come winter flamingos are here
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

At Ras al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

Come winter, flamingos are here

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Come winter, flamingos are here

Flamingos in the heart of Dubai
Dubai - Arab Today

Flamingos, did you know, sleep on one leg? and with their necks gnarled around themselves, in a figure of an ‘8' or in the shape of the letter ‘s', depending on how you tilt your head.
From November to April, colonies of these wading birds take up residence at the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary (RAKWS) in the heart of Dubai, where they are fed twice a day. Those feeding times of 10am and 4pm are the best times to photograph the goings on and take in the flurry of activity.
There are no clear road markings on how to get to RAKWS. It's hit and miss, the route to one of the two watch towers (Mangrove Hide and Flamingo Hide) from where you get a closer glimpse of these pink-legged, plump-bodied creatures. But your best bet is to follow directions to Ras Al Khor Road and Old Al Ain.
On New Year's day, some 800 camera-bearing visitors landed up at just one of these two bird watching towers, according to Zulfikar Ahmed, the security guard, bird watcher and guide all rolled into one. On the Saturday afternoon that Khaleej Times visited, there were only about 200, Ahmed said. It was also an unusual day as two great spotted eagles had swooped down and made a meal of one of the flamingos. This caused quite a stir in the 15-feet by 15-feet watchtower space populated with families, children, telescopic lenses and smart phones angled towards the water. Photo opportunities are plenty, with or without the eagles. RAKWS has 450 species of fauna and 47 species of flora. Also seen are mangroves, mudflats, lagoons and sabkhas (salt flats) reed beds and shrub
In the week building up to the new year, there has been an attempt by the Marine Environment and Wildlife section of the Dubai Municipality to better the watchtowers, and the experience of visitors. Survey forms now lie with Ahmed, and visitors fill out feedback about parking, about ‘satisfaction of recreation experience', as one subhead on the survey form reads, and additional comments and suggestions. This apart from a visitor's book that has remarks such as "great viewing site!” and "excellent experience for kids”, "fantastic!” and "amazing!”, and even one Chinese gentleman's feedback: "little bit too noisy”.
The flamingos themselves love the quiet. Visitors are expected to respect the environment and keep their mobile phones on silent and their voices turned down, but at least on the afternoon we visited, parents seemed disinclined to silence their children.
Winter timings to watch these birds are 7.30am to 5.30pm. Serious photographers know when to turn up. Always at feeding time, that is.
Ahmed, the guard said he's observed the birds for so long now that he can tell their inherent peace-loving nature. Say for instance, if the feeding truck is even five minutes late, the birds form a queue and venture to the main road from where they know the truck will arrive with their fish pellets fortified with vitamins.
One of the visitors, Surendran Chokkalingam with his Tamron 150-600 lens had come from Sharjah with his friends, a group of 10 to 15 people, all avid bird watchers. Chokkalingam, who works in the oil and gas industry and his friends had been up since 5am to cover three to four bird watching sites, RAKWS being one of them. "It's one of the best places to watch,” he said, grateful that it hasn't been tampered with by building developments. Already in his photo archives of the day, he'd managed to click a Siberian Bush chat, a Glossy Ibis, and those eagles that had swooped down on to the flamingos.
Source: Khaleej Times

GMT 10:58 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Hong Kong engulfed in smog

GMT 10:54 2018 Friday ,19 January

Six dead as huge storms batter Europe

GMT 08:58 2018 Thursday ,18 January

China says Iranian oil tanker wreck located

GMT 11:28 2018 Wednesday ,17 January

for Great Barrier Reef rescue ideas

GMT 11:26 2018 Wednesday ,17 January

for Great Barrier Reef rescue ideas

GMT 08:11 2018 Tuesday ,16 January

Philippines' Mayon volcano alert raised

GMT 08:03 2018 Sunday ,14 January

Fossil fuels blown away by wind

GMT 10:23 2018 Saturday ,13 January

1.5 C climate goal 'very unlikely' but doable
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

come winter flamingos are here come winter flamingos are here

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

come winter flamingos are here come winter flamingos are here

 



GMT 09:54 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

'Friendly and kind' N. Korean skaters

GMT 10:31 2014 Tuesday ,23 December

Mirages of failure: Lebanon cannot wait

GMT 04:33 2017 Wednesday ,22 March

Penelope to play Versace

GMT 11:26 2017 Friday ,03 February

Member of criticizes Egypt’s government

GMT 07:23 2017 Wednesday ,23 August

Hot, humid weather on Wednesday

GMT 19:56 2017 Monday ,18 September

Hail lashes parts of UAE, dust warnings issued

GMT 09:40 2017 Saturday ,30 December

UAE cancels Tunisia handball games amid row

GMT 11:40 2017 Tuesday ,17 October

Al Naqash confident of his team’s ability

GMT 14:41 2017 Saturday ,27 May

Spaniard Casado storms

GMT 07:57 2011 Monday ,19 September

Last 4 clubs set in African Champions League

GMT 04:11 2012 Thursday ,15 March

History to air auction show \'Sold!\'

GMT 19:40 2011 Thursday ,29 September

Arab American comedians unwind at New York festival

GMT 18:23 2017 Wednesday ,15 March

Williams Stays Ahead in Unchanged WTA Top 10

GMT 23:26 2015 Sunday ,22 February

Egyptian concert to be held in Austria
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice