Hot on the heels of our first bird in this section, a Black Bush Robin has just been found at Yotvata sewage pools. It was feeding alongside our first Semi-collared Flycatcher of the spring which's also a scarce passage migrant through Southern Israel.

Black Bush Robin is a rare and distinguished visitor to Southern Israel from West Arabia and East Africa. It's typically found from mid-March through to mid-May, with a handful of reports through to July. Speculation about this species breeding in the Arava has existed for a decade, but to our knowledge there are no genuine breeding records.

The area surrounding Yotvata and has become the single best location to see this species anywhere in Israel, and in some years up to five individuals have been recorded here. Personally, I've seen nine individuals at Yotvata since 1995, with others at a wide scatter of locations from Lotan south to Eilat. The favoured habitat appears to be tall Acacia scrub but they can also be found in gardens, parks and date plantations.

This is a wonderful bird, thrilling to watch, easy to identify and usually quite approachable. Could 2003 be another great year for this species? Watch this space!

All of these images were taken at Yotvata on the morning of 23rd March 2003, please enjoy them.

James Smith & The Birdingisrael Team