Let the games begin once again

After long idle due to being too occupied in moving into our new house at last, yesterday I went back to the field, joined by Shachar with his powerful Nikon (thus I didn't really bother photographing...) We had a great day with many birds and good evidence of migration throughout.

Starting at K20 we found the ponds loading with waders after being rather empty last week. Altogether we had few hundreds of each Dunlin, Little Stint while Greenshanks numbers have risen as well. We then drove towards Evrona and found this nice Steppe Shrike which didn't really allowed closer views.

At Evrona, few Chiffchafs, Sardinian and  Scrub Warblers and a female Blue Rock Thrush that played 'hard to get' but very quiet otherwise. A long drive to K76 and there a Wheatear 'bonanza' with Desert, Hooded, Mourning, Isabelline and Finch's (which was not there up to now) all around joined by Trumpeter Finches (which make the Spiny Zilla flowers even better looking) and few Linnets. This was the first outing that neither Asian Desert nor Spectacled Warblers were seen at the site and I wonder if they moved on already?!

Finch's Wheatear

On the way back to Yotveta, I received a call from the Mrs's who was coming down from Neot smadar area, describing a huge Eagle with small white 'windows' on the wing, white base of tail and broad black terminal band to the tail. Since Shachar never saw Golden Eagle yet (they used to breed around in the past, but very few records mainly during winter now days), we rushed up the mountains but with no luck. Instead we had a nicely coloured Common Whitethroat.

At Yotveta, it was mainly hot, but still had a good view of Lesser Short-toed Lark, Richard's Pipit and 3 Oriental Skylarks among the many usual species and also a very high passage of Pallid Swifts, House Martins and my first for the season Alpine Swift. No signs of 

At K19, while numbers of ducks and Cormorants have fallen dramatically, a great collection of raptors - Imperial Eagles (X2), Bonelli's Eagle, Marsh Harriers and one Barbary Falcon which was successfully controlling the numbers of Collared Doves. Later at North Beach, a very active Gull scene (White-eyed, Black-headed, Armenian, Hugline's) with nothing out of the ordinary except for a single 2nd cal' Common Gull.

I'm back to unpacking and organising the house, next round will not be too long...

Winter-Spring

While Winter is still around (at least according to the date) and with it some very nice species like this Pallid Scops Owl which was found by Shachar few weeks ago at Wadi Shlomo and was still present yesterday (I was afraid I'm not going to see one this winter...) and the wintering Bonelli's and Eastern Imperial Eagles are still present at K19, there seems to be more and more signs of early spring.

Pallid Scops Owl

Bonelli's Eagle

Trumpeter Finches have started to sing at various locations while Kentish Plovers have developed real good colours and seem very busy in courtships. Pallid Swifts together with House Martins and Barn Swallows are all moving through in growing numbers, joined by big flocks of Rock Martins.

Pallid Swift

Trumpeter Finch

Trumpeter Finchs

Kentish Plover

Waders and waterfowl numbers are still quite steady, but I don't think that it will be long before we see more fluctuating numbers of these as well as more passerine migrants.

At the IBRCE, Yael is reporting of new arrivals of Reed Warblers full of fat and I believe that soon we will start see and hear more Sylvia's as well.

North & East

Had another great day of monitoring out in the Arava today, joined by David Schonfeld and Liron Ziv (half day).
After Liron's great find of a Little Bunting in Yotveta fields last Friday, I decided to start here this morning and surely after some 30-40 minutes had a quick but very assuring view of it feeding in the field very close to the car. Unfortunately it moved too fast within a huge flock of Red-throated Pipits and I couldn't get even a record shot, but hopefully it will stay for another few days and I'll get a 2nd chance and mean while we can enjoy Liron's photo...

Later in Yotveta, no less than 4 Oriental Skylarks giving great show and enabling all to get a better grip of the distinct call while a single Richard's Pipit is also around.

At K76 very slow, but still a nice male Spectacled Warbler and few Desert Wheaters and Trumpeter Finches. At the Acacia woodland of Evrona, more Asian Desert Warbler and this obliging Long-eared Owl.

And this 1st winter 'semirufus' Black Redstart.

With all these Northern & Eastern species, I can't wait going out once again...
Itai

    

Signs of hope...

