Category: Arabia 2023

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

This year’s Arabia conservation expedition is over. Writing this, I am at Dubai airport waiting for my flight back to Frankfurt. Group 2 left on Monday after helping to break our lovely desert camp. On our last day on Sunday, we picked up nine camera traps in the morning, reviewed their pictures, finished up data entry, had lunch and a final de-brief with Aline back at the DDCR office. She provided a summary of animal sightings and data recorded – quite impressive what a dedicated team of citizen scientists can achive in only six days:

Group 2 recorded 766 animals of 32 species (7 mammal, 16 bird, 4 reptile and 5 insect), conducted 42 quadrat surveys, checked fox dens in 6 different areas, as well as possible eagle owl nesting sites, and 2 ‘blind spot’ surveys. Well done, group 2! Overall, the two expedition teams surveyed the entire study area of 227 square km (62 quadrats).

After all this, we spent a well-deserved relaxed Sunday afternoon/evening at camp around the campfire, where we enjoyed a self-made dinner and chatted away far into the night.

The data gathered by the expedition will contribute a big piece in the DDCR’s jigsaw of effective wildlife management and conservation and I would like to thank Gerhard, Aline and Basil of the DDCR for welcoming and having us all camp in the most precious, protected and beautiful spot within the Reserve. Thank you for your cooperation and support in all aspects of this joint project and expedition.

A big thank you also goes to the teams. You have been great to work and share time with. Thanks for putting your time, effort and money into the project and sharing your knowledge and experience with us. The expedition would not happen without you, of course.

Best wishes

Malika Fettak
Expedition leader

Continue reading “Arabia: Final entry”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

Our Arabia desert volunteer expedition is on its last day this year. Three teams are out collecting nine camera traps set from group 1 on the very first expedition day. Rupa and Jim volunteered for data entry and sharing expert knowledge of optimising datasheets and streamlining all the data that has been put into the computer so far. The three of us are at the office right now, everyone typing on their computers eagerly.

All quadrat, fox den and eagle owl surveys were completed by Thursday evening – great job, team 2! That allowed us to spent a whole day with ‘Blind spot surveys’ – 11 pairs of eyes and ears out in the field exploring remote areas the scientist know little about. Out of eight specific areas (see map) the teams explored the terrain between Tawi Suhail and Tawi Manana in the morning.

Two teams parked their 4×4 on the north road and walked straight south, the other two teams parked on the south road and walked north, the distance between starting points being 500 metres. Reaching the end point, each team was then supposed to find a car parked on the roadside about 500 m away. So far, so good – one team picked up the wrong car, but other than that, the logistics worked well. All teams did a great job navigating and arrived safe and sound ‘on the other side’ bringing back valuable data from the field. After the successful morning test run, we did the same in blind spot D13 in the afternoon.

It was quieter than usual during the de-brief. Everyone looked pretty tired from walking in sandy dune terrain in the sun for a whole day. Thanks for your effort & well done, team!

One team found a dead fox, another team discovered an eagle owl hunting outlook under a fire bush, located on a steep sandy slope, overlooking a large gravel plain. Many pellets of different ages showed that this spot is used frequently for hunting by at least one owl. The location is definitely worth revisiting.

We have not spotted lappet-faced vultures for a few days now. But today a team is on the lookout specifically around the area where a gazelle was killed by a feral dog yesterday.

Apart from the field work, we will catch up with data entry and have included this activity in today’s planning.

Despite the the great effort put in by this group, most expeditioners make it to base camp before the survey de-brief at the DDCR office to take a quick shower or have a well-deserved a cup of coffee.

Continue reading “Arabia: Dune adventures”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

The clouds have gone and the sun is high in the sky again. Still, our Arabia desert expeditioners faced a couple of windy days, but also enjoyed pleasant survey temperatures throughout the day.

To Aline and Basil’s joy, four teams managed to complete 32 quadrat surveys within two days! Well done. The progress made is clearly visible on the map (outlined quadrats) – only a few in the north to go now.

One team found a dead fox, another team discovered an eagle owl hunting outlook under a fire bush, located on a steep sandy slope, overlooking a large gravel plain. Many pellets of different ages showed that this spot is used frequently for hunting by at least one owl. The location is definitely worth revisiting.

We have not spotted lappet-faced vultures for a few days now. But today a team is on the lookout specifically around the area where a gazelle was killed by a feral dog yesterday.

Apart from the field work, we will catch up with data entry and have included this activity in today’s planning.

Despite the the great effort put in by this group, most expeditioners make it to base camp before the survey de-brief at the DDCR office to take a quick shower or have a well-deserved a cup of coffee.

Continue reading “Arabia: Working hard”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

Everyone on our Arabia expedition team 2 arrived safely on Monday morning. We went straight into introductions, background and training and on Tuesday, two groups went out to conduct quadrat surveys. Other events during the two training days included a visit to a possible eagle owl nesting site, where we checked all the ghaf trees for nests and were lucky to see one owl flying off close to where we stood. We also did a 15 min circular observation training session, checked a camera trap and visited a fox den site for first-hand experience of what the specific surveys include.

Although it is somewhat overcast and hazy, it has become much hotter in the desert. At night the sky is pretty clear and we sleep under an amazing starry sky.

When you read this, group 2 will be out on its first independent full survey day.

Continue reading “Arabia: Group 2, initiated”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

Home, sweet home. I’ve returned to the DDCR after dropping off group 1 at the Premier Inn, except for Peter, who is staying on for group 2 also. We restocked and then enjoyed another peaceful afternoon at base camp.

