ISRAEL - Late Spring 25 April to 6 May (1 Viewer)

Hi Folks,

Thought I'd give the late spring another try after a fantastic time during a similar period in 2011. It'll do well to match my last visit which was incredible but fingers crossed. Having said that I'll enjoy it regardless and just see what comes my way.

If I get the chance I'll produce a diary of sightings to give you a flavour of what's been around. And using my mighty panasonic lumix point and shoot I'll post a few pix.

Cheers

Frank

Late Spring 2011 - sightings

To get a good idea of what you might expect during this period you could look at my thread from 2011. There's a lot in there to whet the appetite.


FYI:I was also here between 18 - 28 March 2013 and despite reports of it being quiet I had a superb time. Yes, birds were fewer in the Arava but there was still a heck of a lot to make it incredibly interesting. I even managed an Israel 'tick' when a very early White-cheeked Tern appeared at the North Beach, Eilat after a strong southerly blow. If I get a moment I'll post a simple report.

Frank

As I've spent the past few springs in Israel around the typical time period, end of March into early April, I was contemplating my next visit to be later, last week of April into early May to catch the HB's, Levant Sprawk movements along with Olive-tree Warblers etc, typically later species so I will be interested how you get on during a less than average spring. Probably still be dam good though.

Hi Steve,

Yes should be interesting. Did I meet you this time round; at the Turkestan Shrike?

Cheers

Frank

Have fun! I was there beginning of this month, one of my best visits. Bird migration may not have been at full swing, but I saw some wonderful reptiles, a hyena and gazelle.
Can't wait to go back next year

Hi Frank

We met briefly at the Menetries Warbler, two of us leaving as you and friend arriving, we had just had the Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters there and yes then later at the Turkestan, again I was photographing bee-eaters, the two Little Greens, from the car. Hope you got the shrike.

Hope you have a good late one...

25th April Day 1

Nice flight down from Manchester Airport via Jet2. Arrived bang on 1715. In car and away by 18.15. Down on route 6 avoiding rush hour on 40. A few Black Kites and a couple of White Storks plus several Parakeets on way.

Arrived Lotan 2210 via Mitzpe Ramon. Nice run down.

We'll see how it goes.

Cheers

Frank

Thanks Ron. Great that you had a good time. Striped Hyena! Can't be bad.

Hi Steve,

Didn't click at the time but later I thought it must have been you. Yes great views of Turkestan Shrike thanks.

Been an excellent morning thus far day 2 26th. I'll post highlights later. Lots of birds in the Valley.

Cheers

Frank

Hi Frank Hope all going well. Thought you were taking your own laptop? Looking forward to hearing all the news. Missing the place and thinking which sites you will be visiting. Cheers Brian

Day 2 Friday 26 April

Hi Folks,

Warm start. Hot all day 32C. Blue skies but hazy. 0/8 cloud. Wind N F3-4 gusting.

Lotan Grounds then south to Elot Date Plantation calling at various locations.

Lots of birds:
European Bee-eater c.80 in several groups inc. 46.
Golden Oriole – bright yellow male in fruiting tree outside my room.
Thrush Nightingale 5+
E. Olivaceous Warbler 6+
Wood Warbler 2
Rufous Bush Robin – vocal and conspicuous min 7 inc pair Lotan plus 5 more
Blackcap – VC very common
L. Whitethroat – C
Chiffchaff – at least a single
Masked Shrike – easy to find 10 + 9
House Sparrow VC
Pied Flycatcher 2+
Brown-necked Raven 3+
Booted Eagle – nice pale morph
Honey Buzzard 3 + 3
Black Kite 7+
Steppe Buzzard 14 + 10
Levant Sparrowhawk 5 = 3
Graceful Prinia – widespread & common
Collared Dove, Rock Dove & Laughing Dove – VC
Yellow-vented Bulbul – VC
Spur-winged Plover – C
Wood Sandpiper 8
Little Stint 5
Temminck’s Stint – single
Little Egret – single
Cattle Egret – 5
Black-headed Wagtail 4+
Thunbergi flava – single
Whinchat – single
Namaqua Dove 4+
Northern Wheatear male
Common Sandpiper – 2

