Photo Gallery
Jon Feenstra
We’ll begin the tour in the wooded highlands of northwest Jordan. The habitats in this part of the country are reminiscent of Mediterranean Europe…
…and so are the birds, albeit with a Middle Eastern bent, here the Middle Eastern subspecies of Eurasian Jay.
Blue Tit has an enclave in these hills 500km away from its main continuous range.
We’ll also spend some time around the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth and so salty only a few tough micro-organisms can survive in it.
Around the north end of the Dead Sea the wadis and water catchment dams are good for migrant birds. Here an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler peers out of the bushes.
East of Amman the land becomes the vast Arabian desert. Qasr Kharana, one of the “desert castles” of the Umayyad Caliphate of the 8th century, is believed to have been an inn.
Typical resident desert birds of the boulder fields of northeast Jordan include the dark race of Desert Lark.
With a network of paved roads linking our birding destinations we’ll cruise the country in a standard minivan.
The Azraq Reserve preserves a small piece of a once vast wetland. It is one of the most important stop-overs for migrant birds in the Arabian desert. The hide is great for getting looks at some of the skulking birds…
…like this Little Crake…
…or this Moustached Warbler.
The reserve also has its own endemic fish: the Azraq Killifish.
Eurasian Wryneck is a regular passage migrant here…
…as is Yellow Wagtail, here of the black-headed (feldeggi) subspecies.
We will be staying at the Azraq Lodge, a converted military hospital mere minutes from the reserve. The hotels utilized on this tour are modern, with typical Western fixtures, hot running water and, at most places, wireless internet access.
Meals will sometimes be buffets of local fare like grilled meats, vegetables, hummus, eggs, and pita bread.
We will spend a little time around Aqaba on the Red Sea, Jordan’s only coastline…
…it is also the only place in the country to see White-eyed Gull.
On the outskirts of town, the ponds of Aqaba Bird Observatory are the first fresh water encountered by northward migrant birds after a long flight over the Sinai desert and the Red Sea. Some Eurasian Spoonbills take a break.
Shorebirds are a specialty. Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, and Little Stint are all common. Collared Pratincole can also be found here.
The acacias adjacent to the ponds are a magnet for passerines and really any palearctic migrant is possible. Here a Thrush Nightingale lurks in the shadows.
Raptors, such as this European Honey Buzzard, stream over throughout the day on their northward journey.
T.E. Lawrence spent time camped at Wadi Rum among the Bedouins during the Arab Revolt. The area is now a preserve where the current Bedouins guide tourists around the desert.
Hooded Wheatear is a rare and thinly distributed resident of the desert of Wadi Rum.
On the other hand, Pale Rosefinch is common, a specialty of the rugged desert bluffs - and the national bird of Jordan.
The Bedouins also operate organized campgrounds – we will spend a night in one of them. For dinner, our hosts will prepare an authentic meal of goat and chicken roasted underground and served with rice, hummus, bread, and vegetables.
The camp is equipped with running water, electricity, standard Western-style bathrooms, and private tents.
From Wadi Rum we will drive into the southern mountains to the ancient Nabataean city of Petra. The Treasury, or Al Khazna, is the frontispiece and the most famous structure in the complex.
Tristram’s Starlings can be seen flying between the cliff faces…
…as can the distinctive Fan-tailed Raven.
The ridges of the Rift Valley, particularly around the village of Dana are excellent places to observe raptor migration, and Steppe Buzzards can be numerous.
Closer to the ground, Palestine Sunbird is common in the flowers.
We will be spending a night camping in the mountains in the Wadi Dana Reserve in the scenic campground operated by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.
The tents are private with mattresses, linens, and ample blankets for chilly nights. The campground also has running water and bathrooms.
We will visit the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Jerash, now surrounded by the modern city.
Crested Larks also abound among the stones and grasses.
We will end the tour with lunch and a walk around the terraced olive orchard of a mountain villa. A good place for Syrian Woodpecker and a scenic and relaxing way to close the trip.