• Home

  • Recent News

    • Earlier News
  • Downloads

    • Bird Checklists
    • Non-bird checklists
    • IUCN Red List
    • Links & Reports
  • Birding sites

    • Regions
    • Northern region
    • Central region (Dubai)
    • East Coast (Fujairah)
    • Abu Dhabi area
    • Al Ain area
    • Western Region
    • Offshore region
  • Key Species

  • Pelagics

  • ID Problems

    • Squacco Heron vs Indian Pond Heron
    • Pallid Harrier vs Montagu's Harrier
    • Common Snipe vs Pin-tailed Snipe
    • Large gulls in the UAE
    • Caspian Gull
    • Little Tern vs Saunders's Tern
    • Daurian Shrike vs Turkestan Shrike
    • The Lesser Whitethroat complex
    • The Chiffchaff complex
    • Semicollared vs European Pied Flycatcher
    • Richard's vs Blyth's Pipit
  • Photos

    • Bird photos
    • Mammal photos
    • Reptiles and amphibian photos
    • Damsel and dragonfly photos
    • Butterfly and moth photos
    • Insect photos
    • Spider and scorpion photos
    • Marine wildlife photos
  • EBRC

    • About EBRC
    • Report a rarity
    • Description species
  • Club 300

  • Guiding

  • OSME

  • Contact

  • Forum

    • Members
  • More

    Use tab to navigate through the menu items.
    To see this working, head to your live site.
    • Categories
    • All Posts
    • My Posts
    Howard Heaton
    Mar 11, 2020

    The Demise of Nad Al Sheba2 as a Birding Spot

    in UAE bird sightings

    I am truly saddened (though not entirely surprised) by the rapidly diminishing desert in my neighborhood of Nad Al Sheba2.

    In the past week alone I have observed a growing number of migrating bird and butterfly species passing through this little corner of remaining scrubland. My recent sense of foreboding however has come true and yesterday the Bulldozers truly "moved in" and began the merciless devastation of this rich and productive land. No doubt there is a need for improved infrastructure, housing and communication links throughout the city but this does not ease my sense of loss of an area that has been in many respects a small haven for me over the last 12 years. I will continue to trawl my shrinking patch in an effort to record what I can until the final desert shrub is up-rooted and laid to dust.

    As a footnote, at least the few remaining Ghaff Trees have been spared as they are being conserved under a Municipal Preservation Order. Hats off to DM for this.






    2 comments
    0
    Mark Smiles
    Mar 12, 2020

    Very sad, Howard. The loss of birding sites (either through development or restictions) was something I found increasingly frustrating towards the end of my time in the UAE. The same thing was happening to my favourite bit of scrubland near Mamzar Park last year. Was always good for a few wheatears & shrikes in passage. Unsightly desert to the unenlightened, pure gold to birds & birders.

    Luigi Fernando
    Mar 14, 2020

    Totally agree. So sad to see this.

    0
    2 comments
    • twitter

    © 2020/21 Tommy Pedersen & Ahmed Al Ali
    Created with Wix.com