KM20 SALT PANS
Collared Pratincole 10 inc one that looked suspiciously like Black-winged.
Broad-billed Sandpiper – min 2
Red-necked Phalarope 10
Little Stint – C
Greenshank – C
Black-winged Stilt – C
Common Sandpiper – c.10
Wood Sand – C
Curlew Sand – single
Ringed Plover – C
Avocet - single
G. Flamingo
Blue-headed Wagtail – 5+
Red-throated Pipit 6+

NORTH BEACH to last light
Common Tern – 80+
Little Tern – 6+
Sandwich Tern – 2+
Gull-billed Tern 1-2
White-eyed Gull – single
Night Heron – single
White-winged Tern 3
Barn Swallow – north several

Just a quick update to give a flavour. Will have missed a few bits off Won’t keep repeating the ‘regulars’. An encouraging start.

Been busy so slow to post. Sorry. Catching up now.

Cheers

Frank

Day 3 Saturday 27 April

Warm start remaining hot all day 32C. Clear blue skies but hazy/dusty. 0/8 cloud. Wind N F3-4.

Lotan Grounds: first thing I noticed was the relative quiet. There had been quite a big clear out over night.

Barn Swallow c.45 north.
Rufous Bush Robin – at least 6 singing.
L. Whitethroat c.10
Blackcap c.6
E. Oli. Warbler 3+
Masked Shrike 2
Ortolan 2
House Sparrow – C
Hoopoe – single
Golden Oriole still outside my room.
Little Green Bee-eater 2

Qetura:
Whinchat 1
Little Green Bee-eater 2
Little Egret 7
Cattle Egret 3
Squacco 3
Honey Buzzard 1
Masked Shrike 1
Turtle Dove 1
Green Sand 2
Blackcap 10+
Lesser Whitethroat 6+
Little Stint 2
Black-winged Stilt 11
E. Kingfisher 1

North Beach:
Common Tern c.65
Little Tern 3
Sandwich Tern 4
White-eyed Gull 1
Caspian Tern 2
White-winged Tern 1
Little Egret 11
Common Sandpipier 1
Baltic Gull 3

REPORT: A Chumming Session early on from a boat a little offshore produced:
Arctic Skua 10
Pom Skua 1
Long-tailed Skua 2-3
Sooty Shearwater 1
I didn’t see any of the skuas.

KM20
Broad-billed Sandpiper 1
Ruff 1
Common Sand c.12
Little Stint c.12-
Ringed Plover c.40
Red-throated Pipit c.20
Tree Pipit 2
Caspian Tern 2
Baltic Gull 3
Greater Flamingo – lots
Masked Shrike 1
Avocet 1
Collared Pratincole c.10
Black-winged Prationcole (pers comm. Lior)
Greenshank c.40
Black-winged Stilt c.60
Black-headed Wagtail 6+
Thunbergi flava 1
White-winged Tern 3
Slender-billed Gull c.300
Curlew Sand 2

Yotvata:
Turtle Dove c.20
Spanish Sparrow c.160
White Stork 1
Steppe Buzzard 1
Namaqua Dove 2+
Crested Lark – widespread and common
Harrier sp. – missed it!

Barn Swallows were heading north all day.

NB: the White-cheeked Tern from March is still been seen on and off at North Beach and the White-throated Robin ringed 15 April at Eilat Ringing station was re-trapped yesterday!




Cheers

Frank

Day 4: Sunday 28th April

Warm start remaining hot all day 34C. 6/8 cloud. Wind E F2-3.

