Southern tour late October 2006

Fall migration hits its peak in southern Israel and we were happy to launch our tour season with a short tour aimed to cover the most productive areas in southern Israel.

On the morning of the 24th we started with a short stroll around Lotan to get acquainted with some of the more common residents and migrants. Common Redstarts and Willow Warblers were the most evident migrants around and quite a few were seen within the first few minutes. The swimming pool lawn was full of White Wagtails and amongst them were a dozen or so Red-throated Pipits and single Yellow Wagtails. I was delighted to show the guys a nice and very confiding Eastern Stonechat of the ssp. Maura that was feeding nearby. On the football pitch we found another group of Red-throated Pipits and with them 2 Water Pipits and a couple of Northern Wheatears. Near the edge of the field we found a nice Wryneck and a juvenile Masked Shrike.

After Breakfast we headed down to the Eilat area. At the Birdwatching park we met Noam Weiss of the IBRCE who gave the group an explanation about the park, ringing and migration of passerines through Eilat. We then saw some nice birds in the hand including a Red-breasted Flycatcher and a few Bluethroats. Red-breasted Flycatcher is quite a rare migrant in Israel and this year seems to be one of the best yet for this species. Over a dozen of these attractive little Flycatchers were already seen this season and 4 were ringed already in Eilat.

We then headed down to the North beach where we had great looks at a few White-eyed Gulls and Caspian Terns. On the buoys in the bay we also saw some Slender-billed and Caspian Gulls. Overhead were 15 Steppe Eagles on migration with single Steppe Buzzards and a Lesser Spotted Eagle.
After the beach we headed to the pools north of Eilat.

The K19 reservoir was full of birds. The highlights were 20 Great Egrets, over 60 Grey Herons, 30 Cormorants and a couple of lingering White Storks.
Amongst the several hundred Shovelers we found smaller numbers of Teal and Pintail and at least 3 Black Necked Grebes. A juvenile Greater Spotted Eagle was also seen nearby. A quick visit to K20 produced nothing unusual; the most impressive birds were of course the Flamingos which have reached around 800 birds by now.
On the way back to the kibbutz I decided to look for Sand Partridge in a rocky area near the kibbutz. We were rewarded with great looks at no less than 22 Partridges and a Corn Bunting nearby  was another nice bonus.

A good lunch and a brief break at Lotan was enough to find another Red-breasted Flycatcher on the lawn near the dining room, not the last of our tour…
Later in the afternoon we headed down to the Yotvata area. Marcus Craig which was visiting the area reported 4 Cream colored Coursers in the circular field. We did not find the Coursers but the fields that seemed barren actually held quite a few good birds. No less than 5 Oriental Skylarks, a single Richard's Pipit and 3 Lesser short-toed Larks all gave decent views and a pair of Desert Wheatears were busy feeding in the open areas.

A visit to the sewage was rewarded with yet another Maura E. Stonechat several Yellow Wagtails, Bluethroats, a single Whiskered Tern and a flock of Little Grebes.
After a very rewarding day, with the sun setting around 17:00 we headed back to the kibbutz for dinner and a much needed rest.

The next morning we headed out early and drove through the Ramon Crater to the Bahad 1 area. The Bahad 1 sewage and surrounding Tamarisk grove are a real magnet for birds and we were not disappointed. Right as we got out of the car the distinct calls of a Red-breasted Flycatcher were evident. As we were taking our packed breakfasts I noticed an interesting Sylvia warbler fly into a tree nearby. This turned out to be a winter male Cyprus Warbler, a very early individual that gave great views. In general the area was full of newly arrived birds, several Blackcaps and Blue throats, dozens of White Wagtails and Red-throated Pipits, quite a few Redstarts and no less than 3 Red-breasted Flycatchers. In the surrounding scrub we found a few Mourning Wheatears and a Southern Grey Shrike.
We then headed to the town area where we logged, among other species 3 distant Griffon Vultures, White Crowned Wheatears and Desert Larks.
We descended into the crater and visited the bizarre "Carpentry", a unique geological phenomenon. We then headed back to Lotan, several Km from the kibbutz we stopped briefly to admire a group of 5 Dorcas Gazelle, a nice way to seal the morning. 

In the early afternoon we headed to the Neot Smadar area. A nice stroll around the lake produced some good birds, 2 Water rails and a juv. Little Bittern were the highlights and in the fields we found another Oriental Skylark and 2 very late European Bee-eaters. Our last stop was at the Neot Smadar date plantation. Here we logged some more Arabian Babblers and yet another Red-breasted Flycatcher. Our last bird of the trip was a noisy White-breasted Kingfisher, a scarce winterer this far south and a great bird to end a great tour.

The following morning (26th  Oct.) Liron Ziv and I headed down to the Yotvata fields once more. This time we easily found the 4 Cream colored Coursers, and the Oriental Skylarks were still present as well as 2 Richard's Pipits.

We are entering a very interesting period, early winter is always a good time for birding the south and we are waiting the arrival of our rare winterers in early November, especially the various forms of Black Redstarts, Yellow browed Warblers and of course Striated Scops Owls.

Stay posted and do check out our Spring 2007 festival section, it promises to be quite an event.
Jonathan Meyrav and the Birdingisrael team.

 
 

Contact info

Daphna Abell
Program Coordinator
lotan-programs@lotan.ardom.co.il
Tel: +972 8 6356935;
Toll Free: 1800 2000 75 (when in Israel)