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Israel - What's Around? Sightings December 2000

The following is an up to date listing of a selection of the more interesting recent bird sightings in Israel. You should find the reports in date order with most recent first.

As usual with this type of round up, these are not fully authenticated records unless otherwise stated, but serve only as a guideline to bird observations around the State of Israel.

In this particular round up, most of the reports are from southern Israel. Species with less then 25 records published in "The Birds of Israel" (Shirihai 1996) are marked with a double asterisk, and as such are due for consideration by the Israel Rare Birds Committee.

The listing is composed of information obtained from:

1. The Lotan Team: James Smith, Susannah Lerman, Trevor Ellery and Petro Pynonnen.

2. The Israel Birdnet: israbirdnet@eGroups.com

3. Visiting birders/groups: eg Killian Mullarney and Sunbird form the UK.

Recent Sightings

Imperial Eagle - 1 adult daily in Lotan area, plus sightings of a 3rd cal. year, and a 1st cal. Year on several dates in November (JPS, SBL, TE, PP).

**Tawny Eagle - first seen by Dave McAdams on Friday 15th December in the Patish-Reim area and on subsequent days to Monday 19th. Also found independently by Barak Granit on Sunday 18th December. Dave wasn't able to get the news out until 19th. This is about the fifth report for Israel since 1992, and all have been from the North-West Negev fields.

Griffon Vulture -  2 over Lotan on 16^th December were the first there since spring 1996 (JPS and Kibbutz members/.volunteers)

Steppe Eagle - 1 adult over Lotan with an Imperial Eagle on 14th December (TE, JPS).

Spectacled Warbler - 1 in Nahal Grofit, near Lotan, 12th - 17th December (JPS, PP).

Cyprus Warbler - 1 adult male in song, upper Nahal Qetura, near Lotan to 15th December at least (JPS, PP). Also, 1 female/imm in same wadi on 31st October (JPS et al).

Greater Flamingo - 390 counted at Km. 20 Salt Pools on 11th December (PP).

Lesser Whitethroat - Late or wintering birds in Nahal Qetura 8th - 10th December (JPS, PP), and Lotan Bird reserve on 8th December (PP).

Desert Finch - Over 200 in Lotan's fields on 8th December (JPS) and up to 50 on Lotan Bird reserve (PP, TE).

Desert Warbler - 1 near Km. 92 on 2^nd December (TE, PP, JPS), 1 at Km.33 (KM et al) on 11^th November, and 1 at Yotvata on 1^st November (JPS, et al).

Dotteral - flocks of up to 50 in the Urim area from mid-November (JPS, SBL et al).

Cream-coloured Courser - 19 at Urim on 2nd November and 5 still there on the 9th (JPS et al)

Sociable Plover - up to 22 at Urim (JPS, SBL, TE et al) through November into early December.

Syrian Serin - 6 flew south over Nahal Shalav, near Lotan on 2nd December (JPS, PP, TE).

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse - 1000+ in the Re’im area from mid-November to mid December.

Oriental Skylark - 1 at Shizzafon fields on 29th November (DMcA). 3- 4 were at Eilat North SF on 18^th November (JPS, PP, TE). 1-2 at Yotvata turf fields during late October to mid-November. (TE, JPS, SBL, KM).

Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 caught, ringed and photographed at Lotan Date plantation on 23rd November. Not seen before or after release (JPS, SBL, TE). 1 seen at Yotvata acacias on 1st November (JPS et al)

**Radde’s Accentor - 1 at Lotan Date Plantation on 22nd November for about 10 minutes from 7:10 am. Flew off high to the south and not relocated (PP, SBL). An exceptional record, the southern most in Israel, and the first for the Eilat region.

Fan-tailed Raven - 4 drinking from a puddle at Yotvata central fields on 20th November (JPS, TE).

**Menetrie’s Warbler - 1 1^st winter, thought to be a male was at Yotvata central fields from 18^th – 22^nd November at least, and sound recorded by Killian Mullarney who found the bird (KM, DMcA, TE, JPS).

Citrine Wagtail - 1 to 2 at Eilat North SF to 18^th November (KM, DMcA, JPS et al). 1 over Lotan on 14^th November (JPS, PP).

Little Crake - 1 at Eilat North SF on 18^th November (PP, JPS, TE et al).

**Hume’s Leaf Warbler - 1 at Eilat Cemetery on 11^th November, still present on 14^th at least (KM, JPS, SBL, DMcA, TE et al).

**Oriental Turtle Dove - 1 of the race ‘meena’ first seen at Lotan’s dairy barn by Trevor Ellery on 1^st November, was subsequently seen until 9^thNovember. This bird showed some evidence of being formerly captive, and may have been used as bait in a falcon trap. The identification has also been disputed by at least two observers. (TE, JPS, KM et al).

**Redpoll - 1 was seen in flight and calling at Mamshit National Park on Wednesday 8^th November. If accepted this will be the first record for Israel. (JPS, BH, et al).

Desert Eagle Owl - a beautiful example of ‘ascalaphus’ at Yotvata on 6^th November (JPS, SBL, et al).

Sinai Rosefinch- 2 briefly at Amram’s Pillar’s on 6^th November (JPS, SBL, et al).

Baillon’s Crake - 1juvenile at Eilat Birdwatching Park on 5^th – 6^th November (TE, JPS et al).

Verreaux’s Eagle - 1 adult at Netaphim, Eilat on 5th November (TE, JPS, RT), and a pair there on the next day( KM et al).

James Smith. December 2000.

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Contact info

Daphna Abell
Program Coordinator
lotan-programs@lotan.ardom.co.il
Tel: +972 8 6356935;
Toll Free: 1800 2000 75 (when in Israel)