)

3 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
2 in Aswan 5/4.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops superciliosus)
4 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
8 around Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4, including carrying food.

Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
1 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
2 over the northern section 30/3.
8 at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
3 at Abu Simbel 1/4 and 2 there 3/4.

Pale Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne obsoleta)
Commonly seen, total Ca. 90;
6 apparently nesting at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
12 at Amada 31/3.
4 entering holes in a cliff near Kasr Ibrim 31/3.
25 at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
1 ssp. rustica at Wadi el-Sebua 31/3, 3 there 4/4.
10 ssp. rustica at Abu Simbel 1/4 and 2/4.
3 ssp. savignii at Aswan 5/4.

Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica)
20 at Abu Simbel 1/4, and 10 there 2/4.
3 at Wadi el-Sebua 4/4.

House Martin (Delichon urbica)
4 at Abu Simbel 1/4 and 6 there 2/4.
10 at Wadi el-Sebua 4/4.

Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
5 at Abu Simbel 1/4, with 2 there 2/4 and 1 3/4.

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)
5 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
15 flew north at Abu Simbel 2/4.

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
8 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3, with 1 there 4/4.
1 at Amada 31/3 and 3/4.
2 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp)
5 (2 pairs and a male) at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus)
2 at Aswan East Dock 5/4.

Rufous flush Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes)
1 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
1 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
1 female at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
2 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
1 at Abu Simbel 2/4, and 3 there 3/4.

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)
1 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

White-crowned Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga)
8 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
1 at Amada 31/3.
5 near Kasr Ibrim 31/3 and 1/4, including a singing bird.
6 at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4, including a singing bird.

Graceful Warbler (Prinia gracilis)
20 around Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
1 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
1 at Amada 31/3.

Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
10 at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus)
2 at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4, both in tamarisks and one singing.

Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais pallida)
2 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
2 at Amada 31/3.
A peak of 60 at Abu Simbel 2/4.

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
2 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
4 at Arnada 31/3.
10 at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
2 at Abu Simbel 1/4 and 2/4.

Nile Valley Sunbird (Anthreptes platurus)
1 male at Aswan East Dock 5/4.

Masked Shrike (Lanius nuhicus)
9 at Abu Simbel 2/4.
1 at Amada 3/4.

Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis)
Commonly seen throughout the area, total Ca. 250.
60 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
A nest with 5 young on a low cliff opposite Kasr Ibrim 31/3.
60 at Abu Simbel 1/4 included a pair nesting near the temple facia.
80 Abu Simbel 2/4.
10 near Amada 3/4.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
4 at Wadi el-Sebua 30/3.
10 at Amada 31/3.
50 at Abu Simbel 1/4 to 3/4.

Total species recorded 75.

S.M.LISTER AND M.C.HALL

31 LISLE ST., LOUGHBOROUGH. LE11 1AW, ENGLAND.