This morning Ayala and I made our weekly census route for Little Green Bee-eaters beginning in Kibbutz Ketura. We came across a Fieldfare at the sewage pools, a rare visitor to the desert from the forests of Central and Northern Europe. This particular bird was the most obliging that I've seen in the Arava, most of them being seen only in flight, or skulking in a date grove! In the same field of view we had great looks at a juvenile female Namaqua Dove with Marsh Harrier, Dead Sea Sparrow and Linnet were also being present. At Lotan a single Steppe Eagle and Black Kite cruised around the area for much of the morning.

Later I headed south alone, calling in at Ye'elim holiday village where a calling Yellow-browed Warbler was easily the best bird, and over 40 Tristram's Grackles Onychognathus tristramii showed very well.

By late afternoon I found myself back in the area of Eilat finding Greater Spotted Eagle, Spoonbill, Caspian Terns, and a beautiful Black-winged Stilt. However, the highlight was a rare day-time find in the form of thirteen Litchenstein's Sandgrouse which gave amazing views and photographs at close range. It was these wonderfully cryptic birds that gave us the inspiration for our featured 'sandgrouse special'.