Wadi to north of Lotan first thing:
Spot Fly 1
Barred Warbler 1
P. Sunbird 4
Barn Swallow – north migration
E. Bee-eaters – heading north
Sparrowhawk sp. Single
Blackap c.60
L. Whitethroat 6+
E. Olivaceous Warbler c.35 inc song
E. Orphean Warbler – male and female inc.song
Blackstart 4
Masked Shrike – al least 12
Arabian Babbler
Red-backed Shrike – male

Roadside stop: km 74 approx
Honey Buzzard – NE migration crossing into Jordan c.80

Ne’ot Samadar
Honey Buzzard 5
Blackstart
Blackcap
Rufous Bush Robin 5+
Masked Shrike – at least 3
Green Sand 2
Squacco
Little Stint 3

KM19
Grey Heron 10
Little Egret 4
Great Cormorant 3
Squacco 11
Egyptian Goose 2
Night Heron 1
Pintail 5
Garganey 5
Shoveler 1
Teal 1
Little Tern 8
Common Swift 2
Ruff 10
Common Sandpiper 1
Wood Sand 5
Flava Wagtails 20+
E. Kingfisher 1
Pied Kingfisher 2
Turtle Dove 3

KM20
Far less waders today.
Steppe Buzzard 1
Marsh Harrier 1
Little Stint – C
Common Sand 2
Wood Sand – C
Ruff 20+
Slender-billed Gull – C
Caspian Tern 3
Flava wagtails
Collared Pratincole 19
Ringed Plover – C
Kentish Plover – breeding with young. Quite numerous.
Spur-winged Plover – C and widespread
Greenshank – C
Red-necked Phalarope – 13
Red-throated Pipit – 10+
Grey Heron – 6+
Black-winged Stilt – C

Barn Swallows and Sand Martins continued to stream north all day.

Temps very hot all day but east breeze helped it feel cooler. Haze and dust stopped a little of the direct sunlight.

Returned to KM 20 salt pans after short break.
Cattle Egret 6 north
Collared Pratincoles now up to 34
Flock of c.50 E. Bee-eaters arrived very late on.
As did flocks of c.70 Ruff and c.100 Wood Sands.
Common Swift 4+
C. Redshank 1
Quail 1
Namaqua Dove – 2 males. Very easy to see at many locations this spring.
Rufous Bush Robin – song
E. Olivaceous Warbler – 2+
Good late arrival of flava Wagtails.

Cheers

Frank

Summary: 26th - 28th April

Hi Folks,

Temps pretty hot as we're in the midst of a short heat wave that's predicted to end soon. Temps have been in the mid 30sC perhaps around 34C. Having said that there's usually been a bit of a breeze to keep it feeling a little cooler and the dust and haze has helped reduce direct sunlight. Means it hasn't really affected my birding.

And so to the birds. Plenty of passerines around on the first day then a bit of a clear out followed by an arrival so plenty to go at. I haven't been into the Eilat Mountains yet but I'm led to believe there hasn't been a great deal through in the period. What I have noticed is a small stream of Honey Buzzards using a line to cross NE into Jordan at between km72-78.

Eastern Olivaceous Warblers and Rufous Bush Robins are numerous and Blackcaps have been everywhere. Masked Shrikes are hard to miss this spring. Hirundines have been streaming north as have E. Bee-eaters and a few Common Swifts.

Wader numbers are reasonable with a handfull of Broad-billed Sands and reasonable numbers of Collared Pratincoles being the pick.

With a few Red-backed Shrikes, Barred Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers turning up, for example, you get the distinct impression things are about to change. Fingers crossed.

More to follow.

Cheers

Frank

Hi Brian,

Great to hear from you. Everyone here is asking after you and wondering when you'll be back next.

Hitting all the regular spots except the Eilat Mtns thus far. I've left the latter for later because the winds have been against raptor movements. Still seeing Honey Buzzards though.

Had a little look at some date plantations but they were quite empty so I've concentrated on wetlands and sewage areas, Ne'ot Samadar, one or two wadis and associated acacias and KM76. The latter has been superb during the last two days.I'll let you know the details very shortly.

Birded with Shachar all day on Friday. Since then it's hard to think of more than seven or eight other birders in the field. Perhaps around 3 photographers to add into the equation and that's it. Amazing to think that so few birders are around at such a potentially great period.

Lotan quiet. Food very nice.

Told you the Tigers would struggle to make it. We'll have to beat Cardiff in the last game by the look of things!

