Rare Visit to Fujairah, UAE of Franklin’s Gull

'Is It a Bird?...'

Alarm bells started to ring when Dr Reza Khan posted in the UAE Birding Forum the names and photos of birds he had spotted on Tuesday 17 May 2011 at Fujairah and Kalba in three different locations.

‘Weird Black-Headed Thing’

Mark S, one of his birding colleagues added these comments to the forum:

“White-eyed Gull AND that weird white-eyed black-headed thing, Reza? Not only is White-eyed Gull a serious rarity, but that black-headed gull looks VERY interesting - similar to Laughing/Franklin's Gull. Reza-do you have any more photos of either bird?”

Franklin’s Finding Authenticated

The spotting and identification of the Franklin’s Gull in Fujairah was reported (25 May 2011) in The National along with news of a sighting on 12 May of a Cory’s shearwater which had also not been seen before and documented in the UAE.

Video Footage

On 27 May 2011 UAE birder Mike Barth posted an article about visiting Fujairah on Friday 20 May 2011 to discover this ‘extreme migrant’.

Mike found the Franklin’s Gull on the stretch of beach near the Fujairah Port and posted on his blog some photographs along with some video footage.

He writes about wading out among the high waves and getting drenched in order to get his photos. The lengths that bird spotters go to get their photos and video footage!

Take a look at Mike Barth’s post, his photos of the rare bird in Fujairah and the Franklin’s Gull starring on video.

Related

Fujairah is For the Birds, FIF, 3 November 2010.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Image: The Franklin’s Gull making his rare appearance in Fujairah and the UAE. (Photo courtesy of Mike Barth).