Abu Sembel at night. Photo: Bryan Bland
Egypt is renowned for its abundance of archaeological and historical sites and most people dream of visiting the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Valley of the Kings, and the temples at Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and Abu Simbel. In addition to these riches, Egypt provides exciting birdwatching since a number of African species such as Senegal Thick-knee, Greater Painted-snipe, Kittlitz’s Plover, Senegal Coucal, and Nile Valley Sunbird reach the northern limit of their range here. In fact two dozen species difficult to see elsewhere in the Western Palearctic are concentrated in this region while the many migrant birds en route from Africa to Eurasia which pass through at this time of year add an extra dimension to the birdwatching. We’ll visit the major archaeological sites and Egypt’s best areas for birds, including the amazing Sinai Peninsula and St. Catherine’s Monastery in the dramatic central mountain range, where Palestine Sunbird, Blackstart, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Tristram’s Grackle, and Sinai Rosefinch are the specialities.
An exciting new development in 2009 was the addition of two whole days exploring the southern Red Sea coast as far as the Sudan border at Shalatein. On the first day we saw two species from the ‘Vagrants’ section of the Collins Bird Guide (Swift Tern and African Collared Dove); on the second we saw Lappet-faced Vulture and Hume’s Owl. In 2011 we chartered a boat to the Red Sea islands where Sooty Falcons and Bridled Terns breed. And we hope that in future years a third day in this fascinating area will give us the chance of finding more species from those vagrant pages (such as Crab Plover and Goliath Heron, or even Black Bush Robin and Black-crowned Finch Lark).
We are convinced that this tour now offers the most amazing combination of birds and history available in the Western Palearctic – an unbeatable sequence of marvelous experiences which has thrilled and delighted clients for over twenty years.
Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Cairo. Night in Cairo.
Day 2: Our first day will be a comprehensive introduction to birds and history with visits to the fascinating stepped pyramid of Sakkara and the mastabas of Ti and Mereruka (for amazingly accurate carved representations of the birds of ancient Egypt), the Great Pyramids, the Solar Boat, and the Sphinx. Our lunch will be served at Andrea countryside restaurant so that we can experience the Egyptian rural life. Our afternoon will be spent in the Cairo Museum, home to the fabulous Tutankhamun collection and many other wonders of Ancient Egypt, which will put into perspective all the marvels to be experienced over the next two weeks. Night in Cairo.
Day 3: As early as possible we’ll drive east across the desert to the Red Sea keeping a lookout for Cream-coloured Courser, Scrub Warbler, Bar-tailed Desert, Desert and Hoopoe Larks, and Desert, Hooded, Mourning and Isabelline Wheatears. We’ll enjoy lunch at the top of the Red Sea hotel overlooking the ships passing through this famous water passage. From the cool comfort of our restaurant table we might see our first Great Black-headed, Caspian or White-eyed Gulls plus guaranteed House Crows. After exploring the shores of Suez for such waders as Greater Sand Plover, Kentish Plover, and Little Stint plus maybe our first Lesser Crested Terns, we’ll head south to our hotel at (either Ain Sukhana or Royal Zafarana).
Day 4: St Paul’s monastery is a fascinating fourth-century Coptic site which is also a migrant trap. In the past we have seen Thrush Nightingale, Wryneck, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Cream-coloured Courser, and Sand Partridge here. Given an east wind we could also see thousands of Steppe Buzzards plus Egyptian Vulture and Steppe, Imperial, Booted, and Short-toed Eagles. We’ll then cross from Africa to Asia by a tunnel under the Suez Canal and experience a new avifauna, such as Yellow-vented rather than Common Bulbuls and Palestine rather than Nile Valley Sunbirds. Hopefully we’ll locate these in Wadi Feiran before we continue down the Sinai Peninsula towards St. Catherine’s Monastery which is 5,000ft above sea level and founded in 527 AD on the legendary site of the biblical burning bush. Night at St. Catherine’s.
Day 5: One possible (but very optional) start to the day is to climb Gebel Musa (Mount Moses) to experience dawn at the spot where legend holds that Moses received the Ten Commandments. Later, a morning visit to the Greek Orthodox monastery will combine birds and history admirably. The original sixth-century walls and church dedicated to the Virgin Mary still stand, as does the mosque built in the seventh century when the Muslims spared this Christian refuge. The gardens of the monastery attract both migrant and resident birds including Chukar, Tristram’s Grackle, Scrub Warbler, and Sinai Rosefinch. After lunch at our hotel and perhaps another visit to Wadi Feiran for Blackstart and any Sinai specialities still missing, we’ll drive through the dramatic Sinai landscape to Sharm El Sheikh arriving in time for more birding at the new sewage farm there, hopefully with Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse as our final speciality of the day. Night in Sharm El Sheikh.
Day 6: After an early-morning reprise at the sewage farm (for other species of sandgrouse) we’ll catch a direct flight to Luxor. This will give us plenty of time before lunch to explore Crocodile Island and the grounds of our delightful hotel, searching the water’s edge for Little Bittern, Rufous Bush Robin, Purple Swamphen, Greater Painted Snipe, and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. In the afternoon we’ll tour the magnificent temples of Karnak and Luxor, returning in the evening for the atmospheric Son et Lumière show, sometimes with Barn Owl as a bonus. Night on Crocodile Island, Luxor.
