Apologies!

Apologies for the sparse postings this week. Things have been pretty hectic as the trip comes to an end and only occasional access to the internet.

Out and about: Birds

Tawny pipit

Black Kite

Blue rock thrush

Desert wheatear

Marsh harrier

Sociable Lapwing

Penduline tit

Semi collared flycatcher

Night Owls

A night out was arranged for a nocturnal adventure. Our guide took us to a cave where Desert Eagle Owl is known to hang out after dark. Suddenly in the cold gloom we could hear a gun being loaded. Our guide had a revolver in his hand and was brandishing it about. Things didn’t look good. We’d been lead to a cave in the middle of nowhere and our guide now brandished a loaded gun. Underwear was in need of a change. It was then explained that the gun was in case a wolf came out the cave and attacked us. Soon after we headed back to our accommodation - no owls, no nightjars, no hyena and no wolves – dead or alive.

Proper Protection

The designation here made me smile. Not only is grazing restricted, and currently all but absent, but noise is controlled too. It is illegal to hoot your car horn in the protected area. Maybe SNH should try this level of protection at home!

Stop the hunting poster

There are local people picking a fungus that occurs at this time of year to eat, but the site is basically to be kept wild. Over the years hunting and overgrazing have had severe negative impacts. The idea of the UNDP is to rectify that.

“Nature is soul food” we were told. “This means total protection so your soul can benefit from nature.” Like it.

Jebel birds

Isabelline Wheatears are everywhere, Egyptian Vultures daily and Lesser Kestrels at every turn. Short toed Eagles are crusing about and the gorges are smattered with Pied, Black eared and Finsch’s Wheatears. Hoopoes flush up from every wadi and larks abound in the plains. Corn bunting ‘sip’ in flocks and Redstarts flit from tree to tree. Nice place.

Isabelline wheatear

Egyptian vulture roosting on a pylon

Egyptian Vulture over the Jebel

Lesser Kestrel (female)

Finschs wheatear (male)

Hoopoe

Highlights have been Rock and See-see Partridge, Pin tailed Sandgrouse, Semi Collared Flycatcher, Scops Owl (sp), several Red tailed Wheatears. Reintroduced Common Gazelle are about too.

Common Gazelle

Return of the Kebabs!

A 24 bout of illness hit home. With my guts sounding like a coffee machine going into warp factor 9 it wasn’t the best, but it is a fine way to loose weight. My belt slipped down two notches overnight! A small blessing was the fact that we were in a place with a pedestal rather than a squat toilet. No food for 36 hours and weaning back on with flat 7-Up to rehydrate.

The kebab shop!

Jebel life

Jebel Abdul Azziz is a protected area (PA) for nature in the Syrian Al Jazeria (island desert). As part of a UN Development Program we are here to survey the site for birds and habitats. It is nearly 40km long, and about 4km wide and runs basically east to west. Mountainous and arid with a few pistachio trees and deep gorges. The later makes doing transects interesting to say the least! My calf muscles have turned to concrete.

The Jebel

We are based in an office to the east of the reserve, 30km from Al-Hasake, with basic accommodation, but a good new team. Hussien from Al-Raqqa is translating for us and we also have Mr Zoober, Mr Akmed the Driver, and Mr Security.

Mr Zoober, Mr Security, Mr Driver

Zoober is the bird researcher and it is good to see him flourish. His English is improving with us and we have had a laugh. We have nearly killed him, he reckons, walking 15km plus a day up and down steep gorges, in searing heat. He reckons he lost 7kg in the first three days.

Mr Zoober