Concorde Race Track, Cairo, May 2012

There was some debate about accessibility to the race track today (Google Earth ref; 30 07' 13"N 31 21' 11"E). A large chap in a grey shirt decided that I should not be wandering aimlessly around the track and he asked me to leave. Upon checking, I found that there was no reason why I shouldn't and I presented myself back to the security guard on the gate who waved me through. It is true to say that I avoided the grey shirt man, so never got to the bottom of his reasons for ejecting me. Presidential elections are in progress and perhaps he was more concerned with the democratic future of his country that the eccentric pursuits of Englishmen. Maybe I was bearing the brunt of Engelbert Humperdinck’s poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest last night.

I made my way smartly across to the dry centre of the track in search of Senegal Thick-knees which were to be the subject of a 10,000 Birds post. I needed some photographs to illustrate the piece and ran into them almost immediately when a pair flushed about 20 meters ahead.

They flew for about 50 meters and sat out in plain view for a while, then began looking for hiding places as I got closer.

There was more to see than just the Thick-knees with Barn Swallows swooping about close to the ground and three European Kestrels hovering and dive-bombing each other. A Green Bee-eater alighted on a proud twig showing its flight feathers which are not usually visible when it is perched.

There is a lot of earth dumped within the track, often with weeds growing in it or sticks poking out. A Southern Grey Shrike was using one as a perch from which to lauch itself after passing insects. There is also a lot of litter mixed in with the earth mounds. I didn’t notice the syringe until I was editing the pictures back home, so watch your step.

More earth mounds beyond the far straight made good lookout spots for Spur-winged Lapwings who scolded me if I approached too closely.

Birds seen; 11

Eurasian Kestrel 3, Senegal Thick-knee 4, Spur-winged Plover 5, Laughing Dove 45, Green Bee-eater 4, Eurasian Hoopoe 2, Southern Grey Shrike 1, Hooded Crow 40, Barn Swallow 25, Common Bulbul 8, House Sparrow 150.

For a previous post from Cairo's race track, follow the link below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/concorde-race-track-cairo-aug-2011.html

Visit the dedicated Africa Page  or the Middle East Page for more posts from this region.

Concorde Race Track, Cairo, Aug, 2011

Within easy reach of the allocated hotel in Cairo is a stables and horse race track. It is a wonder that I have never been there before to see what it might hold, but I managed to rectify that oversight during my most recent visit. The entrance to the track is very close to the security guarded gate of the Concorde El-Salaam Hotel.

Barn Swallows perched, like musical jottings, on the telephone wires (These may be H.r. savignii, sometimes known as the Egyptian Swallow). A small sanded oval, which may be the parade ring for race days, has a few large trees in the centre.

A Little Green Bee-eater was hawking for insects from one, but a few of the workers from the stables were taking a nap in the shade so I left them in peace without checking the trees too diligently.

House Sparrows, Laughing Doves and Hooded crows, in that order, were the most common birds of the day. One of the crows stood for a picture on the home straight in front of the stand (Google Earth ref; 30 07' 13"N 31 21' 11"E), but generally, they did not allow a very close approach.

The track describes a big rounded rectangle with a lap distance of about 2.75kms, enclosing about 35 hectares of disused, dry, sandy ground in the centre. The far side of the track has fallen into disrepair, but is still used for exercising the horses and for joggers in the morning and evening when the temperature is cooler.

I had hoped that some larks or pipits or even a Cream-coloured Courser, might be seen amongst some light scrub or turned earth in the centre, but it was very quiet. A family of Common Kestrels were interacting on the ground, occasionally one would take flight and do a quick lap before returning to the group. A Southern Grey Shrike perched on a snag, watching, and some Common Bulbuls were waiting out the heat of the day in a dead tree.

There were a lot of Odonata in the grass on the far side and I spent a good while on my belly creeping up on some. The joggers and horse exercisers stopped and looked momentarily before riding or running off, shaking their heads and muttering about English madmen.

This one puts me in mind of a male Red-veined Darter, Sympetrum fonscolombii, though the red veins  are not as apparent as I would like.

This one above could very well be the female. With nothing to compare it with, this is a tentative identification only.

I feel confident in calling this one as a Broad Scarlet (Scarlet Darter), Crocothemis erythraea. Male above and female below.

I crossed back over the waste ground in the middle of the track and noted a Thick-knee scuttling along a small ditch. It was bent over to avoid detection. I looked in my field guide to check that I was looking at a Eurasian Stone-curlew as I first suspected that it was, but I found that there was a choice.

The Senegal Thick-knee lacks the white stripe on the wing, bordered in black, that characterises the Eurasian Stone-curlew. My camera was out of battery so I was unable to get a photo that evening. There were 4 birds that allowed me fairly close to get a good look in case the white stripe had folded up into the wing in the way of a duck's wing panel. As luck would have it, our pick-up the next morning was delayed and I was able to get back to the race course at 06.00, recharged. The birds were much less approachable in the morning, and flushed as I approached within 50 metres. This picture is a distant one, but the lack of white in the wing was notable when it flew.

In the early morning, the hedge that runs in front of the grandstand was alive with dragonflies. Compared to the dusty ones out on the far side of the course, these were spic and span.

Despite being so commonplace in the region, no trip would be complete without a Hoopoe.

Birds seen; 12

Common Kestrel 4, Senegal Thick-knee 4, Spur-winged Lapwing 1, Eurasian Collared Dove 1, Laughing Dove 60, Little Green Bee-eater 1, Hoopoe 4, Barn Swallow 50, Common Bulbul 15, Southern Grey Shrike 2, Hooded Crow 50, House Sparrow 200

Concorde Race Track, Cairo, Egypt, Aug, 2011