I recorded 117 species of which 5 were new for me for Israel being Western Reef Heron, Imperial Eagle, Black-winged Kite, Mistle Thrush and Brambling which was a pleasing return in the weather conditions for such a short period without the additions from say Dolphin Reef, Ashalim Reservoir, Ein Gedi & Nizzana:-
1 Egyptian Goose – single at IBRCE on 8th February & at least five at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
2 Shelduck – 25 at K20 on 9th February
3 Shoveler – four sightings of up to 40 – Sde Boker Sewage Works on both visits, K19 & K20
4 Mallard – four sightings of single figures with the first a flyover at Ben Gurion Airport on 6th February
5 Pintail – ten at both K19 & K20 on 9th February
6 Eurasian Teal – four at Sde Boker Sewage Ponds on 7th February & 200 at K19 on 9th February
7 Sand Partridge – six at Amram's Pillarson 8th February
8 Chukar – single from Route 31 & twenty at Mount Amasa on 10th February
9 Greater Flamingo – five at IBRCE on 8th February & 200 at K20 on 9th February
10 Little Grebe – up to 10 on the two visits to Sde Boker Sewage Ponds & two at IBRCE
11 Rock Dove – very common including several flocks flying high masquerading as things more interesting…..
12 Collared Dove – very common including 300 at the cattlesheds at K19
13 Laughing Dove – very common
14 Common Swift – five sightings with no definite Pallid Swifts identified
15 Moorhen – six at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
16 Coot – four sightings
17 Black-winged Stilt – four sightings including up to 40 at K20 on 9th February
18 Spur-winged Lapwing – very common
19 Ruff – at least twenty at IBRCE on 8th February
20 Dunlin – at least 70 at K20 on 9th February
21 Little Stint – at least 50 at K20 on 9th February
22 Common Snipe – single at southern date palms on 8th February
23 Common Sandpiper – single at North Beach canal on 9th February
24 Green Sandpiper – single at IBRCE & North Beach canal on 9th February
25 Greenshank – three sightings of singles in the Eilat area on 8th & 9th February
26 Marsh Sandpiper – three sightings of up to three in the Eilat area on 8th & 9th February
27 Redshank – four sightings including thirty at K20 on 9th February
28 Slender-billed Gull – ten at North Beach & forty at K20 on 9th February
29 Black-headed Gull – five sightings including 200 at K20 on 10th February
30 Yellow-legged Gull – three sightings including a dozen at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
31 Caspian Gull – singles at North Beach channel on 8th & 9th February
32 Caspian Tern – single at North Beach channel on 9th February
33 Great Cormorant – five sightings
34 Grey Heron – five sightings
35 Purple Heron – single at IBRCE on 8th February
36 Great White Egret – single at North Beach channel & forty at K19 on 9th February
37 Little Egret – four sightings including ten at K20 on 9th February
38 Western Reef Heron – adult & near-adult at North Beach channel on 9th February
39 Cattle Egret – four sightings including up to ten at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
40 Striated Heron – single at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
41 Black-crowned Night-Heron – two at southern date palms on 8th February & six at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
42 Glossy Ibis - nine at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
43 Black-winged Kite – single flew across Route 6 on 10th February
44 Imperial Eagle – single adult from Route 40 on 8th February
45 Marsh Harrier – three singles – southern date palms, IBRCE & K19 on 8th & 9th February
46 Hen Harrier – single adult at Yotvata on 7th February
47 Sparrowhawk – female at southern date palms on 8th February
48 Black Kite – three sightings of up to three when travelling along Routes 6 & 40
49 Common Buzzard – single at K19 on 9th February
50 Long-legged Buzzard – single from Route 40 on 7th February
51 Hoopoe – singles at Sde Boker Sewage Ponds, Kibbutz Samar & Hayarkon Park
52 Kingfisher – single at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
53 White-throated Kingfisher – single from Route 60 at Beer Sheva & at least three at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
54 Pied Kingfisher – singles at North Beach channel on 9th February
55 Green Bee-eater – two in Wadi behind Eilot on 8th February & four at Kibbutz Samar on 9th February
56 Kestrel – common sight when travelling
57 Ring-necked Parakeet – several sightings around Eilat & at least ten at Hayarkon Park on 8th February
58 Monk Parakeet – at least 100 at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
59 Great Grey Shrike – singles at Sde Boker & Hameishar Plains on 7th February
