Arabian Adventure 26 - Pelagic

You may be aware of my inability to deal with the Sea! However I have ventured many times in different parts of the World in the quest for Birds. Australia, America and many trips around the British Isles. My knowledge of our offshore Islands is extensive, as is my memory of my condition after the Trip!! I remember vividly calling for Huey where I sat on my Wollongong Pelagic, South of Sydney 2003. A crew member kindly threw a bucket of water over me to wash it off. I did have full waterproofs on and I did see some fantastic Albatrosses...namely the endangered Indian Yellow-nosed, White-capped.and Black-browed. My many Trips from Ports around the San Francisco with Debbie Shearwater and Steve Howell were epic. Seeing Hawaiian Petrel was a particular highlight.

Anyway, we rose early and headed for Mirbat and Hatem's boat. We arrived at 7.15 and I messaged him to let him know. We couldn't see anyone and wondered which boat we'd be going out on...

Fortunately it was VERY calm. We made our way over to the Quayside and looked down. There was a small boat with a significant drop down with no steps! This was going to be a challenge in my current condition. Suffice to say I made it...where there's a will.

After settling in 4 Polish Birders arrived followed by a couple of chaps from Hungary. We spent 10 minutes looking at Birds around the Harbour before heading out to Sea...

As we ventured further out we soon started to see Persian Shearwaters, another new Bird for us...

The Chum Hatem brought with him came in handy, as eventually a few Birds landed right by the Boat...

Then a couple of Masked Boobies flew over...

I'd seen this Species in the Dry Tortugas, Florida some years ago but nowhere near as close as this! We also saw some Red-necked Phalaropes...

I was hoping for Jouanin's Petrel but we were out of luck. As we returned to the Harbour Hatem lingered around the Harbour wall to allow us to see the Birds on the rocks which included Little Heron...

...and Black-crowned Night Heron...

After saying goodbye to Hatem and the other Birders we decided to have lunch in the Harbour area. As we were driving the area we came across this on a nearby lamp post...

Abdim's Stork

Another Lifer.

We'd heard the other Birders talking about trying for another special Eagle that can only be found in this part of Oman, namely Verreaux's. An African Species that Breeds in the Jabal Samhan area and a Bird I was particularly keen to see. We arrived around 2 and gave it 3 hours but no joy...for me. Rob got a brief glance of a distant Bird which was great. We would get another opportunity later in our stay.

Viewing conditions were far from ideal!

We had much better views of Tristram's Starling...

...and our Life Arabian Wheatear...

Dapper

A female Desert Wheatear was also present

We shall return...