Eilat..... (1 Viewer)

[rollingthunder]

Stuff.

1. Hispanic - in the hand these things have huuuge legs and feet.
2. Talking of feet - this is the last known member of 'The Tribe That Wears White Socks'.....sadly a male fortunately no females are now known to exist
3. Synchronised Phalarope trio.
4. Bad hair day for a Spoonie.
5. Go Go Squacco.

 

[rollingthunder]

Still no Namaqua but there is plenty of time also for Levs

 

[rollingthunder]

Random stuff.

1. Who would have thought and a little know fact that during the 1982 incursion into Lebanon by the IDF that a volunteer unit, composed of crack (!) 'New Romantics' dubbed the 'Durani' Brigade served covertly? A diorama in the Eilat Museum depicts them c/w a Land Rover specially equipped with a White wine chiller that Laurie Lee would have approved of during his (alleged) participation in the Spanish Civil War - pictured in the bush hat is their young but wily and charismatic leader dubbed the 'Rebel in the Jbel' .....Shimon Elbon.
2. A plate of astringently Strawberry flavoured things.
3. Just how many people have that surname in Eilat? This looks very personal.
4. Glad to be a Nobody in Eilat.
5. Nobody's 'friend'.

 

[rollingthunder]

Tomorrow sees the much coveted 'Champions of the Flyway' bird race. it always has a migration theme for supporting aviation conservation. This year it is for the Red-breasted Goose whose breeding range lies in deepest Siberia afaik but whose wintering grounds changed from the Caspian Sea in the 60's due to agricultural changes to around the Western Black Sea including, wait for it, Ukraine so it would seem that it's breeding grounds, former wintering grounds and current one have been and could be tied to what mood Putin is in on any given day - fingers crossed.....

A late entry to the COTF has been from the IDF. The team (pictured) was spotted only yesterday, in deepest Negev (location classified), carrying out deep-penetration scouting for the big day. Their collective experience in both sniping and mine-clearing will stand them in good stead for most if not all of the Sinai specialities. The other participating teams will unlikely remain unaware of their presence due to their expertise in the combination of desert camouflage techniques and ghillie suits - all of the team are rumoured to be ex-members of both the Mossad and Shin Bet so if suspected approach with caution.....you have been warned!

 

[rollingthunder]

Sun 26th Mar - a good session in the nets……

Ofira Park for 0630. Lots of alba Wagtails a few Tree Pipits and at least 3 Red-throated.

IBRCE for 8am. 3 Caspian Terns sitting on the Saltpans were clocked nearby were 2 Collared Pratincoles and my 2nd Greater Sand Pebble - not a bad start to the day. Unfortunately too distant for any photos. 3 more Prats flew over plus an all too brief Whiskered Tern…..it boded well. Ringing had started slow but a coupla Eastern Bonnies were pulled out. I couldn’t help but notice that one of the bags just would not stop still and out came a superb female/1s Masked Shrike my first Lifer of the day. Several Bluethroats and a Wryneck were next followed by Eastern Olly and Orphean. Acros, and Sylvias then the star turn an absolute monster Issy Shrike. I was taken aback at the sheer size of the thing. 2nd Lifer of the day. It proceeded to draw blood from 2 of the ringers - most impressive! Due to its rarity and celebrity status Noam Weiss was summoned and books were consulted. The pale hue and a couple of other points denoted Issy ‘daurica’. The bird was duly photographed and released darkening the sky as it headed North - a veritable Lancaster bomber of a bird….......Oh, nearly forgot to mention a pair of Cretzshmar’s Bunts.

Striated Heron - excellent flight views, notably Green (backed) hue.

A late Sardinian Warbler was rung the paler coloration deemed the local short distance migrant subspecies ‘momus’.

Citrine Wagtail - several calling birds and 2 smart males.

Pied Kingy - bird on a wire as Leonard Cohen would say.

Booted Eagle - dark morph.

Common Gull.

Audioun’s Gull.

Lots of local stuff obviously. Heavy passage of raptors through the other side of the Eilat mountains but precious little over the reserve area. Apologies to anybody expecting birds of prey in number but it won’t be me reporting it on this trip. Temperatures hit 30c by 1pm and that, for me, was over and out until North Beach at 5:30. Nothing of note but a pleasant way to end the day wedged between Aqaba and Eilat.

Good birding -

Laurie -

 

[rollingthunder]

Stuff.

1. Orphan.
2. Citrine.
3. LGBeaTer 5 yards away on the terrace.
4. Snake bird - bloke on the left is Kazakh and the one on the right Colombian.
5. Savvy.

 

[rollingthunder]

The Mask.

 

[rollingthunder]

Issy.

 

[rollingthunder]

More.....

 

[rollingthunder]

Crech.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Some great quality birds in the hand there...

 

[rollingthunder]

I am not a ringer Paul but it's interesting gleaning field ID stuff from the ringers that you don't see in the Collin's guide because there simply is not the room.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Great posts Laurie, I don't do cryptic crosswords though so no idea what you're saying most of the time

Do I understand that the Lichtenstien's Sandgrouse are no loger seen at the 'dripping pipe'?

 

[rollingthunder]

Haha Andy and wtf is the 'dripping pipe'? Sounds slightly odd to me so it's 15-15 and have at you as they say - as I'm not a Tennis fan it will have to be Dandy Racketball

 

[Andy Adcock]

Haha Andy and wtf is the 'dripping pipe'? Sounds slightly gay to me so it's 15-15 and have at you as they say - as I'm not a Tennis fan it will have to be Dandy Racketball

There was a site where, if you waited at dusk, Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse would fly in to drink at a very small puddle caused by a leaking pipe, I saw them in 1998 but someone told me the site has gone, it was in Eilat.

 

[Farnboro John]

There was a site where, if you waited at disk, Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse would fly in to drink at a very small puddle caused by a leaking pipe, I saw them in 1998 but someone told me the site has gone, it was in Eilat.

When we were there (2017) the go-to spot was the Km 19 pools. We also had to wait till the deep dusk and come back in the dark after the three flew in.

John

 

[James Jobling]

How this thread brings the memories flooding back. The ‘dripping pipe’ site Andy refers to was the Urim Water Pumping Station just to the northwest of Elat. I was there in 1995, standing in the dark waiting for Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse to arrive (and marvelling at how fourteen birds suddenly materialised in the gloom). Other lifers on that unforgettable trip included Houbara Bustard, Namaqua Dove, Dunn’s Lark, Desert Finch, Dead Sea Sparrow, and Hadoram Shirihai.

 

[Richard Prior]

I am not a ringer Paul but it's interesting gleaning field ID stuff from the ringers that you don't see in the Collin's guide because there simply is not the room.

Too right Laurie - shrikes can be feisty beggars as my fingers still recall from my ringing days in Lebanon! Speaking of which, if you see Noam again tell him Richard from Aammiq in the Bekaa Valley says hello

 

[Gladiator96]

Audioun’s Gull.

Pretty rare in Eilat I would've thought? The only other records in ebird are from 1980 and 2008

 

[Richard G]

Fascinating read.

Coincidentally a friend of mine (Mark Pearson from YCN) is out there right now guiding with Yoav Perlaman and taking part in the Champions of the Flyaway.