Review by Elinor Steiner - Gary Burns Dubai Bird Guiding

Nov 23

I was lucky enough to join Gary on two birding adventures in September. The first was to the Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve (68 species logged!) and then a Wadi exploration day near RAK. Al Marmoom may as well be Gary's backyard as he knows every inch of the place in intimate detail. I am an amateur birder and was so excited to see the little owl in the exact location Gary knew it would be, the day was off to a great start.

At one point we glided over the crest of a steep dune only to be presented with the most spectacular view of the desert, much greener than I had expected due to the recent rain. You could almost be forgiven for thinking you were looking out over a vast sub-Saharan landscape. As we pressed on Gary shared stories of times he has had to rescue others who had become stuck in the sand and I was glad of his desert adapted vehicle and technical driving expertise - all self taught!

Due to the local connections Gary has forged over the years he is able to access unique areas not open to the public and as we criss-crossed different types of habitats my bird-list grew and grew. The big highlights (apart from Gary himself) was the time spent watching the lapped faced vultures, which we saw on both trips, and the Egyptian Nightjar, which I couldn't see until we were almost on top of, but didn't escape Gary's keen eyes. The only target missed was the elusive Houbara Bustard, but now I know where to look I will be keeping my eyes peeled. 

I want to thank Gary for not only being so generous with his time and knowledge, but for introducing me to eBird and teaching me how to get more out of my camera - I now have all the gear and 'a little more' idea than before I met you!

Thanks again for two fantastic days' birding

Elinor