(almost) summertime

The spring's last pulses are still felt during the last week. Olive Tree &Barred Warblers are seen among some Blackcaps, Common &Lesser Whitethroats, Garden and Olivaceous Warblers. Other late spring migrants such as Golden Orioles, Thrush Nightingales &Lesser Grey Shrikes are seen around as well.

Ringing is becoming very slow with the temperatures making it impossible to use nets after 9am…During the face up to 42c degrees, midday time!

Thursday's morning I had a short ringing session. Half of the birds ringed were Garden Warblers, with 2 Barred and one Great Reed Warblers to spice up the menu…

The k20 salt ponds still hold some migratory waders, with a late Broad Billed Sandpiper, 5 Grey Plovers, a Turnstone and some White Winged Black Terns a few days ago. The breeding Waders seem to be doing well, with chicks of Black Winged Stilts, Kentish, and Spur Winged Plovers are running and swimming around.

After we got all the special permits, Tzadok and I drove to the ponds yesterday, for a ringing session. We manage to catch 6 Juveniles Kentish Plovers!

This one is quite well grown

These tiny animals, have surprising running and hiding skills! It wasn't an  easy task locating and catching these sweeties…

This one is probably 3-4 days old

On Monday Juan got back to Spain. We all had great time with Juan and wait for him to come back the next spring.

Here you can see Juan with his 2 big passions in life- a snake(Diadem Snake Spalerosophis Diadema in this case…) and the fearsome Kangoo of the IBRCE.

A walk in the Lark's kingdom- Hamadas somewhere in the extreme southern Negev.

One might think that birding and working at the IBRCE and Eilat area is over for the coming 2-3 months…well this one in wrong! Sea watching, Breeding Raptors and owls, Dragonflies and more are excellent throughout the summer, so stay tuned…