Photo Gallery
Oman is a country of rugged mountains…
…extensive deserts…
…breathtaking coastlines…
…and rich oceans, home to many species such as these Red-necked Phalaropes.
On our pelagic boat trip we’ll look out for Persian Shearwater…
…which often come within yards of our boat.
There will also be Jouanin’s Petrel…
…and we may encounter other marine life, such as this Green Turtle.
The shorelines are packed with birds, such as these Greater and Lesser Crested Terns…
…but you’d be forgiven for overlooking the ‘large white-headed gulls’ in favor of the many Pallas’s Gulls that winter in Oman!
There’s plenty of opportunity to study gulls. This one is a Steppe Gull…
Red-wattled Lapwings are common in the north…
…as are Little Green Bee-eaters.
We’ll check suitable habitat for Black-crowned Sparrow-lark…
…but we won’t require much searching to find the noisy, gregarious Tristram’s Starlings.
There’ll be no shortage of wheatears. Desert Wheatear is common…
….Arabian Wheatear is restricted to the southern half of the country…
…Isabelline Wheatear can also be found…
…Variable Wheatear will take some searching, as generally just a few individuals wintering in the country…
…and Hume’s Wheatear is considerably commoner but is restricted to the mountains of the north.
Checking suitable patches of scrub should add Plain Leaf Warbler to our trip list.
…while Eastern Black Redstart could turn up anywhere.
Checking roadside buildings as we drive along could get us a ghostly Lilith Owl.
The south of the country has a distinctly African feel to it, with species such as Bruce’s Green Pigeon…
…Spotted Thick-knee…
…and Shining Sunbird.
Intermediate Egret is one of the many herons and egrets present in Oman…
…and we’ll search the coastal ‘khawrs’ for Small Pratincole…
…and search amongst flocks of White Stork for the scarce Abdim’s Stork.
Raptors are numerous, including Oriental Honey-buzzards (and the occasional pesky hybrid).
No tour would be complete without a trip to a dump: Salalah dump is home to hundreds of Steppe Eagles…
…which give stunning views as they circle overhead.
There’s always chance for a surprise, such as this Watercock, a vagrant from India…
…or this Caspian Stonechat.
The birding doesn’t stop when the sun sets…
…as we search for the elusive Pallid Scops Owl…
…and Arabian Eagle-owl.
Egyptian Nightjars are also a possibility.