Friday was a wonderful last day with group 1 of our Arabian desert species conservation expedition. All four teams managed to get their morning tasks done in time, giving Aline and Basil, our scientists, enough time to go through all datasheets for a final check, whilst everyone else went through pictures collected by our camera traps during the week. With all that done, Aline and Basil, gave us a preliminary summary of findings recordings: Group 1 recorded

• 19 bird
• 9 mammal
• 4 reptile and
• 6 insect species,

including records of a rare and ancient dwarf honey bee nest in one of the crevices of the reserve’s rocky outcrop at its northern tip.

The Pharao eagle owl the team was actually looking for was found later on, nesting in a ghaf tree on the other side of the track.

The camera traps recorded

• 1 desert wheatear
• 17 Arabian oryx
• 29 Arabian gazelles
• 8 Sand gazelles and
• 1 Arabian red fox.

Over the week, the teams checked

• 24 Pharao Eagle Owl nesting sites and
• 62 Arabian Red Fox dens

to assess their status – more than half of a total of 108 known den locations (group 2, there are 46 den sites left for you to find and check).

The lappet-faced vulture survey was also conducted every day, but instead of finding the birds in places where they have been recorded most frequently in the past, they were seen randomly, but frequently, in different locations within the reserve.

As to the quadrat survey, 20 out of 62 were completed. Again, more work for group 2…

After the presentation of results, we went back to camp to enjoy another magical sunset and then sat around a warming camp fire until late in the evening.

I would like to thank everyone on the Arabia expedition team for the time, effort and resilience you have put into this project. But also for generating lots and lots of interesting findings and bringing data, pictures and stories back from the field to share with everyone. I hope you have enjoyed the week as much as I did. Safe travels home and see you again, perhaps.

Group 2: I am looking forward to meeting you on Monday morning at the Premier Inn.

Continue reading “Arabia: Data galore from group 1”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

Our Arabian desert conservation expedition is in full swing on day six. Writing this, all four survey teams have just returned to the DDCR office for the daily review, sharing experiences, sightings and findings of the day.

So far sightings of Arabian hare, lappet-faced vulture, Arabian red fox, pharaoh eagle owl and other birds of prey have been recorded, apart from the usual oryx and Arabian & sand gazelle sightings. We are also slowly progressing on the quadrat surveys and will intensify these surveys in group two in order to cover most of the study area.

Tomorrow will be the last survey day for group 1. Activities will include the collection of camera trap SD cards set on the first expedition day and hopefully we will be able to go through most of the photos they produced by tomorrow afternoon. We’ll then head back to camp for a last sundowner in the desert and camp fire in the evening.

Continue reading “Arabia: Full swing”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

The rain has stopped and the desert is doing what it’s meant to be doing: Looking gorgeous and peaceful in the sunshine.

We spent Saturday and Sunday cramming new information into the Arabia expedition team’s brains, making citizen scientists and expeditioners out of travellers. How to live in the desert, how to record data on a datasheet, find a fox den, navigate, drive in the sand, use a GPS, set up a camera trap. You name it. And today our ducklings took flight. As I write this, they are out in the field, recording data, looking for lappet-faces vultures, oryx, gazelle, red foxes and many other species and the signs they leave behind when they pass.

By 17:00 they should all have found their own way back to expedition HQ. If not, we will go out and find them in the desert, probably.

Continue reading “Arabia: Making citizen scientists”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

Everyone’s here. After all the ducks were in a row, sort of, they navigated the maze of Dubai’s highways. The lead duck was lost for a bit, but then found its ducklings at the next feeding point, where the mother duck forgot to buy ice for its ducklings. But the old fat duck went back and got some.

Then the family moved into its duckling home and everyone built their nests while the sun shone. The ducks heard about the dangers of living in the desert and nobody chickened out. The rain started and did not stop. The ducks learned to fly (drive in the wet sand), before hearing about their home and how they will help to conserve it, and a well-deserved dinner and rest.

Continue reading “Arabia: All ducks here, in the rain”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

As the moon shines brightly over the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, we are on the home straight of getting ready. Camp 80%, paperwork 90%, food 50%, science 100% ready as I type this.

We will concentrate our desert wildlife citizen science efforts on the more remote and more biodiverse southern part of the reserve. We’ll explain why when you get here.

Don’t forget to download the research and expedition manual and bring a copy with you.

Weather stable and as described before.

Safe travels, group 1, and we’ll see you the day after tomorrow.

Continue reading “Arabia: Moonlit home straight”

Update from our wildlife conservation volunteering holiday in Dubai (UAE) working on oryx, wildcat and desert species

It’s good to be back in the desert. Pink dunes, blue skies, 18C at night, high 20s or 30s during the day. This is winter in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.

Arriving from Oman yesterday, we are putting up camp today, sorting out the tasks for the team, getting paperwork and cars and food and a million other things in place for you desert citizen scientists from Saturday.

The DDCR wants us to do six main things: Species encounter in quadrant survey, Arabian red fox den survey, Pharaoh eagle-owl survey, lappet-faced vulture survey, camera traps survey and random encounters. What this all means is explained in detail in the research and expedition manual.

Now here is an important piece of information: Please download this manual and make sure you bring a copy with you for your own use during the expedition, either as a printed or as a digital copy.

While you do this and we are busy setting up here are a couple of media items to get you started. More over the next few days with updates.

Malika Fettak
Expedition leader

Continue reading “Arabia: Here we go!”