Mid-October (11 - 23) 2003 Sighting Report - Cont

16th - In the late morning Rami Lindroos, Vincent de Boer and myself headed south for a birding trip to Southern Israel bringing a much needed change of scenery. Just one hour's drive south of Kefar Ruppin, agricultural fields and settlements gave way to spectacular rock formations and semi-desert and then ultimately the truly spectacular scenery of the Dead Sea. By the time we reached Ein Gedi, common roadside desert birds had included Rock Martin, Blackstart, Mourning and White-crowned Black Wheatear and Brown-necked Raven. We were also lucky enough to see five Namaqua Doves from the car, a species which seems to be expanding its range north along the rift valley in Israel.

A brief stop at Ein Gedi produced the usual Tristram's Grackles, but the site was jammed with tourists, making birding around the car park next to impossible and we departed early. During the afternoon we were accompanied by Arnon Tsairi, a local birdwatcher from Neot Hakikkar and an expert on the southern Dead Sea region. Arnon very kindly agreed to show us some of the special species in Southern Israel. Around Neot Hakikkar some well vegetated fishponds held several Little Bitterns, Little Crake, Water Rail and a Citrine Wagtail. We were especially pleased to see at least three adult Sooty Falcons hawking over the fishponds.

White-eyed Gull

The birds were probably hunting dragonflies and sometimes seen at close range.

In the late afternoon we went to one of the few remaining traditional spots for Nubian Nightjar in Israel. After less than half an hour waiting, a dark shadow on a sandy track just fifteen metres away turned out to be the bird we were searching for! A wonderful Nubian Nightjar. After the initial discovery, the nightjar allowed us great views while it hunted for flying insects and alighted on the track. With such a rare and spectacular species safely 'under our belts' the first leg of our southern trip was already successful! We dropped Arnon (thanks again!) at his home in Neot Hakikkar and then drove to Urim where we spent the night 'roughing it' in the car.

17th - Waking up to the sounds of calling Stone Curlews and Chuckars, we found ourselves scanning the agricultural fields around Urim at first light. Although it was early season for some of the specialties, we managed to find an impressive adult Imperial Eagle perched, which was the bird of the day. The famous line of pylons already held a Saker, three Peregrines and some Long-legged Buzzards. After seeing a few tens of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse over the fields we managed to see the real thing; a flock of at least a thousand birds! Other good birds the area included Red-footed Falcon, Oriental Skylark (2 birds flying around) and again impressive numbers of Black Kite (400+).

During the hot hours of the day we drove to Sde Boker and tried to get some rest. When the temperature dropped a little we birded the area around the Ben Gurion Memorial Site and Nahal Zin. Sand Partridge, Arabian Babbler and Desert Lark were easily found and just before sunset we enjoyed at least 25 Griffon Vultures coming from all directions to their roosting place at Nahal Zin. In between the small thermals of Griffons we found a pair of Bonelli's Eagles and a Barbary Falcon. A most unexpected find was a Syrian Serin, an very early arrival at this known wintering site for the species.

18th - On the third day of our trip we visited the Nizzana area, finding to our cost that it can be quite cold in the early morning in the desert. Luckily, we quickly found three Macqueen's Bustards almost straight away which provided good views. Other birds in the area were Spotted Sandgrouse (90), several Short-toed Larks, Desert Wheatears and Spectacled Warblers. After a while we posted ourselves at a sewage pond close to an army base, and waited for the sandgrouse to come and drink. In and around the pond, Squacco Heron, Water Rail and Red-backed Shrike gave life to the area but after two hours of patient waiting not a single sandgrouse had turned up! Perhaps they had chosen a different drinking site which sandgrouse will do on occasion, especially if pools of standing water remain in the desert after recent rains.

We later checked the area near the old airstrip. Walking a large wadi there for an hour and a half resulted in the finding of Desert Lark (5), Lesser Short-toed Lark (3), Spectacled Warbler (10+), Arabian Babbler and Scrub Warbler. It was odd to see 15 Common Snipes flying by in this dry environment.

Feeling pleased with our morning in Nizzana, we padded out the heat of the day by driving south to the Eilat area. By late afternoon we'd already checked the Km 20 saltpans, where a group of 345 Greater Flamingos gave nice views both perched and in flight. Other good birds included a juvenile Little Gull and several migrating Steppe Eagles. On our way to the North Beach an intermediate morph Western Reef Egret crossed our path alongside a ditch east of the ringing station.

An hour of seawatching over the Gulf of Aqaba produced a distant Cory Shearwater and just two Caspian Terns. Local birds included Striated Heron and some 50+ White-eyed Gulls. We finished our day at the well known Eilat pumping station looking for Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse. Unfortunately, no birds came to drink, but a dog flushed four of the sandgrouse from behind our car, allowing us brief views. Sad to see this site being encroached upon by the ever changing landscape of Eilat, with its days as a traditional spot for Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse perhaps coming to an end.

