randombirder

A visit to the stunning Yiti beach and a couple of surprise finds and an Osprey consumed by stealth on a pool created by the receded tide. Heading back from the beach, a Hume's Wheatear was spotted close to the roadside.  A Desert Warbler flitted around a small acacia bush nearby. Three Grey Francolin were later seen plodding through the Qurum Natural Park.

Beach time.

Another day of culture but with the first look at some natural areas within the city. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is an impressive sight as you pass by on the expressway, appearing in full grandiose, radiating against the warm Arabian sun. The nearby Natural Park was a good place to wander in the comfortable warm afternoon sun.  The adjoining nature reserve is unfortunately closed to the public and maybe rightly so given the amount of litter (particularly single-use plastic) that gets discarded but more of that later. The reserve itself can be viewed from the road that runs along Qurum Beach on the opposite side, and more conveniently from a couple of the rooftop cafes located along the beach road. Within the reserve, an  Osprey  successfully snared a fish from the lagoon making a couple of circuits before settling down for lunch.  A female  Marsh Harrier  was quartering the area.  A Great Egret and Western Reef Egret stal...

Of the list of Middle-eastern countries visited to date, Oman is right up there as a great holiday destination.  It has everything.  Agreeable weather at this time of year with temperatures in the high 20C's during the day and warm evenings making nocturnal meanderings very pleasant. It's safe.  No hassles, people leave you alone, and staff within the hotels are so very helpful, bordering on subservient.  Not that I am always overly comfortable with this. There's history, wonderful mosques, quaint arabian towns and villages, striking landscapes, modern amenities, karak tea, and of course wildlife. Flights were booked on British Airways that operate direct Dreamliner services to Muscat.  Hotels were booked in Muscat at the excellent Pioneer Apartments Hotel with a single night in the Waves Hotel in Ras al Hadd. The Al Alam Palace is a short drive away from the Pioneer hotel en route to Muttrah.  It is one of the royal residences of the i...