Oman Day Eight

Today we finally arrived at our main destination at Salalal in the South of Oman after our 1000 kilometer drive across the whole of the country over the last week. Today's stop off included Mudday village HERE and the nearby oasis HERE and then an incredible stop of the Eagle fest at Thumrait Tip HERE. 

Today's highlights included Hypocolius, Lichenstien's Sangrouse, Nile Valley Sunbird, Hooded Wheatear, African Collared Dove, African Silverbill and the first Blackstarts of the trip. A real Afro-tropical feel to the avifauna now and as we passed over the mountains into the Salalal plain we left the barren desert behind for a green sub-tropical coastal paradise. An amazing sudden ecological transformation.

Male Lichienstien's Sandgrouse

Female/imm Hypocolius

African (lower bird) and Eurasian Collared Dove. African is slightly smaller with white undertail coverts (grey in Eurasian as shown here) and proportionally shorter tail 

Male Hooded Wheatear

Desert Warbler on Frankincense

Juvenile/first winter Steppe Eagles (images above showing some variation) 

Second-cycle (?) Steppe Eagle 

Third-cycle (?) Steppe Eagle (above)

Adult Steppe Eagles (above images)

Juvenile/first-winter Imperial Eagle

Juvenile Greater Spotted Eagle (above)

First winter Steppe Eagle (left) and presumed juv Greater Spotted Eagle variant 

Eagle sp- still working on this