The recent weather with all these southern winds and clouds of dust have settled and many migrants are evident all over.
On Sat' morning I took my young son, Raz who is only 2.5 years old to have a short drive and walk in the desert to see what can we find after the storm. A short walk it was but very productive nevertheless. We started at Km 33 where we had the beautiful song of a Hoopoe Lark and good views of both Asian Desert Warbler and my first for this season Black-eared Wheatear. In the sky, a flock of 250 Eurasian Cranes were heading north giving their very diagnostic calls.
Earlier in this morning, Avi was photographing nearby, a group of Thick-billed and Bar-tailed Larks (I hope that soon we will get some tastes of these...)
We than drove south and on our way spotted many Sylvia's including Ruppell's, Eastern Orphean and the most common Sardinain and Lesser Whitethroats.
When we reach the K 20 ponds, Raz was very happy to point all the Flamingos and was showing his first steps in identification when he asked "what are these Flamingos in the water which are not Flamingos"? aiming on a group of Shelducks...
Later we also spotted male and female Hooded Wheatears and beautiful Kentish Plovers.
As we were driving to leave the ponds, I noticed a bush of Taily Weed Ochradenus baccatus filled with Sylvia warblers. In this single bush, we had at least 3 Cyprus Warblers (2 males and 1 female), Eastern Orphean, Lesser Whitethroats and a second female type Hooded Wheatear.
In the evening we scheduled to meet up with Will, the David's and Jason (who were having a great day up in the Negev), Rune who had a male Crested Honey Buzzard coming to roost at the Date plantation north of the IBRCE, to check the Yotveta fields for some night-life.
We ended this evening after very close encounters with two Egyptian Nightjars (first for the season), Pale Scops Owl - not often one gets to see these wonderful creatures hunting in a field (thanks to Shay for these superb photos of it when it perched), some 10 Stone-Curlews and great views of Golden Jackals, Red Foxes, Cape Hares and a possible Striped Hyena which was too far for confirmation.
As much as we tried, we couldn't locate the Pharaoh Eagle Owl but hey, we need to leave something for their next visit...
Today (Sunday) Rune the Danish birder reported of an Ad male Rock Thrush at Yotveta.
On Sat' morning I took my young son, Raz who is only 2.5 years old to have a short drive and walk in the desert to see what can we find after the storm. A short walk it was but very productive nevertheless. We started at Km 33 where we had the beautiful song of a Hoopoe Lark and good views of both Asian Desert Warbler and my first for this season Black-eared Wheatear. In the sky, a flock of 250 Eurasian Cranes were heading north giving their very diagnostic calls.
Earlier in this morning, Avi was photographing nearby, a group of Thick-billed and Bar-tailed Larks (I hope that soon we will get some tastes of these...)
We than drove south and on our way spotted many Sylvia's including Ruppell's, Eastern Orphean and the most common Sardinain and Lesser Whitethroats.
When we reach the K 20 ponds, Raz was very happy to point all the Flamingos and was showing his first steps in identification when he asked "what are these Flamingos in the water which are not Flamingos"? aiming on a group of Shelducks...
Later we also spotted male and female Hooded Wheatears and beautiful Kentish Plovers.
As we were driving to leave the ponds, I noticed a bush of Taily Weed Ochradenus baccatus filled with Sylvia warblers. In this single bush, we had at least 3 Cyprus Warblers (2 males and 1 female), Eastern Orphean, Lesser Whitethroats and a second female type Hooded Wheatear.
We ended this evening after very close encounters with two Egyptian Nightjars (first for the season), Pale Scops Owl - not often one gets to see these wonderful creatures hunting in a field (thanks to Shay for these superb photos of it when it perched), some 10 Stone-Curlews and great views of Golden Jackals, Red Foxes, Cape Hares and a possible Striped Hyena which was too far for confirmation.
As much as we tried, we couldn't locate the Pharaoh Eagle Owl but hey, we need to leave something for their next visit...
Today (Sunday) Rune the Danish birder reported of an Ad male Rock Thrush at Yotveta.
A great write up of some amazing birds! Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteExcellent shots!
ReplyDeleteWow beautiful bird blog
ReplyDeletedog kennels | Cattery South London
Thank you all. I hope we will be able to keep up updating you as Spring progresses.
ReplyDeleteItai
Really liked it.
ReplyDeleteWish there are more to read...