Recommendations plse for Abu Dhabi!

[tj5snr]

I am likely to be in AD on Sunday for a meeting and then to be free from about noon onwards, flying home Mon early am. How could I best use that time for birding? All advice gratefully received!

[Nick]

Hi 'tj5snr'.

Gut reaction? Stay in your hotel and watch the National Geographic channel or BBC Wildlife! Its hot hot hot here now...

If you want to try something a bit more adventurous, get out your suncream, hat and a truck-load of water and try this option:

Take a taxi to the area next to (west of) the Emirates Palace Hotel (called 'Khalidiyah' or, to a taxi-driver, the public beach). From the western breakwater you can view a channel where you have a chance of Saunder's, Bridled and White-cheeked Terns, plus Socotra Cormorant.

If you look from the public beach back towards the city you'll see the remains of a fine row of mature trees that used to form a huge rectangle round the area between the public beach and the other end of the Emirates Palace grounds. The remaining trees should hold the odd Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, and possibly a Rufous Bush Robin.

Other than that, you'll have a pretty tough time finding much to look at in mid-June, I'm afraid.