Yemen & Socotra 2009: 28 October

Seawatching before breakfast produced hundreds of Persian Shearwaters and a single Flesh-footed Shearwater foraging at moderate distance. We enjoyed a long breakfast and several cups of coffee or tea. The plan of today was to visit a valley between Hadibo and the peak of Hagher not far away. Just when we were about to leave a jeep stopped outside the hotel and three well-dressed men jumped out. They were from Nile Television and wanted to do an interview with us for a reportage about Socotra, which will be broadcast on Friday and then we has been on television three times during the trip! They interviewed Göran and Ahmed about Socotras’s vulnerable nature and conservation projects and of course what six birders from Sweden were doing on the island. Göran was perfect for the mission!

The valley Al-Ayhawt were green and lushy. Ahmed showed us different Frankincense trees and myrrh. Deep in the valley we made a longer stop were the tourist police Salim Abdellah and his family live. Some of us bought Frankincense from him while two vagrant Wood Warblers were found. Bruce’s Green Pigeons were seen here and there as well as Socotro Golden-winged Grosbeaks. A few (Socotra) Buzzards were seen and we recorded its call. At noon we had a nice picnic lunch. Then we drove to Qadub for seawatching. We found a nice place at the shore a few metres above sea level. There were Persian Sherawaters in a never ending stream and Sooty Gulls passing by. Soon we discovered a couple of Brown Noddy. What a lovely bird! We scanned the sea for 1 ½ hours and noted Persian Shearwater (c. 1000), Flesh-footed Shearwater (1), Jouanin’s Petrel (2), Brown Noddy (71!), Masked Booby (8 adults), Sooty Gull (c. 300) and Red-necked Phalarope (c. 500).

Cheers