Overview
This town in the far south of the Sinai Peninsula is becoming increasingly popular as a birding destination and has a well-established reputation for providing some of the best snorkelling and reef diving in the world.
For birders the main attractions are the desert birds found in this very arid environment and the rare and sought-after seabirds of the Red Sea. In addition, the Sharm el Sheik area, and the sewage works in particular, attract many migrants.
Birds
Notable Species
Sooty Falcon is one of the special birds of this area, breeding on small islets just offshore it is often seen hunting on the mainland at dusk and regular spots are the sewage works and the lighthouse. Other raptors possible here include Lesser Kestrel and Barbary Falcon, Griffon Vulture, harriers and Long-legged Buzzard, Levant Sparrowhawk and various Aquila eagles.
Desert specialities of the area include Desert Eagle Owl, Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse and Crowned Sandgrouse.
Passerines include Blackstart, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Brown-necked Raven, Southern Grey Shrike and Trumpeter Finch with House Bunting possible.
However, larks and wheatears are the most characteristic desert passerines and here larks include Crested Lark, Bar-tailed Desert Lark and Greater Hoopoe Lark and wheatears such as Red-tailed Wheatear, White-tailed Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear and Desert Wheatear can be found.
Western Reef Heron and Striated Heron may occur anywhere along stretch of this coast but particularly in mangroves. Sooty Gull, Slender-billed Gull and Bridled Tern are among the seabirds to be found.
Waders occur in great numbers and variety and include such scarce species as Black-winged Pratincole, Spur-winged Plover and Marsh Sandpiper.
Rarities
With increasing numbers of birders visiting the area it is inevitable that a long list of rarities is now building up. Species such as Caspian Plover, Oriental Skylark, Upcher's Warbler and Cinereous Bunting, Yellow-breasted Bunting and Little Bunting have all been recorded here.
African species also occur and have included Pink-backed Pelican, Egyptian Goose, Grey-headed Gull and Greater Painted Snipe.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Cormorant, Red-billed Tropicbird, Great White Pelican, Black-crowned Night Heron, Striated Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Western Reef Heron, Great White Egret, (W), Grey Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Griffon Vulture, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Levant Sparrowhawk, Steppe Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Osprey, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Sooty Falcon, Barbary Falcon, Water Rail, Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Common Crane, Oystercatcher, Black-winged Pratincole, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Grey Plover, Spur-winged Plover, Northern Lapwing, Sanderling, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, (rare W), Dunlin, Common Snipe, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Sooty Gull, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Common Gull, Caspian Gull, Caspian Tern, (scarce W), Bridled Tern, Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, Crowned Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Feral Pigeon, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Ring-necked Parakeet, Desert Eagle Owl, Common Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Bar-tailed Desert Lark, Desert Lark, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Rock Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Bluethroat, Common Redstart, Blackstart, European Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Red-tailed Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear, White-tailed Wheatear, Song Thrush, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatcher, Southern Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Brown-necked Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Linnet, Trumpeter Finch, House Bunting
Site Information
Areas of Interest
Nabq Protected Area
Nabq Protected Area lies to the north of Naama Bay and hosts what may be the world's most northerly mangroves. An excellent area for waders, there is also a good selection of herons, gulls and terns, and migrant passerines can be numerous.
Undoubtedly one of the best areas is the sewage works to the north of the town which attracts ducks, waders and terns on passage and many other migrants including raptors and storks. The sewage farm and the plantation close by can be reached on foot from Sharm el Sheik by heading north from the Clifftop Hotel.
To reach it by car take the northern road out of town and turning right onto a track opposite a petrol station. However, this area is under threat and may soon be lost but fortunately there is another area of sewage works to the north-west of Naama Bay which is possbily even better.
Naama Bay
The plantation and to the north the hotel gardens at Naama Bay attract many passerine migrants including various pipits, Bluethroat and warblers. The Movenpick Hotel at Naama Bay has a golf-course which also attracts passerines and has a few ponds. During passage periods and winter these ponds can hold a range of herons plus Common Crane, Eurasian Spoonbill and storks and a variety of ducks.
Ras Muhammad National Park
Ras Muhammad National Park lies about 25km to the south-west of Sharm el Sheik at the southernmost point of the Sinai Peninsula. Although famed for its reefs it is is also worth visiting for Sooty Falcon, waders and seabirds. The five-hour ferry from Sharm el Sheik to Hurghada can produce Red-billed Tropicbird and Bridled Tern as well as other more widespread seabirds.
Access and Facilities
A range of basic accommodation, including campsites and a youth hostel as well as more luxurious hotels, can be found at Sharm el Sheik which has an international airport. More expensive accommodation can be found to the north at Naama Bay.
Sharm el Sheik forms an ideal base to explore other birding areas of southern Sinai such as the Santa Katharina Monastery and Ras Muhammad.
Sharm el Sheik can be reached by air or sea, or alternatively, by road from Cairo, Suez or from Taba, the border post close to Eilat in Israel. There are daily buses from Cairo, Suez and Taba.
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