Cheers

Frank

Hi Frank
Sounds great as usual. The big news here is that Burnley are safe after beating Wolves!!! Hope you are getting better views of that White Cheeked tern. Interesting to hear about the birds you are seeing compared to the end of March. Flycatchers, Honey B's, Levant Sp's, and Terns seem to be the big differences. Hope all the Red Necked P's are bona fida - remember the fiasco last time with some birders!!
Been out here quite a bit- Fimber was good Redstarts, Wheatears etc. Filey quiet, Spurn had Rock thrush and Caspian tern. Tophill lots of common migrants- saw my first Swifts today!!Hope the chicken schnitzel is still on the menu. Babs keeps asking after you. Cheers Brian

Day 5: Monday 29th April

Day 5: 29 April
Very hot today. Reached 42°C at North Beach Eilat. Clear skies 0/8 cloud. Little or no breeze. Didn’t interrupt my birding much though.

Headed straight to KM76 for first light. Excellent. The bushes were full of birds. There has been a notable lack of shrikes which has been worrying, particularly now we know what is going on in Egypt. i.e. Uncontrolled trapping of birds for sale at the food markets. Apparently the nets stretch for hundreds of kilometres! Anyway, today the shrikes were around in good numbers.

Red-backed Shrike – 12+
Lesser-grey Shrike 10+
Masked Shrike 2+
Barred Warbler 3+
Garden Warbler 6+
Strong passage of Barn Swallows and Sand Martins north all day plus a few Common Swifts.
E. Bee-eaters continued to head on all day.
Red-throated Pipit – several heard overhead.
Chiffchaff 6+ - late surge.
Flava Wagtails – 20+
Marsh Harrier – single
Steppe Buzzard 10+
Spanish Sparrow – c.30 north
Rufous Bush Robin – at least 7 singing
Spotted Flycatcher – single
Turtle Dove – single
Blackcap- VC
L. Whitethroat – C
Northern Wheatear – male
Honey Buzzard – c.45

Lotan
Male Golden Oriole still in fruiting tree outside my room.

Ne’ot Samadar:
Thrush Nightingale single
Little Stint 3
Cattle Egret 5+
Red-backed Shrike – two males
Whinchat single
Blackcap – C
L. Whitethroat – C
Spotted Flycatcher 5
Honey Buzzard 2
E. Olivaceous Warbler single
C. Redstart male
Wryneck single
Black-eared `Wheatear single
E. bee-eaters north
Chiffchaff 4+

KM20 Salt Pans:
Broad-billed Sandpiper single
Slender-billed Gulls c.400
Ringed Plover c.300
Little Stint c.200
Gull-billed Tern c.12
Little Egret c.20
Greenshank – quite numerous
Flava Wagtails c.40
Dunlin 1
Wigeon 1
CommonSandpiper c.50
Avocet 1
Ruff c.30
Wood Sand – C
Red-throated Pipits – several
E. Bee-eaters – north
Collared pratincole 2
G. Flamongo- present
Kentish Plover – present



Cheers

Frank

Day 6: Tuesday 30th April

Very hot again today. Perhaps 38°C. Clear skies 1/8 cloud. Wind F1-2 NNE AM then F4-5 gusting from late PM. Humid at KM20 Salt Pans where there was a ‘fly’ buffet for the birds there. Just for once they didn’t have to work hard for their dinner.

Once again conditions didn’t interrupt my birding.

After yesterday I just had to head straight back to KM76 for first light. A very good decision as it turned out. Caught a brief glimpse of a colourful ‘robin’ very early on before it was driven off by one of the many Red-backed Shrikes. My hunch was correct: a stunning male Irania (White-throated Robin). I’ve only seen one other Irania in Israel and that was also a male way back in the early 1990s. Great start and the good birds just kept coming.

