Another kind of sanctuary can be found in Dubai, right in the middle of all the new buildings, roads and desert. It's name is Ras Al Khor, and it's a wildlife sanctuary for migratory birds, especially flamingos, which numbered over 2,700 at last count (including a few fibreglass models used to attract the early arrivals!) The area started as a dry inland tidal creek, but is now a successful protected wetland full of mudflats and mangroves and birds of many kinds. The public is now encouraged to take a look with the construction of bird hides. It's a magnificent place to see the city skyline, softened with greenery and avian grace. A massive residential development called The Lagoons is planned for the vicinity, which also includes an industrial area, so it's a good thing the sanctuary has time to get established first and prosper.
Living on a man-made island I feel a simple joy whenever a bird comes in for a landing and looksee. On one of my treks around the Palm, dodging cars and buses where the sidewalks disappear, my day was made by the discovery of an exotic-looking bird, later identified as a hoopoe. On a day trip to Hatta we met a young biologist from Sweden who was spending a month in the UAE looking for one specific bird. He was bemoaning that he'd only managed to spot three in his first week. Later my husband and I were certain we saw several, but we could have been mistaken.
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