2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (1 Viewer)

[lewis20126]

A video of Syrian Serin has now been posted on Farcebook. Four days of searching has paid off.

I didn't realise they were that difficult - is that in the Golan Heights? I've been trying to work out how to see that one and thought a long weekend in Jordan might be a better bet, combined with easier (?) Sinai Rosefinch.

cheers, alan

 

[Paul Chapman]

I didn't realise they were that difficult - is that in the Golan Heights? I've been trying to work out how to see that one and thought a long weekend in Jordan might be a better bet, combined with easier (?) Sinai Rosefinch.

cheers, alan

Alan

I think that the tricky element is the timing. They tend to move back to the breeding areas in mid-March so around now, you can fail to find in wintering areas whilst also have them thin on the ground in breeding areas.

Sinai Rosefinch map:-

https://ebird.org/ebird/map/sinros1...v.minY=29.186&env.maxX=39.302&env.maxY=33.368

Syrian Serin map:-

https://ebird.org/ebird/map/syrser1...mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2017

All the best

 

[Jos Stratford]

I didn't realise they were that difficult - is that in the Golan Heights? I've been trying to work out how to see that one and thought a long weekend in Jordan might be a better bet, combined with easier (?) Sinai Rosefinch.

cheers, alan

Syrian Serin fairly easy in Jordan, Sinai Rosefinch very easy there.

 

[lewis20126]

Syrian Serin fairly easy in Jordan, Sinai Rosefinch very easy there.

Jos, thanks, yes that is my theory - combined with Petra (Culture alert; also a good site for the Rosefinch?), should make a nice little trip, though as always I won't be able to go for long.

cheers, alan

 

[lewis20126]

Alan

I think that the tricky element is the timing. They tend to move back to the breeding areas in mid-March so around now, you can fail to find in wintering areas whilst also have them thin on the ground in breeding areas.

Sinai Rosefinch map:-

https://ebird.org/ebird/map/sinros1...v.minY=29.186&env.maxX=39.302&env.maxY=33.368

Syrian Serin map:-

https://ebird.org/ebird/map/syrser1...mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2017

All the best

Yes, thanks, I thought that might well be the problem. And I've always fancied going to Jordan.

cheers, alan

 

[DanielDoer]

I didn't realise they were that difficult - is that in the Golan Heights? I've been trying to work out how to see that one and thought a long weekend in Jordan might be a better bet, combined with easier (?) Sinai Rosefinch.

cheers, alan

I think they got the Syrian Serin on Mount Hermon (that is north of the Golan heights and doesn't belong to them if I remember correctly). But to be sure we have to wait until the site "follow our list" is updated - and scroll to the very bottom.

 

[Richard Prior]

Jos, thanks, yes that is my theory - combined with Petra (Culture alert; also a good site for the Rosefinch?), should make a nice little trip, though as always I won't be able to go for long.

cheers, alan

Dana for the Syrian Serin then walking down the gorge at Petra inhabited by the Sinai Rosefinch would be a nice mini- break, using the King's Highway which is a nice scenic route-shame you haven't got much time Alan as going on to Aqaba is worth doing.

 

[McMadd]

Petra (Culture alert; also a good site for the Rosefinch?) cheers, alan

If I managed the rosefinch there during my "phased" years (ok. we're talking '90's but...)

McM of the northern lands

 

[Jon Turner]

Yes, thanks, I thought that might well be the problem. And I've always fancied going to Jordan.

cheers, alan

Have you read 'Portrait of a Desert' by Guy Mountfort? It's about Jordan.

Not quite in the same league as the Donana book, but interesting to see what he found there in the 50's (?) I think.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Jos, thanks, yes that is my theory - combined with Petra (Culture alert; also a good site for the Rosefinch?)

Pretty good site, Wadi Rhum can also be (and this is one of the most stunning localities on the planet for desertscapes).

This little fellow was at Petra too. And I jammed into a Caracal ....surely a mystical beast in the WP.

 

[lewis20126]

This little fellow was at Petra too. And I jammed into a Caracal ....surely a mystical beast in the WP.

Anywaaayy- this thread is about a Western Palearctic Year List so that's enough gripping images.

What are the other key Israel targets for our intrepid team? Nightbirds might feature I would think..

cheers, alan

 

[Jon Turner]

FARCEBOOK QUOTE: No. 468, Steve McQueen, prefab sprout.

Accompanied by a video dominated by the sound of the wind....

 

[Selsey Birder]

FARCEBOOK QUOTE: No. 468, Steve McQueen, prefab sprout.

Accompanied by a video dominated by the sound of the wind....

List has been updated on iGoTerra, 468 is the running total with today's other additions being Syrian Serin (already mentioned above), Black Francolin and European Bee-eater.

