Egypt Guide
The Delta
Lake Manzala
East of Damietta lies Lake Manzala, a great place for bird-watching if you can find a boatman to take you through the reeds. In the nineteenth century, European visitors tended to be more interested in shooting wildfowl than observing it. "Their compact mass formed living islands upon the water; and when the wind took me to these, a whole island rose up with a loud and thrilling din to become a feathered cloud in the air", wrote one hunter.
Winter is the best time to see herons (balashon to locals), spoonbills (midwas), pelicans (begga) and flamingos (basharus). Along the Nile, these last are called "water camels" (gamal el-bahr).