The past week was incredible indeed. There is not a better way to describe it. It was one of those times when you cant wait for the next day to arrive and bring with it more good birds. I spent most of the week with a group of British ringers, Chris Mills, Garry Elton, Jackie Harris and Oscar Campbell, staying on Lotan. Most mornings were devoted to ringing in Lotan's organic garden and the afternoons were filled with quality birding at various locations in the southern Arava.

Our regular readers are already aware of the big influx of White-throated Robins this spring.

Early in the morning I was happy to see my fist group of Levant Sparrowhawks. 14 birds flew swiftly over the kibbutz, having probably roosted in the date plantation just south of Lotan. In the next few weeks most of the world population of these birds will pass over the valley, sometimes in magnificent large swirls.

The morning ringing was productive, and I was delighted to retrap a breeding Rufous Bush Robin that I ringed last year, and came back to the same tree yet again.

Today turned out to be the peak day of our eastern influx with no less than 6 White-throated Robins found, and more than 20 Semi-collared Flycatchers were seen at various locations. On Lotan we saw 3 different Corncrakes, with one ringed in the garden in the morning. Most birds ringed were Blackcaps, but other species included Quail, both Red-throated and Tree Pipits, Semi-collared and Spotted Flycatcher. We spent the afternoon At Neot Smadar's lake where we saw 3 Little Crakes, 1 male little bittern and one Common Tern, that was obviously delighted to find a lake full of fish in the middle of the desert, as were 2 Ospreys that stopped to feed.

Ringing at the organic gardens proved productive with a couple of Red-backed Shrikes, a Wood Warbler and a few Semi-collared Flycatchers. The British ringers were delighted, where else can you see such quality birds in the hand, with a couple of female White-throated Robins, 5 Namaqua Doves and Lesser Grey Shrikes jumping around the immediate area.

It was back to Eilat in the afternoon where I found 2 Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, sitting on the ground in full light giving breathtaking views.

We started the day at the Eilat mountains looking for raptors. Migration was not strong but we had a few hundred Steppe Buzzards and my first small groups of Honey Buzzards. Other interesting species included 1 female Hen Harrier, 2 Egyptian Vultures, single Levant Sparrowhawks and a local Barbary Falcon.

A mini wave of Lesser Grey Shrikes was noticeable, I had 5 different birds and 3 others were seen, this is a high daily count for this enigmatic species. 1 Olive Tree Warbler was at Samar date plantation, where yet another male White-throated Robin was found.

Today was the last morning of ringing in the organic gardens and it was the best morning yet. 124 birds were ringed, the majority being Blackcaps, but other interesting species were 10 Ortolan Buntings, Pipits and a beautiful male Yellow Wagtail of the rare ssp. Supercirialis.

In the Afternoon at Yotvata the gang enjoyed breathtaking views of a Pallid Harrier, and while driving out of the fields flushed a group of Turtle Doves that was feeding on the ground. Amongst the doves there was one wader, which turned out to be a superb male Caspian Plover.