spell of northward raptor passage, dominated by Steppe Buzzards Buteo buteo 
vulpinus but with good numbers of Steppe Eagles Aquila nipalensis, a score of 
Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus, a few Imperials Aquila heliaca and assorted 
others (including 26 Cranes Grus grus, honorary raptors in such situations) 
keeping us on our toes. The intertidal mud at Suez is almost non-existent now, 
with so much land-claim going on, but the wader pools just inland were ample 
compensation. Terek Sandpipers Xenus cinereus and a Broad-billed Limicola 
falcinellus among the Little Stints Calidris minuta and Purple Gallinules Porphyrio 
porphyria picked their way through the rubbish beside the degraded remnants of 
a reedbed. 
The Aswan area was p>erhaps a little disappointing, but the Abu Simbel trip 
produced distant views of 20 or so African Skimmers Rynchopsflavirostris on their 
nesting island and - in the desert - stunning views of two Lapp>et-faced Vultures 
Torgos tracheliotus grounded close to the road. This leg of the tour, like the next 
at Luxor, included a goodly slice of Ancient Egypt. This dual-interest approach 
by Sunbird is proving highly successful. Admittedly, it is not difficult to get 
hooked on Egyptian temples and tombs; even the most single-minded birder is 
guaranteed to succumb. There were birds too, of course. Our best session was a 
couple of hours alongside a reed-fringed inlet at Crocodile Island. Here, we had 
marvellous views of two Little Crakes Porzana parva, numerous Little Bitterns 
Ixobrychus mimitus, a pair of Rufous Bush Robins Cercotrichas galactotes and the 
inevitable Little Green Bee-eaters Merops orimtalis. 
Since my last visit to the Red Sea coast near Hurghada two years ago, a lot of 
holiday development has started up. Some of the attractiveness may have gone 
from the area, but there will eventually be much more cover for migrant birds. 
The Red Sea boat trip turned up the anticipated Sooty Gulls Lams }ieniprichii, 
White-cheeked Terns Sterna rqjressa, Swift Terns Sterna bergii, Brown Boobies 
Sula leucogaster and Ospreys Paridion lialiaetus; along the coast. White-eyed Gulls 
Lams leucoptJmlmus were almost the commonest species. A good selection of 
migrants included Quails Cotiimix coturnix (with some amazingly good views) 
and large numbers of Red-throated Pipits Anthus cervinus. At one point, a single 
tiny bush held a Masked Shrike Lanius mihicus, a Whitethroat Sylvia commioiis, a 
Lesser Whitethroat S curmca, a Subalpine Warbler S cantillans and a Bonelli's 
Warbler Phylloscopus bonelH. 
A severe sandstorm blighted our visit to Wadi Natrun, but, not without some 
discomfort, we managed to find a few Kittlitz's Plovers Charadrius pecuariiis. 
32 
