Red-billed Tropicbirds at the gulf

Late June 2001, while writing my final work for my B.Sc and before leaving Israel and going to start my life in East Africa, I was standing on North Beach in Eilat together with Barak Granit and admiring my first ever Red-billed Tropicbird which came in from nowhere and gave me my farewell present from Israel.
Last Sat' (12 years and one month later) I went out with Avi Meir and Ilan Biel to watch (and photograph) birds at the gulf. Once again, out of the blue sky an adult Red-billed Tropicbird which was later joined by another adult bird, flew overhead (too far and fast for the photographers) and made me a very very happy man. What an amazing bird with its long fluttering tail!

Since we did not get any photo of these birds we had to settle for a pair of White-cheeked Terns who were very friendly and allowed very close views.

By the end of the day we added also 3-4 Bridled Terns, 2 Arctic and 1 Pomarine Skua. 

Migration is starting to pick up very slow still, but surely there are new birds arriving daily:
Juv' Black-headed Gulls (the closest breeding is probably in Turkey?!)

Wader numbers are growing steadily with the first Little Stints & Greenshanks joining the groups of Green & Wood Sandpipers.
The first Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters were found today by Yaniv Basher and since i was around I've managed to get a 'digiIPhone' record shot...

Namaqua Doves are still being spotted daily in various places and Striated Herons are chasing one another when not fishing or modelling...