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Iran, winter
Return to Iran, winter 2011-12. Birding the Persian Jewel PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jos   

Introduction

A total collapse of diplomatic relations and an atmosphere tainted by mutual expulsions of consular staff and embassy closures, into Iran I arrived for my second visit.

 

Crab Plover

 

Media headlines aside however, the real Iran remained a land of warmth and welcome - excellent birding at every turn and a generosity amongst the population that is second to none. This trip very much built on my previous - whereas the earlier travels had been at the height of summer, enduring sauna-like conditions in the south but generally having an excellent time with all the breeding species, this mid-winter trip focussed on the vast numbers of birds that winter in Iran, most particularly along the Persian Gulf and, later in the trip, in the Caspian lowlands.

 

 

Additionally, as temperatures and humidity had combined to create a cocktail that had hurried me along in August, I had also planned to linger in a few localities that I had either skipped or visited only briefly on the previous journey, notably sites in the Dez Valley, plus Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 15 February 2014 )
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Winter Birding in Iran. Part One, the South. PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jos   

The south of Iran in winter is truly amazing - hundreds of thousands of waders on the Persian Gulf, many semi-endemics and specialities in both the Dez valley and the Minab/Jegen areas, assorted raptors and passerines throughout, plus good chances of rarities.

Indian Pond HeronMy trip began in the area of the Dez River and Karun fish pools, home to delights such as Black Francolin, Iraq Babbler and Pallas's Gull, as well as Black-winged Kites and numerous other birds. I then travelled eastward, stopping briefly at Lake Arzhan, before dropping down to the Persian Gulf at Bandar Abbas.  With excellent birding on the Bandar Khamir, Tiab and Qeshm intertidal mud flats and in the superb date groves at Minab, this part of Iran certainly proved the highlight of my trip. Amongst the many attractions, countless waders of about thirty species, good numbers of raptors, plus rarities including a pair of Black Drongos (5th record for Iran), a Pallas's Fish Eagle (14th record for Iran), several Oriental Honey Buzzards, a Black-winged Kite and two Great Knots.

The final leg of my trip in the south took me another 260 km to the south-east, visiting the remote Jegan riverine woodlands, a true oasis in an otherwise arid land. A fantastic few hours here, not only finding Sind Pied Woodpecker, but also Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, the very rare Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse and plenty of wintering passerines including Desert Lesser Whitethroats and Mountain Chiffchaff, the latter a bird rarely encountered in winter. 

 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 April 2012 )
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Winter Birding in Iran. Part Two, the North. PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jos   

Little Owl

A country of contrasts, leaving the sparkling blue waters of the Persian Gulf, I was soon travelling through sub-zero deserts, mountains decked in snow and exploring the lush wet lowlands of the Caspian. Birding was excellent throughout, starting with Pleske's Ground Jay at Shahr-e-Babek, then a good range of species on Mount Damavand, before descending to Fereydoon Kenar on the Caspian coast, the undoubted highlight being the spectacular Siberian Crane. Thereafter, to round the trip off, I travelled eastward to the Shahrud area, this fantastic finale producing such rewards as Sakar Falcon, Eversmann's Redstart, Mongolian Finch and Pine Bunting.

 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 April 2012 )
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Winter Birding in Iran, Systematic List of Birds & Mammals. PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jos   

17 Dec 2011 – 8 Jan 2012

 

In total, 222 species of birds were seen on this three-week winter trip, a quite respectable total.

Comparing with my 2010 summer trip (a slightly longer trip, but following broadly the same itinerary), the final species total was fairly similar. However, I saw an additional 79 species on the summer trip which I did not on this (most particularly warblers, wheatears and species such as bee-eaters, etc), but by contrast I recorded over 65 additional species on this trip that I did not in the summer (waterbirds and raptors of most note).

The 2010 summer trip also only recorded five species that are in any of the categories of Iranian rarities, as classified by Akbar et al, none of which were considered extreme vagrants. By contrast, this trip recorded 13 species of rarity, multiple records of several of them, and two – Black Drongo and Pallas’s Sea Eagle – that are considered extreme vagrants (5th and 14th records for Iran respectively).

A relatively poor showing, only five species of mammal werte noted, but this did include stunning sightings of Wolf on two occasions.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 April 2012 )
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