James Smith's Daily Sightings Reports Fall 2001

6th December 2001 - Southern Arava

Too many days in the office! I decided to jump on a bus, head towards Eilat and pick up a hire car. The weather had improved significantly on the last two days and it was clear by the amount of standing water around Eilat that some of the rainfall had been extremely heavy and localized. The day was beautifully sunny and unusually for the Arava, there wasn't a breath of wind.

I drove straight to Eilat's north sewage pools, possibly the single most productive spot over the last three weeks, and immediately found 80 Dead Sea Sparrows feeding in the low scrub. The largest 'pool' held a surprising number of Great Cormorants, about 78 birds in all and one of the largest flocks that I've seen in Eilat. Unusually, there was also a female Tufted Duck. After Killian's 'monopoly' on Buff-bellied Pipit last week, I spent time carefully searching through the reedy fringed lagoons and soon located a lovely example of Buff-bellied Pipit feeding alongside Water, Meadow and Red-throated Pipits out on the open mud. Unlike Killian's experience last week the bird wasn't skulking at all and allowed wonderful views.

A Shelduck flew over the largest pool when I noted a number of Spur-winged Plovers gathered on its southern bank. Without too much trouble I located the Red-wattled Lapwing, and couldn't resist getting closer. This time the bird was very cooperative and my careful approach allowed me to study (and sketch) this really beautiful plover at close range. My best views yet, and I was absolutely delighted.

Other than that the pools held an assortment of odd things such as 3 Glossy Ibis, an apparent wintering Wood Sandpiper and a late or wintering Reed Warbler. A little further north, over 40 Desert Finch were feeding in the melon fields.

It had certainly been another really productive session at the north sewage, but I couldn't really make up my mind what I should do next. On nothing other than impulse I drove north without a destination in mind.

The day was still beautifully calm, and as I passed Km.33, I decided to give the alluvial plains another go. My last visit had been very poor, but I felt that the complete lack of wind was in my favour. I drove south from the famous 'pumping station' and stopped to scan after only 200 metres. Way off to my west, on top of a bush I noticed a 'black' looking wheatear. It didn't have a white-crown but a juvenile of White-crowned Black Wheatear should have been the obvious choice. However, it didn't 'feel' right and had a more 'chat' like jizz. I lost it for several minutes before relocating it and I became even more interested. The bird was clearly not a familiar wheatear, and for a while I toyed with the idea of a male Pied Stonechat but even at extreme range through heat haze I could see that it did not possess the classic white 'shoulder' patches of that species. Once I noted a complete black terminal bar to the tail I knew that I was watching something very special. I gathered my scope and sketch book and headed out across the desert. Thankfully, the little gem was not shy and I studied him a close range through my Swarovski telescope. It was clearly a 'black' wheatear, but its fairly small size, and pale greyish bases to the flight feathers, as well as very fine, neat white tips to the primary coverts all pointed towards a black morph of Mourning Wheatear. This rare morph is restricted to the eastern basalt deserts of Jordan and Southwestern Syria and is extremely rare outside of this range. Not only that, but Shirihai does not list 'Basalt Mourning Wheatear' as having ever occurred in Israel.

As I enjoyed this great little bird, I heard the distinctive flight call of a Dunn's Lark and looked up to see this mythical lark disappearing east towards the Jordanian border. Despite a one-hour search in that area I couldn't find it again.

The alluvial plains of Km.33 have never ceased to amaze me. On this visit, I saw only three birds of three species and yet two of those were extraordinary rarities, which is a decent representation of just how exciting birding at Km.33 can be! The bird was a Southern Grey Shrike.

Another brilliant day in the Southern Arava,

Good birding to all,

James Smith.

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