Northen Valley Migration Survey

Mid September 2004 (Part 3)

We have entered a transitional period in the IOC and IAF northern valleys survey. Honey Buzzard passage has slowed down significantly and Levant Sparrowhawks and Lesser-spotted Eagles are taking over. A few hundred Honey Buzzards are still counted daily but the period is slowly coming to an end. Up to date over 300,000 Honey Buzzards have already passed and we expect a few more days with a few thousand birds.

The 12th of September was a big day for Honey Buzzards with over 57,000 birds passing over the northern valleys. All the posts had thousands of birds and 2 stations counted around 14,000 Honey Buzzards each. I was fortunate enough to be counting at Neve Eitan where 14,600 birds passed including an astonishing 6000 in under an hour.

The past few days were the opening days for Levant Sparrowhawks and Lesser-spotted Eagles. The survey posts are slowly being stretched west as the bulk of Eagle passage takes place on a more westerly route. Several hundred birds of both species pass daily over the region. The 18th of September was the first big day for Levant Sparrowhawks with over 6000 birds counted.

Other species are also rising in numbers, a few Red-footed Falcons are counted daily, hundreds of White Pelicans, a few dozen Harriers, Short-toed and Booted Eagles. The surveys first Pallid Harriers have made an appearance and both Steppe and Long-legged Buzzards are seen in small numbers.

On the 15th of Sept. I shared the Genigar post with Steve Mann, a British birder taking part in the survey. We did not have large numbers of birds but we enjoyed steady passage for most of the day and ended up with over 350 Lesser-spotted Eagles and over 400 Levant Sparrowhawks. The highlights of the day were a light phase Eleonora's Falcon and a dark male Crested Honey Buzzard. The bird was a lifer for Steve and I was pleased we both got good views and could really work on the features of this sometimes complicated species. An additional 2 Crested Honey Buzzards have been seen in the region, and another was seen near the Dead Sea. An additional 2 Eleonora's Falcons were seen as well.

Some interesting migrants on the ground included an Oystercatcher at Tirat Tzvi seen by Duncan Poyser on the 9th, a male Ruepell's Warbler at Ramat Serin on the 13th and a few ( Rufous-tailed) Rock Thrush seen around the region. Gert Wichers encountered a pale Nightjar on the night of the 12th, and 4-5 European Nightjars the following night. The nights in Kfar Rupin are filled with the calls of Scops Owl and an especially obliging individual posed for the image on this page, taken by Duncan Poyser on the 17th. I was happy to find a day roosting Barn Owl at the Sarid post on the 19th.

As mentioned, this is a transitional period in the northern valleys migration survey and some days are slower than others, but the pace is again picking up and there are still many good birds to come.

Stay posted.

Jonathan Meyrav on behalf of the survey team

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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)