Review by David Stanton - Gary Burns Dubai Bird Guide

"Nature-loving visitors to the UAE have multiple splendid locations at their disposal, but the best experience that I have ever had in more than twenty years of visits to the area was the morning I recently spent with Gary Burns. Gary is a naturalist whose love of and respect for the desert has earned him access to countless unspoiled hectares on private land. Gary's passion brings him there almost daily and as a result he has a phenomenal connection with the land and its denizens. Gary knows the landscape so intimately that he seems to have a GPS in his brain. To the uninitiated, one sand dune looks pretty much like another, but Gary navigated unerringly through trackless terrain for hours, always ending up at the exact spot he had previously briefed me on.

Furthermore, not only was Gary able to predict the precise location of every target species based on his knowledge of its ecology and seasonal range, in many cases he was familiar with the haunts and behavior of individuals: Little and Barn Owls, dhubs, and a host of other species. For example, at one point he said, "We'll soon come to a gate through which we'll be able to see a tree where Namaqua Doves usually hang out." He was right then, as he was on multiple other occasions.

Had I even been able to go solo and navigate successfully where Gary took me, I still wouldn't have seen half of what he showed me. Guides frequently awe me with their powers of observation, but Gary's are beyond belief. For example, he spotted an Osprey in a distant tree and it wasn't until we'd driven halfway there that I could even be sure there was actually a bird perched there. I can cite multiple other similar examples.

If you have an interest in the desert, Gary Burns is your man. If you have specific target species, Gary can show them to you. If you want a big list, Gary will help you achieve one. If you simply want to get away from the crowds and uniquely experience the solitude and beauty of the desert, Gary knows where to take you. I can't emphasize enough the quality of the experience I had when I went with him. It's one thing to be shown something that you would never be able to find on your own. Being taken there by someone with as much love and respect for it as Gary has, is an experience on an entirely different level."

David B. Stanton

Former Chairman Yemen Ornithological Society