09 April 2012

Hofuf

We went on a family trip to Hofuf to see what was there. I took my camera and binoculars to see if I could see any good birds. Hofuf has the largest date palm oasis in the world and has trees scattered over many square kilometres of land. It looks good for birdwatching but turned out to be very disappointing.
Al Hassa Oasis (largest date palm oasis in the world)


We looked around Ibrahim Palace which is a large fort like palace in the middle of Hofuf but there were few birds to be seen in the area with the exception of White-eared Bulbul and House Sparrow.
Ibrahim Palace (Hofuf)


We then went to the Al Gara Mountain to look at the caves and see if there were any Martins or Wheatears present but again had no luck with only a single Isabelline Wheatear seen. These mountains are made of limestone and are considered to be one of the most important natural landmarks of the region. They contain many caves and alleyways between the rocks which remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
 Al Gara Mountain
 Al Gara Mountain
Al Gara Mountain Caves