- 4th January

Highlights of an extremely interesting day for wintering species in the Southern Arava included the following:

Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis - 12 at Km20 salt pools.

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster - 2 still present (from
2nd) at Eilat north beach in late afternoon.

Quail Coturnix coturnix- 1 Neot Semadar western fields.

Little Gull Larus minutus - 3 (1st-winter) Ein Evrona salt pools.

Common Gull Larus canus -1 (1st-winter) Ein Evrona salt pools.

Pallid Swift Apus pallidus - 4 over Samar fields.

Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana nana 1 at Km 33, near the pumping station.

Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens japonicus 1 found with hordes of Water Pipits Anthus spinoletta Samar turf fields.

Yellow-browed Warbler Phyloscopus inornatus - 1, located by call at Yeelim Holiday Village.

Desert Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curucca minula - 1, resembling this form at Ye'elim Holiday Village. Notable by its small size, tiny bill and extensive sandy-buff wash over most of the plumage especially on the wing coverts and underparts. Rather interestingly, found feeding exclusively in rather high Acacia branches despite an abundance of other vegetation in the gardens. In the images, strong back lighting makes the bird appear darker than it actually was in the field.

James P. Smith, Roelf Hovinga and Vincent De Boer on behalf of the Birdingisrael Team.

- 5th January

Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei - 1, Kibbutz gardens and swimming pool area, Kibbutz Lotan. Located by call at 06:30hrs and observed until about 07:00hrs.

Striated Scops Owl Otus brucei - 2 , Ketura Mountains Reserve, north of Kibbutz Lotan.

Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca - 1, adult, between Lotan and Ketura in late afternoon.

Good birding,

James P. Smith & Susannah B. Lerman