Day 7: We’ll spend the morning across the river visiting the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut or Ramses III, and the Colossi of Memnon. Before it becomes too hot, we’ll hope for views of Trumpeter Finch around the tombs, as well as Pallid Swift, Rock Martin, and Little Green Bee-eater. We’ll then pause for lunch before more birdwatching on Crocodile Island or maybe a guided visit to Luxor museum. Night on Crocodile Island, Luxor.
Day 8: En route to Aswan we’ll stop at the impressive temples of Edfu (the largest and best-preserved in Egypt) and Kom Ombo (in effect a double temple to the gods Sobek and Horus). Likely birds on the journey include Black-shouldered Kite, Senegal Thick-knee, African Swamphen, and, provided we can obtain permission to visit Daraw City camel market, the tiny Namaqua Dove. After lunch we’ll relax in a uniquely Egyptian way - by cruising around Elephantine and Kitchener Islands, or to and through the First Cataract, in a white-sailed felucca (or in the absence of a breeze, a more manoeuverable launch) hopefully tallying up to nine species of heron including Striated, and maybe Ferruginous Duck. Our home for the night will be a fascinating Nubian-style hotel on the relaxed west bank, offering a very different ethnic experience to the more luxurious but rather anonymous city hotels. Night in Aswan.
Day 9: We’ll visit the Temple of Philae saved from the waters of Lake Nasser and reconstructed on an island in the lake, a delightful place to study Nile Valley Sunbird and Graceful Prinia. If we can obtain permission we might also fit in a visit to Aswan fish farms situated below Aswan High Dam where one speciality in recent years has been Three-banded Plover. We’ll then drive south across the Nubian Desert to Abu Simbel to visit the truly spectacular temples that were saved from the lake. Lingering until sunset will give us the opportunity for another sound and light show, this time incorporating the latest laser technology. With luck, Egyptian Nightjar might fly around the lights. Night in Abu Simbel.
Day 10: Conditions permitting, we begin the day by heading out into the desert to a place where Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse are regular. These quintessentially desert birds are beautifully camouflaged and naturally secretive but with care and patience we should be able to find both species. Abu Simbel is famous among birdwatchers as a place to see sub-Saharan African species seldom seen elsewhere in the Western Palearctic. Although some are almost scarce vagrants, we’ll spend time searching the lake shore looking for such exotic species as Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Kittlitz’s Sandplover, African Collared Dove, and African Pied Wagtail. In 2011 we saw the Western Palearctic’s first African Mourning Dove. Occasionally, permission is granted in this sensitive area close to the Sudan border to take out a boat on Lake Nasser, making our task a little easier. Night in Abu Simbel.
Day 11: An early morning flight to Aswan will ensure that we get an early start for our drive via Edfu to the Red Sea coast at Shams Alam. It might be possible to take a 3-mile detour to the spring of Bir Beida where Crowned Sandgrouse come to drink. Other resident specialities include the elusive Sand Partridge, Hooded Wheatear, and Trumpeter Finch and on one occasion we discovered Pale Rock Sparrow here. We shall then take our time exploring the desert to the south and spend the night at the Shams Alam resort, south of Marsa Alam.
Day 12: Shams Alam resort has also had some impressive rarities including Grey Hypocolius, Black Bush Robin, African Collared Dove (breeding at the hotel along with Eurasian Collared Dove), and Ménétries’s Warbler. We have also seen Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Siberian Stonechat, and Isabelline Shrike here. This extra day will give us time to explore the emerald mines plus Wadi el-Gemal and Wadi Abu Ghusson for Bar-tailed Desert and Hoopoe Larks, Sand Partridge, Lanner and Barbary Falcons, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, and even late wintering Desert and Cyprus Warblers. An evening search for Hume’s Owl may be possible. Night at the Shams Alam resort.
Day 13: Another new venture is the full-day boat trip to Hamata islands (a breeding colony for Bridled Terns and a good site for Sooty Falcon). There is also just a chance of Brown Booby or Red-billed Tropicbird. And there will be an opportunity for spectacular snorkelling. Night at the Shams Alam resort.
Day 14: The most extensive area of mangroves in Egypt is at Hamata and is the best site in the Western Palearctic for Goliath Heron and the enigmatic Crab Plover. Other waders could include Greater Sand Plover and Terek Sandpiper. However our main target bird today will be Lappet-faced Vulture at the frontier town of Shalatein. After lunch at Wadi Lahmi ecolodge we’ll transfer to Marsa Alam airport for a direct flight to Cairo. Night in Cairo.
Day 15: The tour concludes this morning in Cairo.
Updated: 16 December 2011
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $5,750*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $740
Notes
This tour is limited to 12 participants.
Participants wishing to join the tour in London should contact the WINGS office.
A short tour extension to Petra, Jordan is planned. Please contact the WINGS office for details.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.