Ian

 

[Maffong]

They've added 54 of the predicted (by Paul) 75 species
Here's what I think might still be possible in the following 10 days in Israel (quite a lot of time!). Species in bold should/could be targets, many of these species are yet to arrive (in italics)

However I've never been to Israel or the middle East and there are bound to be mistakes

Red-necked Grebe (vagrant)
Brown Booby
Bateleur
European Honey-Buzzard
Montagu's Harrier
Levant Sparrowhawk
Red-footed Falcon
Eurasian Hobby
Eleonora's Falcon
Sooty Falcon?
Saker Falcon
Spotted Crake
Little Crake
Baillon's Crake
Corncrake
Demoiselle Crane
Collared Pratincole
Black-winged Pratincole
Dotterel
Red-necked Phalarope
White-eyed Gull
Bridled Tern
Little Tern
Saunders's Tern
Common Tern
Nanday Parakeet ? probably extirpated
Monk Parakeet
Barn Owl
Eurasian Scops-Owl
Desert Owl
Nubian Nightjar
European Nightjar
Egyptian Nightjar
European Roller
Bimaculated Lark
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
Thrush Nightingale
White-throated Robin
Whinchat
Cyprus Wheatear
Hooded Wheatear
Common Rock Thrush
Ring Ouzel
Savi's Warbler
River Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Basra Reed Warbler
Olive-tree Warbler
Upcher's Warbler
Menetries Warbler ?
Garden Warbler
Wood Warbler
Willow Warbler
Spotted Flycatcher
Semicollared Flycatcher
Collared Flycatcher
Wallcreeper
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Red-backed Shrike
Lesser Grey Shrike
Dead Sea Sparrow
Red-fronted Serin
Asian Crimson-winged Finch
Cinereous Bunting
Black-headed Bunting

 

[lewis20126]

Agree with some of that but surely Dead Sea Sparrow, Red-fronted Serin, Asian Crimson-winged Finch,
Cinereous Bunting (for example) are very easy in Turkey. I would certainly be after the three main nightbirds, though Egyptian Nightjar can of course be picked up in Morocco and presumably Egypt! How easy is Basra reed Warbler? Isn't that a Kuwait bird really?

cheers, a

 

[Paul Chapman]

They've added 54 of the predicted (by Paul) 75 species Here's what I think might still be possible in the following 10 days in Israel (quite a lot of time!). Species in bold should/could be targets, many of these species are yet to arrive (in italics)

Maffong

I have 31 realistic species for the remaining days including 27 of the 66 that you have listed and 4 as additional possibles - Striated Heron, Caspian Plover, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse & Pale Rock Sparrow.

I believe Striated Heron will be available in Egypt; Caspian Plover is a potential species for Kuwait; Pin-tailed Sandgrouse is available in Spain amongst others; & Pale Rock Sparrow is available in Turkey but varies considerably year by year.

(Edit - they have seen Savi's Warbler.)

I also condemn gripping photos. (Very nice picture Jos.)

All the best

Paul

 

[DanielDoer]

I think they got the Syrian Serin on Mount Hermon (that is north of the Golan heights and doesn't belong to them if I remember correctly). But to be sure we have to wait until the site "follow our list" is updated - and scroll to the very bottom.

They have seen the Serin in Majdal AL-Sham finally. That is in the southern foothills of Mount Hermon as far as I read the map. Could be Golan Heights indeed ...

Read today at facebook that the COTF guys found a Striated Heron in Eilat. So the Big Yearers should go for it when they finally reach this famous birding city! As far as I know they were nearest at km 28 (Black Bush-Robin)!

 

[lewis20126]

I also condemn gripping photos. (Very nice picture Jos.)

All the best

Paul

Struggling to see much in that image - I blame the phone I'm viewing it on - a Nokia 3310. :t:

cheers, a

 

[Paul Chapman]

Agree with some of that but surely Dead Sea Sparrow, Red-fronted Serin, Asian Crimson-winged Finch,
Cinereous Bunting (for example) are very easy in Turkey. I would certainly be after the three main nightbirds, though Egyptian Nightjar can of course be picked up in Morocco and presumably Egypt! How easy is Basra reed Warbler? Isn't that a Kuwait bird really?

cheers, a

All four easy enough in Turkey. Egyptian Nightjar also possible in Kuwait, Morocco and Egypt and they will be going to each after this leg. Basra Reed Warbler is a Kuwait speciality and I hope that they will see it very well and photogenically there between 9th and 15th April. (I'm quite hoping they'll get Egyptian Nightjar there as well more photogenically than I have done previously.)

A few photos for Alan - at least two of which will look blank on his phone. :king:

All the best

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Nizzana down to Eilat today (Ringing Station and North Beach) adding Collared Pratincole, Little Crake and White-eyed Gull.

Little Crake is one that only one of them saw in Kuwait in January so it must be good to regularise that one.

Also another write up from Israel added:-

http://www.bigyearwp.com/

http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/

They are keeping a 'differences' list and the individual who has seen the most is punished with the inferior accommodation for not sharing well enough. A really clever idea.

All the best