Ras Al-Khamia - Barracuda Beach - Khor Al-Beida - Ras Al-Khor - Dubai (Safa Park) - Ras Al-Khamai
INTRODUCTION
This trip report covers the period between 29th January 2014 and 11th February 2014. This was our first visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and combined a relaxed family holiday with several days of more intensive birding. We stayed in the resort of Ras al-Khaimah which is approximately 85km north of Dubai city along the E311 and well located for good access to some of the best coastal birding sites. Dubai is now very accessible to reach from Scotland with daily 7 hour non-stop flights from Glasgow. Although the UAE has a well developed road system I did not have access to a car so relied on the taxi services based at the hotel. Taxis could be hired for a day or for half a day.
The UAE (established in 1971 having gained independence from Britain) has a population of 9.2m and comprises seven emirates: Abu Dhabi; Ajman; Dubai; Fujairah; Ras al-Khaimah (which joined in 1972); Sharjah; and Umm al-Quwain. Islam (approximately 85% Sunni and 15% Shiite Muslims) is the official state religion and the UAE has a diverse multicultural society which is an extreme example of migration-influenced growth. The largest groups of immigrants come from the Indian sub-continent and indigenous Emiratis comprise only about 20% of the population. The dress convention is conservative. Men wear the kandura - an ankle length white tunic and women the abay - a black overgarment covering most of the body. It is worth noting that the dress code for visitors varies from emirate to emirate. Our visit in late January and early February coincided with the ‘coolest’ months with highs averaging 25-27 degrees C (mid to upper 70 degrees F). The average high in July and August exceeds 45 degrees C (100 degrees F)! Our visit also coincided with the ‘wettest’ month of February which has an average precipitation of 35.7 mm (1.4 inches).
LITERATURE USED
Aspinall S. and Porter R.F. (2011) Birds of the UAE, Christopher Helm Publishers, London.
Pederson T. and Aspinall S. (2010) EBRC annotated checklist of the birds of the UAE. Sandgrouse, supplement 3, 2010.
Green M and Richardson C (2008) Loss of Wader Habitat in the United Arab Emirates. Wader Study Group Bulletin, 115 (1) 2008.
Porter R.F., Christensen S. and Schiermacker-Hansen P. (2007) Birds of the Middle East second edition, Christopher Helm Publishers, London.
Aspinall S. (1996) The Breeding Birds of the UAE, Hobby Publications, Liverpool.
The latter is now somewhat dated but it still gives a good introduction to the status and the conservation of avifauna in the UAE.
UAE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND BIRDING OPPORTUNITIES
According to the Living Planet Report in 2006 the UAE had the largest ecological footprint per capita (nearly 12 hectares per person) of any country in the world, approximately twice that of the UK. This has arisen due to the large consumption of energy per person, limited natural resources (apart from oil and natural gas) and a relatively inhospitable natural environment. Although the UAE ecological footprint reported in the most recent Living Planet Report indicates that this has been reduced to 7.75 hectares per person the impact on the environment of rapid urbanisation has increased over the past decade. In addition the fast growing tourist industry has exacerbated the pressure on the natural environment and associated bird species particularly in the coastal regions. Since the early 1990s the increasing pace of coastal development has led to the complete destruction of many coastal wetlands. In the near future there could be an almost complete loss of good wader habitat in the region (Wader Study Group Bulletin (2008)).
The UAE has a total of 458 bird species of which 14 have been introduced. Despite the threats referred to above many coastal areas, especially the khors (saltwater creeks) which comprise coastal lagoons and tidal flats, still present excellent birding opportunities. The Dubai metropolis also contains several important birding locations. Dubai city alone is worth a visit for its very impressive architecture, most notably the Burj Khalifa which at 828m is the tallest building in the world. Other coastal and inland locations can be found in the literature referred to above, trip reports and at www.uaebirding.com. These sites provide a more comprehensive picture of the UAE habitats and bird species. However, a major objective of mine was to visit some of the best coastal habitats (before they succumbed to tourist development), for example Ras al-Khamai and Khor al-Beida (also referred to as Khor al-Beidah), and to see my main target species, the Crab Plover. The latter proved to be an easier task than I had expected after having read about the difficulties involved in finding this species in some of the other trip reports.
The area around our hotel with its well maintained gardens was worth a daily visit for the commoner resident bird species and migrant and wintering bird species and provided a good opportunity (with the necessary discretion) for sea watching. The coastal resort town of Ras al-Khamai has been built around a khor (creek) which sadly as a result of this urban development has been extensively damaged with the loss of up to 80% of the natural habitat (Green and Richardson 2008). Nevertheless, the open water of the creek and the remainder of the mudflats and mangrove habitat proved to be productive. These could be viewed from the town’s main shopping mall where a walkway projected into the creek and provided an excellent (though sometimes too popular) viewing platform. The creek proved to be good for wader species at low tide and the mangroves on the opposite bank supported a range of species adapted to this scarce habitat.
