A full-day stopover in Dubai provided good time to explore the city despite extreme heat. We connect with Indian rollers, purple sunbirds, shikras, and white-cheeked terns within urban Dubai.

A cancelled flight is giving me the chance to explore Mauritius for few days. Île-aux-Aigrettes stands out as the best place to spot local specialties: pink pigeon, Mauritius fody, and day geckos.