DESERT Birding sites: HaiMA TO THUMRAYT

This will be the first stop once you've left Haima and it will take an hour to reach here. This is a great site and worthy of spending a good hour checking the trees at the back of the property. This place may look derelict but it isn't and the rooms & amenities here are pretty good (to book a room you can WhatsApp them on +968 9948 5881). You can book breakfast & dinner here as well (OMR 6).

There's a fantastic list of birds from this site and they include Eurasian Scops Owl, Oriental Turtle Dove, Pied Wheatear, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Thrush Nightingale, Black-throated Thrush, Menetries's Warbler, Upcher's Warbler, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Brahminy Starling, Black-headed & Cinereous Buntings to name just a few.

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Al Ghaftain Resthouse
GPS Co-ordinates: 19°36'47.6"N 55°31'01.5"E

Not regularly visited by birders, which is unfortunate as this site has attracted species such as White-breasted Waterhen, Marsh Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, European Nightjar, Citrine Wagtail, Hypocolius and Water Pipit. Would be interesting to see what other nightjars are present...

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Maqshin Oasis
GPS Co-ordinates: 19°35'22.0"N 54°53'21.4"E

One of Oman's top birding sites. Anything can and does turn up here and it's one site you just cannot afford to miss. Turn off the tarmac Route 31 here (also signposted) 19°26'56.1"N 54°46'15.2"E and follow the corrugated dirt track for 14kms and turn off here to the right on a track that leads down to the oasis at 19°26'10.4"N 54°38'19.9"E You will see the palm trees and acacias as you drive down. Park your car anywhere and explore.

There is a spring with water being pumped up to form a permanent shallow pool surrounded by sedges and tall grasses, with a soft, muddy exterior. Search carefully as you walk around the edges of the marsh for anything skulking. This pool in November 2024 held a Ruddy-breasted Crake. Continue walking around the marsh and search the tall trees before following the trickle of water that heads roughly north along the line of palm trees. Species such as shrikes will be easy to spot as they perch prominently on exposed branches or bushes, Water & Red-throated Pipits may fly up from your feet giving their distinctive calls, a variety of Western Yellow Wagtail races occur, whilst arbitrary ibis, herons & egrets can seem out of place but turn up often.

Further exploration of the drier areas will get you decent views of Asian Desert Warbler.

Sometimes between 9am - 10.30am flocks of Spotted and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse appear. You will probably hear them before seeing them and they will want to land in order to drink from the regular supply of water at the oasis. However, they are very wary and will continue to fly past if anyone is present. You can try and park your car out of sight but this doesn't seem to make much difference and it's difficult to have this site to yourself in November anyway.

Of course, this is THE site in Oman for regular sightings of Egyptian Nightjar. And more recently some excellent work from Joachim Bertrands has produced what may well be a small wintering population of Sykes's Nightjar - with only one previous record!

There's a long list of great species from here including Spotted Crake, Little Bittern, Great Snipe, Black-winged Pratincole, Harlequin Quail, Hypocolius, Pied Wheatear, Bimaculated Lark, Paddyfield Warbler, Green Warbler, Forest Wagtail, Black-headed, Little, Cretzschmar's & Ortolan Buntings.

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Muntasar Oasis
GPS Co-ordinates to oasis: 19°27'09.7"N 54°37'14.2"E

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TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Qatbit Gardens Info
GPS CO-ORDINATES: 19°10'30.0"N 54°30'12.2"E

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Al Beed Farms
GPS Co-ordinates: 18°21'48.2"N 53°59'52.1"E

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Shisr Fields
GPS Co-ordinates: 18°14'16.3"N 53°38'59.3"E

A must-visit site to see the very small wintering population of Hypocolius. They usually arrive at the end of the first week in November and remain until the second half of March, although there isn't much info on their departure times! The main site to see Hypocolius is the area around the mosque (see GPS below). Start scanning the small palm grove on the south side of the mosque first, they can be rather elusive so don't rush. Then walk around the mosque and check the larger palm grove, keeping an eye on the bushes as well if they are fruiting. There are two further palm groves across the road to check as well, and also keep checking telegraph wires as they do like to perch on them sometimes. Hypocolius are easily overlooked and can feed close to the ground as well, sp some patience is required. Once you've seen them, you should wander around the village, heading to the south end where there is a large palm grove and a small pool - just follow the main road up the small hill and you will see what looks like a children's playground on your left. Scan here for Nile Valley Sunbird if you haven't found one yet, listening for its distinctive call. Remember that in Oct/Nov they are in non-breeding plumage but are the only sunbird species present here. African Collared Dove can be seen anywhere, Blackstart is common and Hooded Wheatear appears occasionally. Sand Partridge can be quite vocal but if you need this the best site is the camel farm just before the roundabout as you entered the village - GPS 17°29'20.1"N 53°21'31.2"E but drive carefully as the track is vey rocky and uneven. Recently this area has been one of the better spots for Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse as well.

Around 9am there is a chance of Chestnut-bellied and Crowned Sandgrouse coming to drink at a very small watering hole created by a dripping tap
at GPS: 17°29'22.6"N 53°20'42.1"E Please make sure you stay in your car and watch from a safe distance. For the period 2021 to 2023 many hundreds of sandgrouse (if not thousands) used to come here to drink, GPS: 17°28'50.7"N 53°20'15.5"E but in November 2024 the area was dry.

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Mudday
GPS Co-ordinates to park and scan palm groves: 17°29'00.3"N 53°20'50.0"E

Use of this map courtesy of Jens Eriksen & The Birdwatching Guide to Oman. To purchase a PDF of this excellent site guide please email Jens Eriksen at: hjoman@gmail.com (EUR 15).