ITINERARY
It is advisable to check the most recent literature and the internet sites for details about access to the birding locations visited.
Barracuda Beach can be accessed from the E11 coastal route. Upon my arrival the tide was in and this concentrated the waders so that they were within easy scoping distance. This site is one of the areas recommended for the Crab Plover and I was pleased to see 3 individuals here. Another location visited was Khor al-Beida located in the emirate of Umm al-Quain. Access to this site can be gained by leaving the E11 just to the north of the Ruler’s Palace and heading west towards the coast. One of the advantages of having a local taxi driver is their local knowledge of the road system. The access to the site we took was down an ill-defined sandy track. A few minutes walk to the shore took me down to near what looked like an abandoned half built resort consisting of some rather foreboding shells of buildings, possibly a casualty of the banking crash a few years previously. Khor al-Beida is referred to in UAE bird reports as a good location for Crab Plover and again I was not disappointed. This time there was a flock of 33 just offshore. I was in luck with the timing of my visit as just after I arrived a large flock of waders flew in to join those that were already roosting there. Although most were clearly visible and identifiable the sheer numbers made accurate counting difficult.
I was alarmed to read in the local press that a $3.3 billion real estate project called Umm al Quwain Marina with a 23km (14 miles) waterfront has been planned for the area. This proposal has been keenly promoted and includes the establishment of one large and several smaller islands. These would be the locations for a marina, a residential development of 2,600 residential villas and 6,500 apartments, 1,000 resort and hotel rooms, retail facilities, schools and community centres all of which would be targeted at local and international markets. The total area of the proposed development would cover more than 1,488 acres. The masterplan for this waterfront development was in its final stages in 2014 when I visited. The plan itself proposes to take ‘advantage’ of the natural assets of the khor but it is not clear what the direct and indirect impacts would be on its biodiversity. It is to be hoped that the conservation of the internationally important biodiversity of the khor is a primary consideration.
In Dubai I visited the sites of the bird sanctuary at Ras al-Khor and Safa Park and both were easily accessible by using the taxi service available at the hotel. Other urban green spaces providing birding opportunities that I did not visit included Mushrif Park and Mamzar Park.
Ras al-Khor is located at the mouth of Dubai Creek and has the impressive skyline of Dubai as a backdrop. It covers 620 ha consisting of salt flats, intertidal mudflats, mangroves and lagoon habitats and has been designated a RAMSAR site. It is located strategically on the E Africa – W Asia flyway creating an excellent opportunity for studying migrating bird species. There are three hides for viewing the reserve although only two were open when I visited the site. The ‘mangrove’ hide can be accessed when entering Dubai along the west bound lane of the Dubai - Hatta motorway (E44) and is located near the reserve’s car park. Details of the other accesses can be found at www.uaebirding.com/sites/dubai/rasal-khor. The reserve is open 09:00 – 16:00 from Saturday to Thursday. I read from some reports that a permit is required but I was able to enter the mangrove hide without one.
Safa Park was created in 1975 near to what at the time were the outskirts of Dubai. However, the rapid expansion of the city has ‘urbanised’ the park and its habitats have been seriously degraded. Nevertheless, it is well worth a visit especially at migration times. The park covers 64 ha and habitats include well maintained grassy lawns (80% of the total area), trees and shrubs, a small hill and 3 small lakes. The park provides one of the few open green spaces in an otherwise densely populated urban environment of multi-lane highways, massive skyscrapers and huge hotel complexes. Access is easily gained from any of the perimeter roads and the one chosen was the entrance on Al Wasl Road.
Mallard 8 at Khor al-Beida
5 at Ras al-Khor
Northern Pintail 30 Ras al-Khor
Little Grebe 1 on the pond at Safa Park
Greater Flamingo ca 450 at Barracuda Beach
ca 110 at Khor al-Beida
7 at Ras al-Khor
European Spoonbill 28 at Ras al-Khor
Socotra Cormorant Regular off the hotel beach, max of 29
2 at Ras al-Khor
Great Cormorant Regular near the hotel beach
3 at Khor al-Beida
10 at Ras al-Khor
Grey Heron Small groups at at Khor al-Beida, Ras al-Khaimah and Ras al-Khor
3 at the pond in Safa Park
Black-crowned Night Heron 1 at the pond in Safa Park
Striated Heron 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
Great White Egret 3 Ras al-Khor
Little Egret 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
1 at Barracuda Beach
3 at Ras al-Khor
Western Reef Heron Several dark and white morphs at Ras al-Khaimah creek
2 white morphs at Barracuda Beach
6 (2 white and 4 dark morphs) at Khor al-Beida
6 at Ras al-Khor (5 white and 1 dark morphs)
Osprey 2 at Ras al-Khor
Great Spotted Eagle 1 over the mangroves at Khor al-Beida
3 circling over Dubai city (seen from the Burj Kalifa!)
