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  Tuesday 4th of December 2018 and my alarm went off at 3 thirty so there is plenty time for tea and oatmeal before I take off to Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary around 7 o´clock. They open at 7 thirty, a little late, should have been at 6 o´clock. I left Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront just after 7 o´clock and I had got a picture of a Common Myna before going in to the taxi.  It took some 10 minutes or so to get to the Mangrove Hide at the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. They don´t open until 7 thirty so I had a little time to kill. I walk along the trees and one bird is running out in front of me. I had obviously flushed the bird and when I realised that it was a Grey Francolin I was surprised. I still looking to get a good picture of the Grey Francolin. I gave it a try but the bird was running away so the picture didn´t turn out very well. And the bird looking like the background don´t make it any easier.   Dubai from the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary
I´m the first visitor to Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary when they open the Mangrove Hide. And the first bird I spot is a Spoonbill, but the bird is pretty far away. But I gave it a try and I took a few pictures even though I knew that I would not be happy with them. I was alone at the Mangrove Hide and I could enjoy the surroundings without screaming children. Nice and quiet, but for how long?   Eurasian Spoonbill
 Eurasian Spoonbill
  Eurasian Collared Dove
Listen to the Eurasian Collared Dove
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
  Grey Heron
 Grey Heron ready to fight
Grey Herons fighting at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai
There was two Grey Herons starting to fight and I was a wee bit late with my video camera. I had followed the birds from the beginning but after a while I gave up thinking they were friends again But suddenly and totally unexpected, they flew in to each other and started to fight and I managed to get the last of the fight on video. There was another bird watcher joining me and we started to talk. We were looking at the Western reef Herons, one white morph and one dark morph. Beautiful birds. My new friend told me that he had seen them fight just a few days ago and he showed me the pictures. I told him that I would have been happy just to get the two birds on the same picture. We kept an eye out for the Purple Heron but we never spotted the bird today. DARN! I would really have liked to have a few good pictures of that bird.    Grey Heron
Grey Heron fishing at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai
Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai - December 2018
 Great Spotted Eagle
 Greater Flamingo
 Greater Flamingo
We spotted a few Marsh Harriers and Great Spotted Eagles, but they were way too far away for any good pictures. Well, there will  hopefully be another chance to get close to an Great Spotted Eagle before I die.
There were several birds of prey flying around looking for food but they were far away so no pictures. But suddenly, well, not suddenly, but I had not paid attention, DARN! If I had paid attention to the two Great Egrets I would have discovered that one of them were in fact an Intermediate Egret. A rare bird here in the Emirates. I saw the Intermediate Egret yesterday but not together with a Great Egret. Luckily enough I managed to get one picture with the birds together and I was happy. I had one picture with the Intermediate and the Great Egret from yesterday. Click HERE to check it out! And you will also discover that the picture is not very good.  Dubai City Scape
 Birds of prey flying over the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary
 Intermediate Egret and a Great Egret
And OOOO how I have wished for this picture  Great Egrets (And a Common Greenshank)
Front Egret: A.a. modesta with blueish tibia (upper leg) Egret in the back: A.a. alba with yellow tibia (upper leg)
Great Egret catching fish
What a day! A little later I managed to get a picture of two Great Egrets and thanks to www.birdforum.net I learned that it was two different subspecies. As we can see they have different colours on the legs. And I was also lucky to see a Great Egret chasing fish just next to the hide, just a few meters away and it was a great show the bird put up for me. Looking out over the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and I see that the Western Reef Herons, the white and dark morph were too far away from each other to get any pictures of them together. And the dark morph was too far away all together for any pictures, but I could get a few pictures and a video of the Western Reed Heron (White morph)  Looking out over the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary from the hide
  Common Greenshank
 Common Greenshank
  Western Reef Heron
Western Reef Heron (White morph) looking for food
I had have a gorgeous morning at the Mangrove Hide. I booked a UBER and I went to the Flamingo Hide to see if there was any action. Took me 5 minutes to get there with the car and I was alone when I arrived, just what I had been hoping for. There was a lot of Greater Flamingos but I was lucky to spot one dark morph Western Reef Heron and this bird was close enough for pictures and even a video.  At the Flamingo Hide
 Greater Flamingo
 Greater Flamingo
 Greater Flamingo
 Greater Flamingo
Listen to the Greater Flamingo
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Western Reef Heron (Dark morph)
 Western Reef Heron (Dark morph)
 Western Reef Heron (Dark morph)
 Western Reef Heron (Dark morph)
Western Reef Heron (Dark morph) looking for food
I see a Grey Plover to far away for any pictures, but the bird are coming closer when it is about time to leave. But it is a small bird so I need it to come very close if I want any good pictures. I gave it a try with the camera when the plover was down at the flamingos, still too far away for me to be satisfied but I gave it a try. Well, time to call it a day and I booked a UBER to take me back to Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront. I leave Dubai tomorrow evening and I will come back here tomorrow morning again.  Greater Flamingo
 Greater Flamingo
 Grey Plover in winter plumage
 Grey Plover in winter plumage
The evening was spent in my room at Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront and it will be nice to leave for home tomorrow. But it had been a very nice few days here in the Middle East looking for birds. Tomorrow morning and I will go down to the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary again for my last bird watching at the Mangrove Hide before going home. Well, anyway, to find out if there was any birds at the Mangrove Hide you just have to click HERE. Last bird watching in Dubai so I really hope for some excitements.
    
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