I am going to roll the last few days birding into one post as I have settled into a routine that is dictated by transport and weather. More birders have arrived, mainly from the North of Europe by the sounds of it. Whether I am birding around the IBRCE reserve, mooching around Holland Park or sitting at North Beach I hear Amish-type overtones (I know they are from Germany iirc). Lots of Swedes and a few Finns from what I have been told. All very nice people very polite and bedecked with binocular harnesses and a lot looking like ageing poster-boys for…..you guessed it - Swarovski!
Tuesday it rained for a lot of the day with an ominous build up culminating in impressive storms over the Eilat Mountains - lots of electrical activity. Flash floods were the order of the day and it is easy to see how land moves about and is sculpted by water and wind. I got drenched twice which means I ran out of clothes thankfully I found a pair of shorts someone had left behind and had a spare smock. The temperatures have dropped to a daytime 20-23c but have picked up today (Thursday). I think it is safe to say that normal service has resumed. I am down here long enough to allow for a blip but if I am honest I like it warm. I am ok with 25-30c anything higher than that then it’s holiday mode and beer o’clock can come early…..
Birdwise things are picking up with hundreds of raptors being reported from the watchpoint. Some drift over but I haven’t seen that many really. I am not one for staring at dots. Whether they be at 15 thousand feet or 3 miles out to sea - fine technically if it’s your thing but it’s not mine. I don’t even use scopes that much preferring bins every time.
My pattern since Monday has been as follows:
Holland Park as near after first light as possible ca0600.
IBCRE at about 8-830 and mooch around the hides whilst checking the ringing which ends usually at 10 but can extend until 11 if a group is turning up in order to how birds.I then scoot off a couple of kilometres checking a range of habitats before back for some lunch made earlier.
There is then sometimes an option from Stef the Swede go off in the car. It is very sweet of him but I have declined a coupla times as I do not want to bird from or travel in a car that much unless something has been reported. I am happier using my bike which allows me to explore. The back track down to KM19/20 is packed with little areas that when things kick off will be productive as will most places. I look forward to more people turning up because as we all know - birds are where the birders are.
Finish at North Beach which has also been quiet from what I can see. A few White-eyed Gulls and a coupla Ospreys. Last night I had a dark Western Reef Heron that looked like it was fresh out of the paint shop in its undercoat - smart or what. A Common Sand further up and a coupla distant Kentish Plovers - this on a creed adjacent to the beach. There are a lot of people and it is like Blackpool-on-Red Sea. I saw something breach the water and had fingers crossed for a Risso's Dolphin but it turned out to be some old Heeb on the wrong side of what looks like a shark net.
Holland Park is picking up. More Lesser Throats and now Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a Garden Warbler. 3 Ruppell’s on Monday were a triple first for me. Spanish Spugs aplenty plus residents like Blackstart and Sand Partridge. Sunbirds with their Wren-like trill and subtle flight calls of the LGBeaters make for a pleasant soundscape. A walk thru the ‘Desert Dragon’ habitat, they do not emerge until it is 35c) and I spied 2 quite young birders staring at 3 Sandgrouse. They were scratching their heads fortunately the distinct male Lichtenstein was subtle but obvious - a lifer for me. Another smartly marked Oriental Honey Buzzard very low. A handful now Winter in a nearby Date plantation so that is presumably where it originated. A nice range of stuff in the afternoon e.g. 3x Broad Billed Sands, ca10 Greater Sand Plover (too distant but scoped) and both a Citrine n Feldegg Wag. The freshwater pools are quiet but things come and go like 40+ Green Sandpiper, a couple of Marsh Sand, 6 Fudge Duck, Night Heron, Striated Heron, mixed Martins/Swallows and every once in a while a marauding Marsh Harrier to put up the things that have been skulking.
Only a single visit to Ofira Park but that yielded another Feldegg.
I have caught up with both Dorcas Gazelle and Arabian Jackal the former static and inquisitive and the latter wary and off like a shot. I don’t think Striped Hyaena or Wolf will be encountered but you never know…..
The ringing has picked up with the following noted:
Eastern Orphan Warbler
2 more Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers
Lots of Lesser Throats.
Common Throat including a re-trap that was dead in the bag - for whatever reason it is sad that a bird makes it several thousand miles to end up ignominiously like that. I saw birds dead in nets and bags and was a reason why I dropped ringing but that’s me.
Half a dozen Bluethroats - they are just coming into the Red bit but show more White at present.
Spanish Sparrows.
Chiffchaffs
Reed Warbler
Sedge W
Eastern Olivaceous - nice close up re: the bill shape.
Today notables were a Lesser White-fronted Goose that overflies with local Egyptian Geese and has decided to stay in Israel rather than migrate North and can you blame it. I still haven’t caught up with a wintering Pygmy Cormorant that has been seen hither and thither elusive little rascal that it is. The saltpans today had an overflying flock of a dozen Night Herons, a Whiskered Tern, 3 Caspian Terns and a Caspo Gull. I was treated to an up close and personal duo of hovering and fishing Caspian Tern and Pied Kingfisher from one of the hides to finish this afternoon at about 3 as the Mercury (on my mobile phone said 27c)
It is still early days and is relatively quiet, enough to keep me interested that’s for sure - I can see why it’s called The Promised Land…..
Good birding -
Laurie -
