21 October - Heading to the Red Sea

Today we started birding before breakfast in the woodland in Al Mahweet that was so good yesterday (where we then had Arabian Woodpecker and Yemen Warbler). Now the sun hadn´t reached the area and we didn´t see many birds except Red-eyed Doves and Brown Woodland Warblers, which were singing everywhere. When we left though a Yemen Warbler started singing.

Before we left Al Mahweet the Yemeni Television had arranged an interview with the group where we among other questions answered about our view of Yemen, it´s nature, people and how secure we felt travelling around in the country. They were especially interested in how Heidi experienced the Yemen as a woman. Yousuf acted as an interpreter from and to Arabic.

We spent the whole day thereafter driving through Wadi Sari about 60 km on gravel roads, and made several stops for birding. Among other birds we saw about 30 Griffon Vultures having a party on a dead donkey, one White-browed Coucal, Grey Hornbill, Arabian Babblers, Upcher´s Warbler and a Southern Grey Shrike of the race buryi.

Later on Tihama on our way to Al Hodeidah we stopped at Bajil´s rubbish dump where we in a terrible smell searched for Abdim´s Storks without success. We found a lot of White Storks, several Steppe Eagles, two Tawny Eagles, one Greater spotted Eagle and one Egyptian Vulture. On our way we also had some Palm Swifts and Abyssinian Rollers.

Got to the hotel and made an early night after a good fish-dinner.
Tomorrow we´ll try for Arabian Bustard.

Good Night from us all.

The Yemen Party. From left: Yousuf, Kjell-Åke, Niklas, Göran, Heidi, Ulf and Alf. Photo: Abdulhamid Abdulkhalliq.

Kjell-Åke is interviewed by the Yemeni Television and Yousuf acts interpreter. Photo: Niklas Holmstrom.

Griffon Vulture Party. Photo: Ulf Stahle.

A curious but hiding White-browed Coucal. Photo: Ulf Stahle.