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse

19th - After a good nights rest at Kibbutz Lotan, we spent the morning birding around Kibbutz Neot Semadar. The small alfalfa field here was full of Red-throated Pipits along with Whinchat, Stonechat, Eastern Stonechat (S.t.variegata), Red-backed Shrike (5) and several Spotted Flycatchers.

Just down the road, the Shizzafon sewage ponds area held some nice desert species such as Barbary Falcon, Steppe Buzzard, Hooded Wheatear, Spectacled Warbler and Trumpeter Finch but the hoped for Crowned Sandgrouse didn't show up. Was it just our luck, or do sandgrouse really come to drink at sewage pools in Israel?! Our run of bad luck for this attractive species continued.

Feeling down and dirty, the afternoon was spent resting in our rooms at Kibbutz Lotan, before doing some birding in the early evening. This evening we spent in a spectacular desert wadi near Paran, where we found one of the main target species of our southern trip. After the sunset we heard the distinctive, haunting call of a Hume's Tawny Owl ringing through the desert canyon. What an experience to hear this elusive species as the light faded in such a spectacular desert landscape.

20th - We enjoyed another morning of birding around Kibbutz Neot Semadar. This again produced a good variety of birds: Little Bittern (2), Purple Heron, Steppe Eagle, Barbary Falcon, Water Pipit (2), Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Daurian Shrike (first-winter) and Red-backed Shrike (4) all showed pretty well. By far the most exciting event of the day was the discovery of about ten Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse which gave prolonged and excellent views at very close range. Records of this species north of Timna are rare, and this is probably the furthest north of Eilat that this true desert sandgrouse has been recorded.

Daurian Shrike

A few years ago, James Smith found up to six drinking at the nearby by Shizzafon sewage pools in 1996/97 about two kilometers to the south-east of Neot Semadar.

Afternoon birding yielded few surprises checking some familiar places such as Ketura sewage pools, Km33 and Km20. The evening was spent at the North Beach again, where a dark morph Western Reef Egret flew inland and Caspian Terns (3) and Sandwich Tern patrolled the shore. 21st - The southern part of our trip was drawing to a close and ended with yet another attempt to see drinking sandgrouse, including the target species - Crowned Sandgrouse, this time at Hazeva sewage ponds. Local birds such as Little Grebe, Garganey, Eastern Stonechat (S.t.variegata) and Red-backed Shrike were found, while a juvenile Barbary Falcon hunting the local ducks and a calling Oriental Skylark were more surprising finds.

Sadly, after four attempts during our trip, Crowned Sandgrouse eluded us once again. A cruel twist for a species that we felt sure was possible but I guess that's the way that birding goes sometimes. Later we drove back to Kefar Ruppin where we enjoyed a good rest after a week of hard, but enjoyable southern birding.

22nd - Rami Lindroos spent his last morning birding with us, and we found ourselves at the beach and fishponds of Ma'agan Mikhael. Amongst the large numbers of common herons and waders we found a Ruddy Shelduck, Greater Sandplover (8), Temminck's Stint (10+) and Grey Plover (3). Other birds around included a juvenile Whiskered Tern, two Water Rails and two Citrine Wagtails.

Surprise finds were Israel's earliest ever record of Common Gull (an adult) and Israel's north-western most Little Green Bee-eater seen flying north! Where ever would its journey end? This poor bird was way out of range on the Carmel coast!

Despite these unusual goodies, the best bird of the day and truly displaying the emotions of autumn migration, was a Short-eared Owl seen arriving from the sea by Rami and continuing inland.

We said our farewells to Rami at Ben Gurion airport, and then drove back to Kefar Ruppin with enough time to quickly check the turf fields in the afternoon. This produced a good number of Kentish Plover (63), a nice Sociable Plover, 15 adult Common Cranes and our first Eurasian Starlings of the autumn.

23rd - After a rather short night we spent our last morning with the car birding on the slopes of Mount Hermon. Birding around the orchards of the holiday village Neve Ativ gave us some familiar and well known European species - Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin, Chaffinch and Serin were all seen, together with local specialties such as Sombre Tit, Rock Nuthatch, Syrian Serin and Rock Bunting.

Our birding higher up the mountain wasn't easy due to the military activity, but we were eventually granted access to the drinking pool near the chair lift and ski-resort. This provided us with excellent views of several thirsty males Rock Bunting. After bringing the rental car back to Tiberias, the day ended on Kefar Ruppin with a nice observation of yet another adult Daurian Shrike at the on the perimeter fence of the Kibbutz. We found this bird while playing basketball, proving that there's never a dull moment when birding around Kefar Ruppin!

Good birding,

Roelf Hovinga on behalf of the Birdingisrael Team

<<Previous | 1 | 2

Contact info

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