Late November update

Over the last 2 weeks I've had many opportunities to check most of the region best birding spots and It is probably not going to be remembered as the best season we had, but nevertheless, like I wrote in my last post, some very nice species can be found in various locations including 4-5 Oriental Skylarks at Yotveta fields, 40-50 of each Thick-billed and Bar-tailed Larks at Ovda Valley, few Temminck's Larks at various spots as well as Asian Desert and Spectacled Warblers.

The last 2 months we had also infrequent reports of Striolated Buntings around Ovda Valley (all started with the photo here by Shimon Shiff) and I also had one last Sunday.

I just hope that this will mark the return of this wonderful species to the region after being lost for so many years.

Winter is still ahead and I still hope that more birds will arrive to enjoy the great winter around Eilat (mind you that there are 3-4 direct flight from Europe to Ovda during winter...)

Quality over Quantity

Over the last week I've been visiting many of the birding spots in the greater Eilat region.

Generally the area is not filled with many birds, but still quality is the main thing around.

In my garden a Rustic Bunting was a great find and with the current "wave" of Little Buntings in Israel there must be a connection.

4 Yellow-browed Warbler were ringed at the IBRCE ringing station and another  two were seen; 1 at Yotveta by myself and another one photographed by Tony Phizacklea.

2 Cyprus Warbler were reported by Shachar (Yotveta) and Yaniv (Samar) and one Menetries's Warbler was seen by myself in Yotveta after one was also ringed at the IBRCE.

Up at Ovda, there are groups of Thick-billed, Bar-tailed And Temminck's Larks and very few Skylarks, 7 species of Wheatears! and Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouse are also very evident.

While the first Asian Desert Warbler was spotted on Monday, on Thursday a nice Spectacled Warbler was also found at K20 and there are many common waders around including some Jack Snipes.

K76 was very slow, but still many Wheatears and a group of Temminck's Larks were very entertaining and in Yotveta, despite the very slow autumn many Red-throated and Water Pipits, some Wheatears, Merlin and very very few Skylarks. But, at least 4 Oriental Skylarks were seen both yesterday and today.

Hope to get some more birds around, though with this quality, maybe I should be less stressed about the quantity...