12 
Furthermore, birdwatching in the Sinai can be rewarding all year round. 
Many European species winter in the coastal cities and cultivated areas in 
the northwest corner of the Peninsula. Unusual winter visitors have also 
been recorded; for example, there is a recent record of Dead Sea Sparrow 
at Nuweiba'. In summer, Sooty Falcons can be found breeding in southern 
Sinai and Verreaux's Eagle has attempted to breed in the mountains. 
Sinai, due to its strategic location, is an excellent place at any time of 
year to discover interesting vagrants. This autumn, a Dusky Warbler was 
seen at the pumping station at Na'ama Bay, the first record for Egypt. 
Earlier in the spring, a juvenile Bateleur was spotted at Ras Mohammed, 
and a Goliath Heron was observed feeding in the mangrove channel there 
this winter. 
While the Sinai desert is rich in bird life, very scenic with beautiful 
beaches, reefs and mountains, and inexpensive, it has been largely 
unexplored by birdwatchers. This is surprising since the Sinai can easily 
be reached from Cairo or through the Israeli border at Taba and Rafah; 
there is even a ferry between Jordan and Nuweiba 1 , as well as a ferry 
between Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh. Cheap public transport runs between 
all major cities in the Peninsula, and taxis can be rented. For the more 
daring birdwatcher, rental cars can be leased in Cairo. A wide variety of 
accommodation can be found in the Sinai, from inexpensive tenting villages 
to five-star hotels; or, for those on a limited budget, camping is 
permissible in most areas. 
The following is a selective list of birds seen during three trips to the 
Sinai in the autumn and winter: Zaranik Protected Areas at Lake Bardawil, 
22-24 September 1988; South Sinai, 9-15 October 1988; and North Sinai, 
12-15 January 1988. On the North Sinai trip, many observations were 
contributed by Dave Farrow, who has been working in Egypt for several 
months and birding throughout the country. It is hoped that this article 
will encourage more birdwatchers to visit Egypt and especially the Sinai, 
to help increase our ornithological knowledge of the country. 
The Ornithological Society of Egypt is compiling a data bank of all bird 
sightings in Egypt and would greatly appreciate records from past or 
future trips to Egypt being sent to OSE via Mindy Rosenzweig, ICBP 
Co-ordinator , Executive Business Services, Cairo Marriott Hotel, P.O. Box 
33, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt. 
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus One, diving offshore, Zaranik 
23/9/88. 
White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Flock of 75-100, flying in a south- 
western direction, Zaranik 24/9/88. 
