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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Israel December 2018 (1 Viewer)

The bird may wander a bit but this info has been provided to me as to where it has been recently, well this general area and up the hill so you may need to scour this hillside and top a bit.

Mt. Amasa is a personal favourite site though I have tended to visit in March and late April but seems good for wintering wheatears and chats.

Good luck

There's always only a 50-50 chance (or less perhaps) when it involves individual birders like me, but at least your information gives me that chance Steve!:t:
 
My main targets this year will be the OHB's (if any are still there) so will put a day in if necessary. Noam seems to see them every time he goes, and observation.org reports in Dec/Jan have routinely seen them close to the plantation by the border crossing, and by a horseshoe-shaped mound on googlemaps. The location is around co-ordinates
29.579270, 34.97654. But also seen flying around this area, often around late morning to mid-day. Close to IBRCE.

I spent a little while on that mound in 2010 and failed to get the bird wintering in the date palms opposite. Be nice to have a view like this:-

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44470170

All the best
 
Wow nice.

One reported at IBRCE yesterday morning.

2 Basalt Wheatears now at Ovda Valley, and a female Red-rumped wheatear - perhaps the returning bird from last year.

Jan's Pallid Scops Owl still on Eilat outskirts.
 
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On www.birds.org.il/en/

Then check "Recent checklists", towards the right of the screen. You can scroll down. There is also a "Daily Updated Bird news" option, which is only updated weekly :)-. So the 'Recent checklists' option is often more helpful as you can go onto the map of any individual report. Some are in Hebrew which doesn't help, but the maps still do.

Some of the reports are standard stuff, but with each report there is a map showing precise location. I shall be checking daily up to my trip, as I expect from February there will be more rare stuff reported. Build up as much info as I can. One thing I have noticed is that many of the birds reported stay in the same place (not always of course), and by mid-Feb some of the wintering stuff moves on. All depends if it has been a wet winter or not. The best / wettest year I think was early 2017, the year I didn't go :)-.

Also check www.observation.org and then go into "Areas" inputting Eilat, Israel in case anything is reported there. Again great maps show precise locations. There isn't so much on here, but its still worth checking Paul.

You probably knew about these to be honest.
 
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You have to keep scrolling down, until you recognise a bird or area you want to check, but after going into it to look at the sighting, it takes you back to the top again, which is a bit frustrating. That's why I check daily each night, building up to a trip. Its a useful feature but a bit hard work to scroll down 2 weeks for instance.

Black Scrub Robin still at Samar I believe, a few days ago.

As I say, a lot is just standard stuff, but when people like Noam start reporting, which I expect he will again do on there in the next few weeks, his info is great.
 
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I will now look like an eBird marketeer :) But Israel is really big on eBird nowadays, it's worth checking it. I find the "species overview" for a country useful, because it is sorted by last seen so if a rarity occurs, the last observation is what you want. But it has the eBird issue of hotspots...
 
Just to add, all 4 Oriental Honey Buzzards still by IBRCE in Eilat on 17th.

Not much else yet being reported.


I am now so upset I didn't know more precise location for those when I was there, since my arch-nemesis (the guy that I compete with for 1st in WP listing in Czech Republic) just went there a got them!
 
I am now so upset I didn't know more precise location for those when I was there, since my arch-nemesis (the guy that I compete with for 1st in WP listing in Czech Republic) just went there a got them!

Last Feb when I was there, there was one present throughout my stay, at IBRCE, and I didn’t know about it.

There’s always some sighting that pisses us of after a trip Jan :)-
 
6 Crested Honey Buzzards now being reported at IBRCE, Eilat (as on 20th Jan).

Apart from Black Bush Robin at Samar, not much else though.
 
Unfortunately I am not now going to Israel early Feb due to domestic circumstances at home, will perhaps have to look at next year.
So sorry to a few who were waiting for feedback and detail, once I was there. That's the only reason I post, just to advise.
 
Unfortunately I am not now going to Israel early Feb due to domestic circumstances at home, will perhaps have to look at next year.
So sorry to a few who were waiting for feedback and detail, once I was there. That's the only reason I post, just to advise.

Nick

Certainly no apology needed. Thanks for your help. Sorry to hear that.

All the best
 
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