For obvious reasons, Egypt has been the world’s most desirable tourist destination since the innovation of tourism several thousand years ago, and marvelling at Egypt’s antiquities forms a major aspect of our tours. Furthermore, these tours are timed to coincide with the impressive bird migration between Africa and Eurasia, when thousands of storks, raptors, waders and passerines pass through the area.

Some of the highlights of our 2010 tour included a lone Three-banded Plover, Citrine and African Pied Wagtail and amazing daytime scope views at over 10 Egyptian Nightjars found at Abu Simbel! Around Sharm El Sheik, huge numbers of resting White Storks and a lone Common Crane were a highlight, while Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse was spotlighted here after dark. During our lunch at the Red Sea Hotel at Suez, we witnessed the full beauty of the bird migration as large movements of raptors were seen at eye-level heading south into Africa from our 10th-floor viewpoint. Most numerous were Steppe Eagle with smaller numbers of Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagle, Steppe and Long-legged Buzzard and a flock of Levant Sparrowhawks.

Our tour to Sinai would not have been complete without a visit to St Katherine’s Monastery, and here Sand Partridge and the beautiful Sinai Rosefinch were found. A visit to the nearby Wadi Fieran was a further highlight with many exciting birds that included Fieldfare, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Eurasian Siskin and Striolated Bunting. We finished our tour at the impressive Petra in Jordan where we enjoyed a guided expedition through this astounding ancient city!