The Hidden Oasis less than one hour from El Gouna

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By Gabriel Mikhail  

In the Eastern Desert, an hour’s drive from Gouna, lies a hidden oasis… Bir Milaha where this arid desert is transformed into a verdant pocket of life… here, spring water snakes through this haven while extensive stands of golden reeds dance in the wind. 

 

Bir Milaha is not only of high aesthetic value but a haven for natural diversity sustaining palm groves, acacia trees, tamarisk and sodom apple shrubs, nitraria plants, desert herbs and many salt tolerant flora. This lush and uninhabited oasis also supports a variety of secretive desert fauna such as foxes, sand cats, and hyrax. 

 

But it is here in spring where one of nature’s awesome spectacles is underway. During their spring migration soaring birds* gather to rest at this concentrated bottleneck along the Rift Valley-Red Sea flyway – the second most important in the world- on their annual round trip migration between breeding grounds in Eurasia and wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. Raptors, black storks, white storks, steppe eagles, short toed eagles, honey buzzards, booted Eagles, harriers and long- legged buzzards descend to drink.




Bir Milaha oasis is exceptionally unique in Egypt, it is currently included within the boundary of the future Shayeb El Banat Protected area. it is hoped that this protected area would be declared as soon as possible in order to safeguard this distinctive natural resource.



 

* For more on soaring birds along the Rift Valley-Red Sea flyway see Gabriel Mikhail’s documentary film Soaring Legends on YouTube. 


 



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Comments

  1. Mohamed Awad19 January 2022 at 08:14

    Great article. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. irina springuel10 August 2022 at 11:13

    Thanks for very interesting article, will go to see it

    ReplyDelete

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