El Gouna Birds

On my first proper day here in El Gouna I was standing in the hallway of the hotel. The passages are open to the outside and a swallow landed on the railing inches away from me. I was waiting for Seni and stood for perhaps five minutes watching it. It was calm and even went to sleep for awhile. Seni came out and we continued watching it. After some time I thought it might be sick in some way as I'd never seen a bird so content with people so near. I reached out to touch it and it flew away, healthy as can be.

Since then wherever I go there are swallows around me, always at least one. Perhaps it's my guardian angel, who knows. According to Egyptian myth swallows are connected to the stars and the dead. They also mean new love. I'm fairly content with my old love, but I don't mind the thought that those I love who have passed on are keeping an eye on me so far from home.

The crows here are very talkative, much like our pied crows in Botswana. They look a bit like scruffy pied crows since their white parts are grey.

Pied crow (Botswana)

Egyptian crow.


Every morning while on my walk through the golf course I see beautiful bee eaters. In Botswana, bee eaters are usually found on wires and trees, waiting for a passing insect breakfast. Here I found it odd that the bee eaters seem to hunt in the grass. It only dawned on me yesterday that normally where I'm at would have no trees. It was bare desert before this town was put up. The bee eaters here likely had no option but to hunt on the ground.