Red-backed Shrike c.25
Masked Shrike – single
Barred Warbler – at least 3
Turtle Dove c.20 north plus 3-4
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler – 7+
Blackcap & Lesser Whitethroat both very common.
Chiffchaff 2+
Ortolan 4-5
Whinchat single
Northern Wheatear single
Steppe Buzzard 7+
Montagu’s Harrier single ring-tail.
E. bee-eaters north
Barn Swallows and Sand Martins continued to surge north.
Common Swift 7+N
Red-throated Pipit 3+
Desert Lark 2+
Rufous Bush Robin – again
House Sparrow C
Flava wagtails – several north
Spotted Flycatcher 3+

So another excellent morning here and with the place to myself! Honey Buzzards - noted a few stragglers over to the west but no ‘numbers’ … yet!

Ne’ot Samadar:
Willow Warbler single
Chiffchaff 6+
L. Whitethroat & Blackcap numerous
Garden Warbler 6+
Red-backed Shrike 5+
Lesser-grey Shrike single
Turtle Dove single
Rufous-bush Robins again.


KM 20 Salt Pans:- to dusk
White-winged Tern c.125
Gull-billed Tern 4
Collared Pratincole 11
Black-headed Gull 3
Flava Wagtails c.150
Black Storks – 3 came in very late just to south.

You could sense things were changing. Very warm weather. Loads of Shrikes, Barred and Garden Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers, E. Bee-eaters streaming through and White-winged Terns beginning to arrive in numbers. So just the Honey Buzzards to put in a major appearance … Wind has swung round to the north so I’ll give it a go tomorrow.

Cheers

Frank

Day 7: Wednesday 1st May 2013

Down to Holland Park for first light to search for Upcher's and Olive-tree Warblers in particular.

Weather: very hot. 38C wind N F3-4. Clear blue skies cloud 0/8.

The 'change' in species mix and relative numbers was apparent again today. In one bush alone I had the following:
Barred Warbler 2
Eastern Orphean Warbler 1-2
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler 2
Garden Warbler 2
Blackcaps 5+
Lesser Whitethroat 5+
Chiffchaff 1
'icterops' Common Whitethroat 5+
Palestine Sunbird 1
Yellow-vented Bulbul 1-2
Incredible. No doubting who was in charge: the Barred Warblers and one in particular.


Barred Warbler 7+
Garden Warbler 10+
Chiffchaff 3+
Willow Warbler single
Blackcap and L. Whitethroat numerous
Icterops Common Whitethroat 10+
Red-backed Shrike 12+
Masked Shrike single
Spotted Flycatcher 2+
E. Bee-eaters 20+ N
R-r Parakeet (H)
Sand Partridge 2 min
Pale Crag Martin 2
Arabian Babbler (H)
Golden Oriole male
Steppe Buzzard 5+ N
Honey Buzzard 2+ N

0800hrs so time to pay my first visit to the Eilat Mountains. I’d bareley started to climb and I could see raptors… hundreds of raptors; they were close, in fact very they were very close. Honey Buzzards. It was ‘game on’.

To cut a long story short it was incredible. Wave after wave, kettle after kettle, and mind-blowing numbers.

As the temps rose the birds seemed to head higher up so I followed them. By midday I was on top of Mount Yoash and they were still going through in their thousands. I bumped into my friend and top photographer, Klaus Bjerre from Denmark; he’d been in position since 0615. He said that when he arrived the mountains were covered in grounded birds and at 0630 they began moving and they just kept on coming. We reckoned on perhaps 50,000 Honey Buzzards between us by midday. He showed me a few results from his mornings work and it was amazing. Surely some of the best photos ever.

But it wasn’t just Honey Buzzards:
Eastern Imperial Eagle – single first year bird.
Egyptian Vulture – single.
Booted Eagle – at least five
Steppe Eagle – single
Black Kite – c.20
Steppe Buzzard – reasonable numbers but no count made.
Levant Sparrowhawk – c.30

I headed down for a coffee and a visit to the ringing station where I spent time talking to Noa. Amazingly the raptors were passing overhead here in there thousands as they crossed into Jordan.
Booted Eagle – single
Egyptian Vulture – single
Steppe Buzzard c.35
Honey Buzzard – c.2500
Black Kite – a few

This was one of the BIG DAYS. Wow!

KM20
No real change here from the previous visit except perhaps a reduction in wader numbers across the board but still plenty around. No ‘special’ species to report. White-winged Tenrs still present plus a couple of Caspian Terns and flava wagtails were very numereous.

Lotan entrance road:
Red-backed Shrike 3
Lesser-grey Shrike – single
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler single

Yotvata to dusk:
White Stork 3
Marsh Harrier single
Ring-tail Montagu’s Harrier – single
Steppe Buzzard -3+
E. Bee-eaters.

The last few days have been brilliant. The resident birders know what a great time this is to visit and so do I. It’s a must.

I’ll head back up into the Eilat Mountains tomorrow and I’ll try for Upcher’s and Olive-tree Warbler again.

Cheers for now.

Frank

P.S. It's taken me some time (apologies) but at last I'm up-to-date so when I get a moment I’ll post some pics.

Day 8: Thursday 2nd May 2013

Hi Folks,

Weather: The heat wave that should have lasted just a few days is set to continue for the remainder of my stay by the sound of things. Basically 37°-39°C typically but occasionally higher and that 42°C a few days back. What I’ve found a little different this time is that it feels slightly humid at times whereas it’s normally a dry heat. I’m finding I’m having to take a short break mid-afternoon during the hottest part of the day otherwise no problem. For me it’s the bright sunlight that most difficult to contend with.

Cloud 0/8 early and little or no wind in the valley. In the Eilat mountains light N F3. By late afternoon 6/8 cloud especially to south and over Jordan with occasional lightening and thunder and wind F4 NE.

Holland Park:
The scene seems to have been set over the last few days and it continued today. I started first light in Holland Park, Eilat:

Red-backed Shrikes, Barred Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers, Blackcaps and Lesser Whitethroats, Common Whitethroats, Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, European Bee-eaters, Eastern Orphean Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers are all easy to see. Lesser-grey Shrike numbers seem to have reduced but I still managed at least 3 during the course of the day.

Reports suggest that Israel is covered in Red-backed Shrikes and Barred Warblers from north to south. Good news.

Failing to find Upcher’s and Olive-tree Warbler I headed up into the Eilat Mountains.

Eilat Mountains 0745 – 0915:
There was little evidence of any movement at the lower elevations so I headed up to Mt. Yoash to try my luck and have packed breakfast. I could see Honey Buzzards thermalling over Egypt so I sat tight and sure enough they came. Close enough to see they colour of their eyes without bins! Probably had c.2500 by 0900 but they then shifted direction and continued north but well west of Yoash and by now they were very high. The only other species I saw with them was a single Black Kite. Incredible.

Eilat Ringing Station:
Headed down to meet Itai and his team and to see how thing were going They ringed something in the region of 240 birds in the morning which is quite good. This included excellent numbers of Barred Warblers and Red-backed Shrikes. I also had extended views of a Pallid Swift in the hand. They’re a doddle as all birders in the UK know!!!

Nice chat and a lovely cup of fresh mint tea and on to Elot Date Plantation:
Red-backed Shrike 4+
Spotted Flycatchers 8+
Common Redstart 2
Tree Pipit 2+
Imm Black Stork kicking around nearby.
Lesser-grey Shrike single

KM20 Salt Pans: no real change here. See earlier reports. But 3+ Golden Orioles.

Lotan Approaches:
Lesser-grey Shrike single
Red-backed Shrikes 3
Barred Warbler 2+
Eastern Orphean Warbler 2
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler 4+

Ketura Wadi to dusk:
Eastern Orphean Warbler 2+
Barred Warbler 2+
Red-backed Shrike at least one.


Bee-eaters continued all day as did Barn Swallow and Sand Martin. Usual warblers are everywhere. See earlier reports.

Generally: still the usual species around in very good numbers. I’ve highlighted selected species. White-winged Terns still to arrive in big numbers. Can’t be long now.

And so to the weekend. There’ll be a few more birders around and I know of at least two groups that will be in the area so I’ve high hopes for the next couple of days.

More to come.

Cheers.

Frank