Jordan Day 1 Shaumari area

The second half of Day 1 in Jordan was spent at the Shaumari reserve near Azraq, managed by Ashraf. Theis extensive reserve is the centre for reintroduction of rare mammals such as Arabian Oryx and Onager and they have a few 'rescue' falcons taken from illegal falconers. We were mainly there for the wild birds, though, which included plentiful Siberian Stonechats, Crested Larks and what-not. New for me was Temminck's Lark, one of my favourite Jordanian birds.

Male Desert Wheatear

Crested Lark

The Shaumari wader site (and home to lots of Temminck's Larks). We had Marsh Sandpiper, Temminck's and Little Stint, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Spur-winged Lapwing and I heard a Greenshank. Several Short-toed Larks whizzed by.

Temminck's Larks

Bad hair day for a Temminck's Lark

Temminck's Lark having a preen in the cool shade of a rock

Ashraf having a post-tea smoke

Slightly squashed Eagle Owl pellet near HQ

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler

Paw marks, perhaps of a cat species, in the desiccation polygons

Me with one of the confiscated falconer's birds

Green-striped White Euchloe belemia, I think

Hoopoe (deceased) presumably by natural causes

I found several feathers of this (Northern) Wheatear about 75m from where we found the tailless corpse impaled on the top of the fence, by one of a pair of Southern Grey Shrikes (see fence below and note 'spike' on right)

Southern Grey Shrike (Wheatear killer)

I have forgotten what this flat rhubarb is called

Shaumari habitat near the oryx pen

Khaled and Ashraf chillaxing in the 'field'

Tawny Pipit