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EGYPT & JORDAN
Birding amongst the Wonders of the Ancient World
Birdquest's Egypt & Jordan birding tour is a feast of history and archeology combined with great birdwatching. Our Egypt & Jordan tour is the perfect combination for anyone wanting to see the wonders of ancient Egypt and the extraordinary lost city of Petra while simultaneously seeing a splendid selection of specialities including Sooty Falcon, White-eyed and Sooty Gulls, White-cheekled Tern, Lichtenstein's, Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse, Hooded and Red-rumped Wheatears, Tristram's Grackle, Nile Valley Sunbird, Tristram's (or Syrian) Serin and Sinai Rosefinch.
Saturday 28th September -
Sunday 13th October 2013
(16 days)
Leader:
Derek Scott
Group Size Limit: 12
Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate
The cultural wonders of Egypt will feature highly during our tour. Few can fail to be impressed by the sheer size of the pyramids! (Dave Farrow)
Egypt, the cradle of western civilization, has acted as a magnet for the more adventurous traveller since the times of classical Greece. The extraordinary and often gargantuan monuments of the Pharaonic Age have never failed to impress visitors to Egypt since the time of Herodotus.
For birdwatchers, however, the country is still largely off the beaten track, as most are unaware of what Egypt has to offer. The avian specialities of the Nile Valley, Sinai and the Red Sea coast will appeal to anyone with an interest in the birds of the more far-flung corners of the Western Palearctic (the zoogeographical term for Europe, North Africa and the Middle East), whilst the fascination of this huge country with its awesome monuments, timeless villages and scenic contrasts will appeal to anyone with a love of travel for its own sake.
This exciting journey will see us watching Sooty Falcons, Sooty and White-eyed Gulls and White-cheeked Terns on the Red Sea coast, as well enjoying the antics of Nile Valley Sunbirds and watching Egyptian Goose, African Pied Wagtail and perhaps Egyptian Nightjar by the banks of the Nile. Amongst the other specialities are Striated Heron, Western Reef Egret, Yellow-billed Kite, Greater Painted-Snipe, Senegal Thick-knee, Kittlitz’s Plover, Lichtenstein’s, Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse, Greater Crested and Lesser Crested Terns, Namaqua Dove, Senegal Coucal, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Egyptian Wagtail, Hooded Wheatear, Clamorous Reed Warbler, House Crow and Red Avadavat.
Across the Gulf of Aqaba from Sinai, Jordan is even less well known to birders, but is equally famous amongst international travellers for the extraordinary ruins of the ‘lost city’ of Petra. The scenic desert and mountain landscapes of Jordan have some great birds, including Sand Partridge, Bar-tailed and Temminck’s Larks, Blackstart, Red-rumped Wheatear, Palestine Sunbird, Tristram’s Starling, Fan-tailed Raven, Tristram’s (or Syrian) Serin and Sinai Rosefinch.
We will start our explorations in Cairo, where we will visit the fringes of the Nile Delta, the wetlands of Wadi Natrun, the pyramids and the fabulous Egyptian Museum (home of the treasures of Tutankhamun).
Next we head for Jordan, where we will first visit the fascinating ruins of Petra and other localities in the southern uplands before exploring the desert wastes to the east of the capital, Amman.
We return to Egypt at Sharm El Sheik, a resort town situated between the jagged and starkly beautiful mountains of southern Sinai and the coral reef-fringed coast. From Sharm it is just a short hop by air across the mouth of the Gulf of Suez to Hurghada, one of the best areas for seabirds in the country.
From Hurghada we turn inland, passing through the desert again until we reach the green ribbon of the Nile Valley at ancient Luxor. Here we will be mixing birding with the pleasures of experiencing some of the finest archaeological sights in the world as we explore the Valley of the Kings and the vast temple of Karnak amongst others.
Finally we travel southwards through Nubia to Aswan with its famous dams and ultimately to remote Abu Simbel, on the banks of Lake Nasser not far from the Sudanese border, where the world-famous temples and some great birds will provide a fitting finale to this splendid adventure.
Birdquest has operated tours to Egypt since 1983 and to Jordan since 2008.
(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels are of normal Birdquest standard throughout. Road transport is by small coach and roads are good.
Walking: The walking effort is easy almost throughout.
Climate: It will mostly be hot, dry and sunny. It is occasionally overcast and a little cooler, but rain is very unlikely.
Bird Photography: Opportunities are quite good.
Tour Price: (provisional): $5960 Cairo/Cairo. Price includes all transportation (including all flights inside Egypt and between Egypt and Jordan), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.
Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $729.
Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.
Sights we will see also include the Temple of Abu Simbel (Dave Farrow)
... and The Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Giza (Dave Farrow)
We should have fine views of the delightful Crowned Sandgrouse coming to drink at waterholes. (Dave Farrow)
This Senegal Thick-knee gave fantastic views. (Dave Farrow)
The splendid Hoopoe Lark is a classic desert speciality (Dave Farrow)
The Treasury is Petra's most famous building, but in reality it is simply a carved facade (Dave Farrow)
This fine Egyptian Nightjar was seen at its daytime roost (Dave Farrow)
The localized Sand Partridge frequents the rocky mountains of Sinai (Dave Farrow)
High on our list of wanted birds will be the attractive Sinai Rosefinch (Dave Farrow)
We'll also be keen to get some good views of the attractive Sooty Falcon, a species that times its breeding to coincide with the autumn migration of passerines through the region (Pete Morris)
Several species of wheatear may be found in the desert, including the dapper Desert Wheatear (Dave Farrow)
... White-crowned (Black) Wheatear, which is a real desert specialist (Dave Farrow)
... and the attractive Mourning Wheatear (Dave Farrow)
Migrant raptors should include Lesser Spotted Eagle - this is a juvenile (Dave Farrow)
Many migrants pass through Egypt, such as this Red-throated Pipit (Dave Farrow)
The Siq is a narrow dry watercourse that forms an impressive natural entrance to the ancient city of Petra (Dave Farrow)
Finally, a wonderful sunset at Lake Nasser (Dave Farrow)
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Ph: 512-343-1700, Fax: 512-343-1701
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