Thursday, 10th October, 2019

Jordan

We recently made a week-long trip to Jordan. Since this was a family trip and i didn't always have my birding lens on hand the haul is low, but I was pleasantly surprised by how rich the bird life here is. I would definitely want to go back there with a more birding-focussed itinerary.

Aqaba Bird Observatory

The Aqaba bird observatory is really nothing but a waste treatment plant in the buffer zone between the Jordanian and Israeli borders. There is a vast reservoir that attracts winter migrants to this place. The observatory has a hideout from where you watch the winter migrants that visit this park. While the bird-watching was great the distances and the harsh lighting made photography very hard.

Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)

The same lapwing in flight

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

Dana reserve

Dana is a canyon near the centre of Jordan. Known primary for hiking trails, this turned out to be a good place for birding too.

Tristram's Starling (Onychognathus tristramii)

The female is more lightly coloured than the male.

The male of the species.

White-spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos)

Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)