Dragonflies have taken over from the birds

The past 3 days have been a treat there are hundreds of dragonflies and damsels its strange how , even though there is only a few miles or a stretch of water to devide the species, on the http://egyptdragonflies.blogspot.com/ tuesdays dragons are from a walk to the east of Luxor  a place known as El gezira or Banana Island area

tuesdays dragons are from the west bank across the River, and todays are from an area  towards the airport. just 2 kilometers from my flat, the only species being the same are the orange and the black winged.

these  I will put on here as the first 2 species,

Black winged darter and a damselfly the damsel is common to all 3 areas  in Luxor,

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I also saw the following birds today  all I have photos of on Birding in Egypt

Crested Lark,  Hoopoe.  ring-necked plovers, white & cattle egrets,

3 falcons, and many of the smaller birds that are the first birds on the bird blog,

While having a cup of tea during making this blog I shot this spider

And  it's as big as a pin head,

Banana Island

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One of the trees the herons use for nesting on the Island there are several trees they use  High Mango trees  and the fever tree.  here one of the young fledglings got carried by a gust if wind  and landed on the date palm  and it was not too sure about its surroundings or how to take off from there.

 in the heronry tree it could walk along a branch then test fly to the next,  the palm frons bend under the birds weight  ohh dear. mum help.

 
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Some  fighting going on  while testing the wings

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some even getting aggressive  pulling at each others plumage. just like children  lots of  squawking and fighting in the nursery. 

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a few yards away from the nursery and I am back on the Nile inlet. not that we can call banana island an island now.

but the herons  still hunt and feed on the murky waters caused by the land fill. 

  A night heron and little white egret  having a fishing competition.

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No problem for the Squacco the lone fisher

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 A young   night heron it will take another 9 months before it gets its adult plumage

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Night hero in full plumage. most likely the parent of the young one 

 

The pigeon chick 2 days old

1st may birds in Luxor Egypt

All the birds on todays walk,    I blog what I see  not just for you  but for what I should be looking for next year. like the European bee eater  only here for a week so now will have to wait for next year that's if they stop here in Luxor,  for instance last year I only glimpsed and got 3 shots of the rare visitor the striated Heron this year I have seen many and got some good shots.  the book says they do not always visit the Nile delta preferring the mangroves of the red sea area, so I was a lucky seeing them in my area,        
Turtle dove

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With the reeds growing its hard to tell how many herons in this photo I saw 30 lifting when I walked through the field. mainly squacco herons, 

Squacco heron

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Two

 Two night herons and a young squacco heron

 Common bulbul

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Young Nile valley sun bird  Female.

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young yellowwagtail

Young Ring necked plover

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Little white egret with its catch

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 Young Scuacco heron

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Little tern

White egrets and  squacco heron 

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hoopoe bird several today 

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European bee-eater in full flight 

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Barn swallows 
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European bee-eater

The Greco

Not sure if its right what people say , the Greco inspered velcro.  but they sure  act like they have velcro on the feet.

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on a downward slope

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hanging around upside down

Or turning arownd upside down

Smooth or rough surface its no problem, they make a good pet around the place,   beats using fly spray to   kill flies and midges . only problem is the leave the droppings on the wall then clean themselves by dragging their back end along the wall,  cant have it all ways I tell myself.   I mean house training.