Visitors from a far...

As Autumn is becoming more evident everywhere and reports from the north about record migration days of Honey Buzzard, we also enjoy new arrivals almost daily.
Greater Flamingo are also starting to arrive and yesterday and today Yael Lenhardt together with Juan Ramirez and Manuel G. Loben (both joined us at the IBRCE ringing station for the all Autumn) have spotted a probable Andalusian bird (having a pale ring with the following combination on its left tibia: 1|SFP). This is only the second ever Spanish Greater Flamingo we see in Eilat (and maybe Israel...), all the rest are Turkish and Iranian originated.

Waders numbers are growing very nice and new arrivals like Gargany and Shovelers have also been recorded.

At the IBRCE ringing station there is a constant grow in migrants and Yotam has trapped already the first recovery for the season (a Bulgarian Barn Swallow).

Up at the Eilat Mts. I've managed to locate a new pair of Sooty Falcons thanks to a group of Wolves Canis lupus who were passing by and made the very territorial male to bombard them very aggressively. In the fields, there are growing numbers of Passerines like Yellow Wagtails, Greater Short-toed Larks, few Ortolan Buntings and a single Black-headed Bunting as well as many Red-backed & Masked Shrikes and first waves of Blue-cheeked & Eurasian Bee-etars.

Lesser Emperor Anax partanope are still flying around as well as Red-veined Dropwings

Acacia tortilis  which are wonderful trees throughout the year, are in full bloom at present  and thus attract many insects and birds. Many Willow and Eastern Olivacous Warblers can be seen feeding in the foliage while a good wave of Lesser Grey Shrikes which are also passing through now days, enjoy the lush micro-habitat the Acacia's creates.

 Hoopoe Larks have also returned into their winter territories and are in active moult now.

 One more common migrant? at the moment is Hooded Wheatear which have grown in numbers all over. It is interesting to note that mostly we see males at the moment with only a few females around. 1st year males are in active moult now and can become very strange looking birds. 

 One strange bird appeared on Thursday at Lotan sewage ponds and created a lot of thrill until I managed to get a better observation of it and saw that the cap is just very dark but not black...