60 Jay – heard at Mount Amasa and several at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
61 Eurasian Jackdaw – sightings both leaving and returning to Tel Aviv on 6th & 10th February
62 House Crow – sightings around Eilat & up to forty at K19 cattlesheds
63 Hooded Crow – common sightings in the north as far south as Mitzpe Ramon
64 Brown-necked Raven – four sightings of seven birds - Sde Boker Sewage Ponds, Ben Gurion Memorial Park, Hameishar Plains & Uvda Valley
65 Common Raven – sightings at Ben Gurion Memorial Park & Mount Amasa
66 Great Tit – single at Mount Amasa & at least two at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
67 Thick-billed Lark – fifty at Hameishar Plains on 7th February
68 Bar-tailed Lark – single at Hameishar Plains on 7th February
69 Desert Lark – good numbers at Amram's Pillars & in the Uvda Valley on 8th & 9th February
70 Woodlark – at least twenty at Mount Amasa on 10th February
71 Skylark – single at Hameishar Plains on 7th February
72 Crested Lark – commonly seen
73 Graceful Prinia – commonly heard & several sightings
74 Sand Martin – single at North Beach channel on 9th February
75 Rock Martin – five sightings with up to twenty at IBRCE
76 Swallow – five sightings but single figures
77 House Martin – sightings at North Beach channel, K19 & K20 on 9th February
78 White-spectacled Bulbul – commonly seen
79 Chiffchaff – commonly seen
80 Scrub Warbler – five sightings - Sde Boker Sewage Ponds, Amram’s Pillars, two Wadis in the Uvda valley & Mount Amasa
81 Blackcap – male at Kibbutz Sde Boker on 7th February
82 Asian Desert Warbler – single in Wadi in the Uvda valley on 7th February
83 Sardinian Warbler – commonly encountered with eight sightings
84 Spectacled Warbler – three sightings – Sde Boker, Hameishar Plains & Wadi in the Uvda valley on 7th & 8th February
85 Arabian Babbler – single at Sde Boker Sewage Ponds on 7th February & single & six in Uvda valley on 8th & 9th February
86 Common Myna – commonly seen with at least 100 at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
87 Vinous-breasted Starling – at least three at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
88 Tristram's Grackle – five sightings with twenty at Kibbutz Sde Boker on 7th February & thirty at Kibbutz Samar on 9th February
89 Mistle Thrush – single at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
90 Blackbird – four sightings of singles
91 Black Scrub Robin – single briefly at Kibbutz Samar on 9th February
92 Robin – four sightings of singles
93 Bluethroat – seven sightings of nine birds
94 Black Redstart – at least three at Kibbutz Samar & a single male in the Uvda valley on 9th February
95 Blue Rock Thrush – single female at Mt. Amasa on 10th February
96 European Stonechat – six sightings of fourteen birds
97 Isabelline Wheatear – single at K20 on 9th February
98 Hooded Wheatear – at least three at Amram's Pillars, a single at the entrance to Hai Bar Nature Reserve & two at K20 on 8th & 9th February
99 Desert Wheatear – single at Hameishar Plains on 7th February
100 Blackstart – commonly seen
101 White-crowned Wheatear – five sightings of nine birds at Amram's Pillars & in the Uvda valley on 8th & 9th February
102 Finsch's Wheatear – at least one female & two males at Mount Amasa on 10th February
103 Mourning Wheatear – four sightings of six birds at Hameishar Plains, Uvda valley & Amram’s Pillars including a ‘Basalt’ Wheatear on 8th February in the Uvda valley
104 Palestine Sunbird – commonly seen
105 House Sparrow – very commonly seen
106 Spanish Sparrow – at least twenty at Sde Boker Sewage Ponds on 7th February & ten at Kibbutz Samar on 9th February
107 White Wagtail – very commonly seen
108 Long-billed Pipit – in poor weather two eventually seen at Mount Amasa on 10th February
109 Tawny Pipit – single in Uvda valley on 8th February
110 Chaffinch at least six on Mount Amasa & ten at Hayarkon Park on 10th February
111 Brambling – two at Ben Gurion Memorial Park on 7th February
112 Sinai Rosefinch – about 25 including four males at Amram's Pillarson 8th February
113 Trumpeter Finch – twenty five at Amram's Pillars & ten in the Uvda valley on 8th & 9th February
114 Desert Finch – at least five at Sde Boker Sewage Ponds on 7th February
115 Greenfinch – single at Ben Gurion Memorial Park on 7th February
116 Linnet – at least ten at Sde Boker Sewage Ponds on 7th February
117 Corn Bunting – seen whilst travelling along Route 6 on 10th February
The end - I hope you enjoy - and I must now do last year's Uganda write up.......
Vinous-breasted starling does not exist, I have about 10 hours of local research to back that up and a few photos won't chnage my mind!!