1 at Ras al-Khor
Marsh Harrier 1 over Ras al-Khaimah creek
Oystercatcher ca 60 at Khor al-Beida
Crab Plover 3 at Barracuda Beach
33 at Khor al-Beida
Black-winged Stilt 3 at Ras al-Khor
Red-wattled Lapwing 3 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
2 in the hotel grounds
2 at Barracuda Beach
1 at Ras al-Khor
Grey Plover 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
3 at Barracuda Beach
ca 250 Khor al- Beida
40 flying over the hotel beach
Ringed Plover 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
Kentish Plover Large numbers with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
Lesser Sandplover 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
2 on the hotel beach
Several at various points at Barracuda Beach
Large numbers with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
Greater Sandplover Several at various points at Barracuda Beach
Several with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
Black-tailed Godwit 8 At Khor al-Beida
Bar-tailed Godwit Several with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
50 at Ras al-Khor
Whimbrel 1 at Khor al-Beida and up to 100 at Ras al-Khaimah
Curlew Up to c120 roosting at Ras al-Khamah creek
Several with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
Redshank 1 at the Ras al-Khaimah creek
Several with the wader flock at Khor al Beida
Greenshank 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek and 2 at Ras al-Khor
2 on the hotel beach
Several with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
Terek Sandpiper 1 with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
Common Sandpiper 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
2 on the hotel beach
Little Stint Large numbers with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
2 at Ras al-Khor
Curlew Sandpiper Several with the wader flock at Khor al-Beida
Dunlin Common at Khor al-Beida
Ruddy Turnstone 10 at Khor al-Beida
Black-headed Gull Common offshore the hotel beach and Ras al-Khaimah, up to c120
Common around Khar al-Beida, max flock c100
Common at Safa Park
Slender-billed Gull Up to 12 flying offshore from the hotel
2 at Barracuda Beach
Several at Khor al-Beida and Ras al-Khor
Caspian Gull 1 at the Ras al-Khaimah creek
1 at Ras al-Khor
Heuglin’s Gull 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
Steppe Gull Several adults and juveniles offshore from the hotel
Baltic Gull 1 at close range on the hotel beach
Great Black-headed Gull 1 juvenile offshore from the hotel
Gull-billed Tern 1 at Khor al-Beida
2 on the hotel beach
Lesser Crested Tern Fairly common offshore from the hotel
1 at Khor al-Beida
Swift Tern 2 offshore from the hotel
Sandwich Tern 1 offshore from the hotel
Caspian Tern 2 offshore from the hotel
1 at Barracuda Beach
1 at Ras al-Khor
Common Tern 1 offshore from the hotel
Saunder’s Tern 1 in Ras al-Khaimah harbour
Eurasian Collared Dove Fairly common at Ras al-Khor
3 at Safa Park
Laughing Dove Common in the hotel grounds and urban areas
2 at Khor al-Beida
Fairly common around Ras al-Khor
Very common at Safa Park
Feral Pigeon Common around the hotel and urban areas
Rose-ringed Parakeet 1 on the outskirts of Dubai city
Pallid Swift 2 in the hotel grounds
Hundreds over Ras al-Khaimah
Indian Roller 2 in the hotel grounds
1 at Safa Park
Common Kingfisher 1 in the mangroves at Ras al-Khaimah creek
Hoopoe Regularly seen in the hotel grounds
Common at Safa Park
Green Bee-eater 2 at Barracuda Beach
Daurian Shrike Regularly seen in the hotel grounds
Indian House Crow Common around the hotel, Safa Park and Barracuda Beach
White-eared Bulbul Several in the hotel grounds, Ras al-Khaimah and Safa Park
Red-vented Bulbul Several in the hotel grounds and Safa Park
Pale Crag Martin 1 around the hotel
Purple Sunbird 1 at Safa Park
Graceful Prinia 1 in the hotel grounds
Fairly common at Khor al-Beida
‘Indian’ House Sparrow Common around the hotel and Ras al-Khaimah
Several at Khor al-Beida
Very common at Safa Park
Grey Wagtail 1 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
White Wagtail Regularly seen in the hotel grounds
Dozens at Ras al-Khaimah creek
Yellow Wagtail 2 at Ras al-Khaimah creek
Common Chiffchaff 3 at Safa Park
Common Myna Regularly seen in the hotel grounds
2 at Barracuda Beach
Common at Safa Park
Pied Myna 3 at Safa Park