Bill Oddy used to enter “None” into
his birding diary if he saw nothing at his local reservoir and Corey Finger can
eke three posts out of not seeing a Virginia
Warbler. So I hope you will forgive me for writing up a post in which I
visited Mushrif Park and failed to
see a Pallid Scops Owl.
Hundreds of doves, mostly Eurasian Collared-doves, were flying in
to roost in the tops of the trees that line the approach road. Grey Francolins were calling from the
areas beyond the fences on either side.
An Oriental Honey-buzzard circled above me as I passed the gate and paid my 3 Dirhams entry fee.
Most birds were preparing for the
night, but a few Green Bee-eaters
were taking advantage of the dying light to pick off a few insects that had
been drawn out by the dusk.
The sun had dropped surprisingly quickly from the sky this evening and caught me on the hop. I had arrived at the turn-off to the park to hear the evening call to prayer as I alighted from the taxi at around 17.00. I had hoped to see an Arabian Babbler this evening, but the darkness was falling fast that my prime focus became the owl.
I made my way to the lawns opposite the mosque where the Pallid Scops Owl is said to hunt for insects by the lights of the toilet block. A group of British and Canadian birders were already in place with a similar intent, but none of us saw nor heard the owl.
I made my way to the lawns opposite the mosque where the Pallid Scops Owl is said to hunt for insects by the lights of the toilet block. A group of British and Canadian birders were already in place with a similar intent, but none of us saw nor heard the owl.
I caught the train to Rushadiya,
beyond the airport and grabbed a cab from there. I had to rely on a lift back
from the park as there is no taxi rank there. The turn in for the approach road
Google Earth ref; 25°13'49.52"N
55°27'3.30"E is from a main, multi-carriageway road (Al Khawaneej Rd) with
a central reservation. Catching a cab from here, without crossing 6 lanes of
fast traffic in the dark, means hailing one driving in the wrong direction. There
is a roundabout less than a mile along the road to make a turn.
For a previous visit to Mushrif Park, follow the link below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/approach-road-to-mushrif-park-is-lined.html
Visit the dedicated Middle East Page for more posts from Dubai including Safa Park and Ras al Khor
For a previous visit to Mushrif Park, follow the link below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/approach-road-to-mushrif-park-is-lined.html
Visit the dedicated Middle East Page for more posts from Dubai including Safa Park and Ras al Khor
Beautiful shots, love the bee-eater and the great moon capture!
ReplyDeleteThe bee-eater makes up for any misses. And posts about seeing nothing spectacular are often more fun than the posts that involve seeing the targeted birds!
ReplyDelete