The current monitoring work which was designed, is aiming to give some more specific insight about migration along the Arava but also to check target breeding species.

Over the last 10 years numbers of Arabian Warblers have dropped dramatically in the Arava and in fact in the last breeding season, I could not locate even one breeding pair around the southern Arava. one of my monitoring polygons is targeting this species and yesterday while there, after a long disappearance (for me at least), I've found a pair hanging around the traditional breeding site. I could not get a proper photo, but a good sight indeed which gave me a big smile and a reason for hope once again...

other that that it was very usual with Little Green Bee-eaters, Palestine Sunbirds, Crowned Sandgrouses, Dorcas Gazelles and all the other regular/ common species for the season.

 

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouses are also being spotted coming to drink in K19 but also in other new sites, which once again gives some more reason for hope for the species. 

On Wed' I had an early morning in North beach and managed to find the Black-throated Diver flying and than swimming far away from the coast and a distant Brown Booby which also hasn't been around for some time now...

stay tuned as more updates  will follow soon.

Monitoring surprises...

After the long break, I am back to work and there is much to do.

I've been pointed to do the bird monitoring for the region by the IOC as part as their ongoing process of updating and constructing the Israel Bird Portal (which will soon be also in English). So, at least two days a week I'm joined by members of the Eilat & Arava Bird Club for monitoring 7-8 hotspots in the desert around us and training them as bird surveyors as well. So far we went out 3 times and in each outing, we had great fun and few surprises

The highlights being:

Asian Buff-bellied Pipit in Yotveta N. circular field

comparison to Red-throated Pipit

many Asian Desert Warblers in various places along the Arava Valley as well as good numbers of Spectacled Warblers.

Bar-tailed & Temminck's Larks in Km 76 area where also Crowned Sandgrouses have returned after a long disappearance. First signs of Spring migration were seen in the appearance of flocks of Pallid Swifts together with big groups of Rock Martins (the more I see them on migration, I'm getting more and more assure that this must be a different species than the 'African' Rock Martin...)

Few more Long-eared Owls were found wintering in different locations as well as a strange Eastern Black Redstart which shows mix features of 'ochruros' and 'semirufus'.

Pallas's Gulls can be found on most reservoirs and also at north beach and there are reports by Shachar Shalev of 2 Black-throated Divers hanging around N. beach.

While majestic Imperial Eagles are present in K19, Yotveta, Ketora together with few Marsh Harriers and a single Spotted Eagle. 

Stay tuned as it seems that Spring, is just behind the corner...

Itai

New year - new birds

Happy New Year to all!

I've started this morning (not too early), driving around the Arava en-route to a meeting in Lotan.

4-5 Long-eared Owls were a great surprise. Despite being a regular winter bird in the Arava, it is always a great feeling to bump into a more surprised face than yours (I presume they feel the same though...)  

With the wind of change I decided to check again Yotveta fields as well as some less commonly visited fields north of Yotveta.

In Yotveta, the only worth mention birds were a Black Stork and this Desert Wheatear, but Shachar report of two Richard's Pipit as well.

Grofit was quite empty except for a single Spectacled Warbler in a dry wadi and this nice Mourning Wheatear

And in Samar, an Asian Desert Warbler was another good species to start the year.

hope for a great year to come,
Itai

Last post for 2013

Today, on the last day of 2013, I went out again to search for the Verreaux's Eagle, which was found last week by visiting Dutch birders (Dirk Hilers et al) in the Eilat Mt's. Unfortunately I couldn't find one (I've seen one back in 1989 and never since in Israel), but in stead had a great wet morning in the desert...

This is a very rare bird in Israel and every few years we have a single report from the Eilat Mt's of a lone bird which is probably coming from the Sinai where they might still breed?!  

Yesterday while guiding, I found a nice Asian Desert Warbler and a group of 10 Sinai Rosefinchs (including 1 male). 

And a nice male Pallid Harrier was zooming very fast in Yotveta fields where at least 2 Oriental Skylarks were seen and heard.

This obliging Barbary Falcon was eating on my way to Eilat this morning.

I wish all of you a great and prosperous new year.

While there are many changes to come soon, I hope and wish all a great birding year also in 2014. 

Itai