Advice please: a few hours to spare in Muscat, Oman, next weekend (1 Viewer)

[SiG]

Hello all. Work takes me to Muscat for a couple of days this week, and it seems I may get a few hours to myself at some point, and this is likely to be mid-afternoon onwards. Bins are packed. I've read up and it seems the potential for lifers is enormous for someone who has never done any birding beyond Turkey. So any practical tips on where to go would be greatly appreciated. I'm staying at the Chedi in Ghubra, will have bins but no scope, and will be reliant on foot, taxi or public transport.

Based solely on some info in a general travellers' guide to the city I'm currently thinking of getting a couple of hours in Qurum Natural Park, plus a stroll on the beach either near there, or near the hotel. Can anyone advise me if this is a sensible idea, and if not, what would be a better use of my time ? Thanks in advance.

 

[SiG]

Anyone ?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Hi SiG,

I'm off to Oman later in the year and have the superb birding guide to the country - there is, if my memory serves me right, a series of pools established from a sewage farm which are some kilomteres to the west of the city (maybe 20 km?). This is considered one of the best birding areas in the north of the country, as I remember.

This book is at home, I am not! If you can wait till tomorrow, I'll post up full details for you.

Qurum Natural Park, which you refer to, is only open from 4 p.m. (again if my memory serves me well), but you can bird along the dge of it, looking through the chain link fence to some pools ...I think near the 'second' entrance, not the main one. Again, I'll add detail tomorrow if not too late for you.

Otherwise, it is said, some of the best birding is in the gardens of the luxury hotels, the greenery a magnet to migrants, I guess now being a super time.

 

[SiG]

Thanks Jos, that's brilliant. Tomorrow's not too late. I think I know the book, but £22+ and postage for a 3 hour trip was beyond me! I've heard about the sewage works, apparently a superb place for eagles; I doubt I'll get out that far but good info on its location would be a great help. The gen on Qurum is invaluable, thanks.