Jordan in Spring

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (to give it its full name) is a land of dramatic vistas, rugged mountains and shimmering deserts which sits at the head of the narrow Gulf of Aqaba. The ornithological appeal and historic significance of this small country are due to its strategic location at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia) and its position beneath the 'Eurasian-East African' flyway taken by millions of birds twice each year on their journeys between Africa and Europe. On this holiday, we will enjoy Jordan in the spring, at a time when numerous birds will be heading north and before the heat of summer takes hold. We will also take time to explore some of the country's most fascinating archaeological sites, including Petra, the most iconic of them all.

Our holiday begins with a flight to Jordan's capital city, Amman, from where we transfer south to our hotel in Madaba for a 3-night stay. The following day, we will drop down into the Rift Valley to visit the Dead Sea. As well as marvelling at this spectacular natural wonder, we will also find our first desert birds here, including Arabian Babblers, Blackstarts and Tristram’s Grackles. Nearby, we will explore the Graeco-Roman ruins of Jerash, near ancient Gilead, stopping en route by the Zarqa River and in the native pinewoods of Dibbin.

Sadly, very little water remains in the famous Azraq oasis, but we will next stay in a hotel nearby for two nights and use it as our base while we explore the surrounding boulder-strewn, lunar landscape of black basalt. Our main target here will be to find the dark morph of the Mourning Wheatear, but this little-known area is home to a variety of other desert birds, such as Hoopoe, Desert and Bimaculated Larks and Red-rumped Wheatear. We will also visit nearby Azraq Castle, famous as Lawrence of Arabia's and the Arab Army's final resting spot before their assault on Damascus! Trees and scrub around the resthouse and at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, provide cover for tired migrants, as well as the resident Desert Finch. With luck there will be some wetlands to explore too, but that will be dependent on the extent of the erratic winter rains.

Moving on, we wind our way down the length of the ancient King’s Highway to Wadi Dana, following in the footsteps of many a trader, army and pilgrim. The landscape here is dramatic as we cross the canyons of Wadi al-Mujib and Wadi al-Hasa and is no less so at Kerak Castle, which watches over the route down to the Dead Sea and west into Palestine. We will arrive at our campsite for the next two nights, overlooking Wadi Dana, in time to explore and photograph the dramatic view in the warm evening light. One of the specialities of Wadi Dana, and indeed Jordan, is the Tristram’s (or Syrian) Serin which has one of the most restricted distributions of any Western Palearctic bird. We will also be on the lookout for soaring raptors, for, as well as holding breeding Bonelli’s Eagles, the mountains here lie on the main migration route for birds of prey tracking north.

The ancient Nabataean capital at Petra was lost for centuries and only rediscovered in 1812. A visit here will be one of the highlights of the holiday and we have two nights nearby to ensure that we have plenty of time to explore this iconic site. Carved into the rose-red sandstone and hidden in a range of hills, the city and the vast facades of Petra’s magnificent palaces and temples are only accessible through a narrow and winding chasm. Petra is also an excellent place for birds and home to two very localised specialities, the beautiful Sinai Rosefinch and Desert Owl (formerly Hume’s Tawny Owl).

Next, we travel southwards to the town of Aqaba, Jordan’s port at the head of the Red Sea, stopping en route at the dramatic valley of Wadi Rum for a night, where we will camp in traditional Bedouin style. Here, a variety of migrants make their landfall from the south and we will search for unusual seabirds such as White-eyed Gull and Brown Booby. Whilst a visit to the local sewage works may not be on most tourists’ itinerary, it is a must for visiting birders and is likely to be one of the most productive birdwatching sites on the whole trip! After three nights in Aqaba, we return to Amman for a final night in the city before returning to the airport for our flight home.