5th Day

Start : Azraq
Route : Azraq Castle and Shaumari Wildlife Reserve
Overnight : Azraq Rest House
The trees surrounding the resthouse are a migrant trap, and perhaps you will find a Desert Finch, a Wood Warble or an Ortolan Bunting.


The black basalt desert on the road to Baghdad has a barren apparence, but is home to the unique black morph of the Mourning Wheatear and the dark race of the Desert Lark both adapting to the desert colour here.Bimaculated Larks Rock Sparrows can be expected if winter rain has brought a flush of green grass to the area.

The Azraq Castle, built of basalt rocks, in addition to having played a part in the ancient history of the country, has also played a part in its modern history as it has housed lawrence of Arabia in 1917 and the troops that fought in the Great Arab Revolt.

Shaumari is the site of an ambitious reintroduction programme for some of Jordan's extinct desert fauna.

Most famous is the herd of Arabian Oryx, now numbers over150, as well as the Syrian Ass (or Onager), Gazelles and a small population of Ostrich. Shuaumari is also a good area for desert birds, including Desert Wheatear and Hoopoe Lark.
The tall trees there also attract a large variety of migrants.