I wandered down to the organic gardens finding Tree Pipits, Redstarts, Chiffchaffs and other common migrants along the way. The gardens themselves held over 20 Red-throated Pipits, several Stonechats and an Isabelline Wheatear. However, a fine male Namaqua Dove caught my attention and allowed close views and even a few photographs. These pretty African doves are generally rare at Lotan in the autumn.

Overhead a few raptors were passing including 2 Steppe Eagles, 2 Long-legged Buzzards and a Lesser Spotted Eagle, the latter being a very good species for Lotan in the autumn.

Once in the bird reserve warblers became evident and I found good numbers of Chiffchaffs in some of the acacia trees. Amongst these were two Siberian Chiffchaffs of the race 'tristis', much greyer than their more common cousins lacking any greenish tones on the head and mantle, with a broader buffy white supercilium. As I strolled back towards the Kibbutz, a juvenile Merlin zipped by and I came across a fine Siberian/Eastern Stonechat.

Finally, a feeding flock of Chiffchaffs near the main gate of the Kibbutz held another two individuals of the Siberian form 'tristis', and a female Namaqua Dove went to roost in the mesquite bushes rounding off an excellent afternoon of birding.

Good birding,

James Smith