Bons spots égyptiens : les environs de Louxor

Egypt is renowned for its abundance of archaeological and historical sites. Most people dream of visiting the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Valley of the Kings and the temples at Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and Abu Simbel. The country also provides exciting birdwatching, with a number of African species such as Senegal Thick-knee, Greater Painted-snipe, Kittlitz’s Plover, Senegal Coucal, and Nile Valley Sunbird reaching their northern limits here. In fact, there are two dozen species concentrated in this region that are difficult to find anywhere else in the Western Palearctic. And the many migrant birds passing through en route from Africa to Eurasia at this time of year add an extra dimension to the birder’s experience.
Three Israeli birders, Rony Livne, Eyal Shochat and Rami Mizrachi, visited the country from the 11th to the 21st September 2009. They visited several good spots around the Nile Delta, in the area between Louxor and Abu Simbel and the red Sea coasts.
We propose you a French adaptation of their original trip report written in Hebrew . After the Abassa fishponds and the Wadi Natrun, we present you the Luxor Area : the Crocodile Island, that has been re-named ‘Kings Island’ by the holding company HKS Group that is undergoing a major expansion in the southern part of the island that will destroy interesting habitats, the Banana Island, the Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings.