Day 12: Monday 6th May 2013
Hi Folks,
My last opportunity to do some birding as I’m heading north to Ben Gurion airport today for my 1710hrs return flight with Jet2 to Manchester.
Weather: Lovely clear blue skies, slight haze. Cloud 0/8. Light N F2 breeze. Beautiful start. Took things easy and birded Lotan for a little over two hours. Up and out for first light. Lots of birds in the gardens:
Masked Shrike 3
Red-backed Shrike 4
Spotted Flycatcher 6+
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler spread liberally throughout the kibbutz.
Garden Warblers numerous.
Wryneck – single on the football pitch.
Thrush Nightingale – single.
Marsh Harrier – single north.
Blackcaps very common as were (but less so) Common and Lesser Whitethroats. Typically there was a strong overhead passage involving European Bee-eaters, Barn Swallows and Sand Martins.
Headed for a 9am breakfast then packed and showered and away north passing through the Kibbutz Lotan gate at 1000am.
Stopped very briefly at Ha Meishar to stretch my legs and have a quick look and listen from the roadside. Very hot with F4 wind. Presumed it was locust I could hear all over the place. An indication of the massive plague that arrived earlier in Spring. Several Scrub Warblers, at least two E. Olivaceous Warblers plus numerous Blackcaps.
Continued to Mizpe Ramon and into the small wood just past the garage:
Red-backed Shrike 3
Masked Shrike 3
Spotted Flycatchers 5+
Blackcaps everywhere, E. Olivaceous Warblers numerous.
Took a coffee break at first garage on road out then onwards towards the airport.
Then end of yet another superb trip to the southern Arava. Got to say this period is a ‘must’ for every migration lover. Is it better than early spring? Definitely different but the whole period is spectacular. If I was pressed to choose between early or late then maybe the latter would win but only by a very short-head.
Pro late: Maybe the chances of finding rarities (seem to) increase. The Honey Buzzards – keep repeating myself but you’ve got to experience this at least once in your lifetime. You’ve got the place to yourself… almost, but it's nice to have some company to share the birding with. More chance of something unusual coming up the Red-sea and arriving at the North Beach.
Great to see Shachar and Barak again and to have the opportunity to do some superb birding with them. Thanks guys.:king:
Also great to meet up with Eran in the Eilat Mountains and North Beach even if it was only briefly. :eek!:
Thanks to Itai and his ringing Team including Marcus and Noa for making me feel very welcome at the Eilat International Ringing Centre and to Tsadok for a lovely cup of mint tea. :t:
Also great to talk to Tuvia, Jonathan, Liron, Yoav, Daniel and thanks for keeping me up-to-date with what was happening. And to everyone at Lotan, including Daphna and David, where I was looked after really well once again.
Also good to see my friends at Yotvata who always make sure my plate has more than its fair share of food on it.:eat:
Cheers for now.
Frank