Oman - Day 1 - 25th

 We landed at the airport about 7.00 am, passed through customs with David W and Alan being diverted through a more rigorous check before collecting together and waiting in the arrivals hall while Chris and Dave A sorted out the cars. We loaded up the cars, seeing our first birds of the trip in the palms, White-eared Bulbuls, Common Mynah, House Sparrow and Indian Silverbills We headed to the port for our pelagic out to Fahlal island. As we passed the Quran National Park we had a Crested Honey Buzzard fly over us. 

We found the port, parked the car and headed along the pontoons to the boat. There’s was a Green Turtle in the basin and flocks of different coloured and patterned fish around the pontoons and the wall. On the way out to the island there were rafts of Red-necked Phalaropes with Common Cormorants and Sooty Gulls  flying around. We also saw several Osprey and a Grey Heron perched on the rocks. It wasn’t long before we were approaching the island and we picked out a couple of Sooty Falcons on the cliffs. As we slowly circumnavigated the island we saw several Falcons, including adult and juvenile birds. As we came round the other side of the island we saw a Red-billed Tropic Bird flying round, including over our heads before disappearing into a hole in the cliffs. We then motored back, passing through an archway and checking out a stretch of sand with Cormorants, Gulls and Terns loafing around.

By Chris T

After we landed, we walked back along the floating dock, checking out the fish again and noting our first Laughing Dove. We then walked along to a restaurant on the quay side where we had lunch and a drink in the air conditioned restaurant, keeping an eye out the window for any activity.

Because we had done the pelagic, we didn’t have time to return to the Qurum Park but we did drive to the Al Bustan Palace Hotel grounds, where we parked and walked around, catching up with Grey Francolin, Red-wattled Lapwing, Red-vented Bulbul, Graceful Prinia, Purple Sunbird and Ring-necked Parakeet. There was also a pair of Bee-eaters on the fence and Pied Wagtails on the grass.

We then headed to Nizwa and the Golden Tulip Hotel. Along the way we managed to lose Chris in the second car but we kept going and arrived at the hotel, unloaded, began to register as the second car turned up, so we were re-united. 

We settled into our rooms before meeting up for an amazing selection from a buffet dinner by the pool. After dinner we met up for a drive out to look for Omani Owl. Our first attempt was to a wadi where DA had seen the owl regularly in the past, however, we came to a flooded road where a pipe was gushing water over the road making it difficult to cross so we drove to a second wadi where we got out and listened for any calls. Further along the wadi we could see a bright spotlight shining on the cliffs so we drove along to find a bird group with a light on an Omani Owl on the cliff. We spent some time looking at it before returning to the hotel. 

BOC by Sean Clancy