Travelling in Dubai: Nature's Surprise Amidst the Urban Jungle
The day after my arrival in Dubai, I found myself contemplating how to capture something different for my blog, something you haven’t already seen. After all, I, too, had heard, read, and seen so much about travelling in Dubai that, even though it had been nearly fifteen years since my last visit, the place felt familiar. Yet, there was something in the atmosphere, an almost surreal feeling, as if I were in a bubble outside the normal universe, a sense I hadn’t anticipated, and I wondered how I could capture that essence.
But all plans aside, the one thing I didn’t expect to find was beauty of nature. I was wrong! So, rather than showing photos of the city, I’ll do what I love most, share images of birds. As for the rest, apart from these two initial photos, I might save that for another post.
Images from urban Dubai
After a couple of days of checking off all the touristy must-dos of the city, I decided it was high time to rent a car and head out to the desert for the day. I left my hotel at 4:30 AM, and within an hour, I had already arrived at my destination: the man-made Al Qudra Lake Reserve.
The darkness was complete, and although I could make out the silhouettes of a fox and then a gazelle drinking from the lake, my expectations for the day were sinking lower by the minute. A large, domesticated cat appeared—hardly a good sign for a healthy bird environment. Trucks and tractors unloading workers lit up the darkness. Then, the call of the muezzin from a nearby village pierced what little remained of the night’s tranquility. A few joggers and hikers appeared, adding to the chaos. The entire reserve was bathed in cacophony.
But then, almost as soon as the call of the muezzin faded, as if by a sign, the cars disappeared, and so did the workers. I was alone. Silence returned, and with it, the first stripe of colour painted the eastern sky and the entire desert.
Then life appeared. Birds called from every bush and tree. The sky filled with flocks of hundreds, if not thousands of birds, flying eastward: ducks, ibises, cormorants, and, most exciting for me, the flamingos.
Birds began to sing. Many calls were unfamiliar. One stood out unmistakably: the bulbul. It’s funny how no matter where you go, bulbuls, even when adorned in different colors and patterns, are always recognizable. Their behavior and calls remain nearly identical wherever you might be, even in Dubai.
And then birds where everywhere. Wherever I looked, they filled the landscape. Every bush and tree seemed alive with them: warblers, shrikes, doves, just to name a few.
The water, too, came alive with activity: herons of all kinds, cormorants, waders, ducks, and grebes. Hundreds of birds of over twenty species. The bird density was so overwhelming that often, just as I tried to capture one bird, another would swoop in to ruin the shot.
On the other hand, the birds were utterly unafraid of me, coming within a few steps, almost as if I weren’t there. Their behavior was so different from that of the same species in Europe, that it seems there are no bird hunters here.
Black-backed stilt; Black-tailed godwit; Red-wattled lapwing
After a while, I turned my back to the lake and gazed at what had, until very recently, been nothing more than a desert of sand and stone. Now, the entire area was planted with acacia trees, transforming the yellow scenery into greenish shadows of grey. Under each tree, ground birds like larks, sandgrouse, or francolins had gathered. These were the birds of the true desert.
Grey francolin and Arabian babbler
A few minutes later, the day’s biggest surprise showed up: a Grey Crowned Crane. Recognizing it as a Central African bird, I assumed it was introduced to the reserve. Yet, that didn't diminish the sense of majesty and awe I felt as I watched it fly deliberately toward me, as though it owned the place.
The crane wandered around, sizing me up, then moved to the other birds before hopping onto a sign, as if commanding me to show him and the reserve to the world.
To set the expectations right, this is not a mature reserve, but one still in the making. The trees are small, the vegetation around the pond immature, and the watching towers and platforms are under construction. Yet, my visit exceeded anything I had imagined. It has sparked my curiosity about other reserves in the UAE. I’m also planning to return to Qudra Lake in a year or two to see how it evolves and what new surprises it may have in store. The potential of an oasis of water, food, and trees in the middle of the desert is unlimited.
As I left the reserve, the sky was filled with hot air balloons, a reminder of the Dubai we have all heard about. But now, having seen a different side, I’m drawn in even more.
How marvellous! I couldn't imagine that you could find such a variety of birds in the desert!
Thank you. I go there often, but never thought about bird watching. I will try it next time I am there.