Birding update summer 2010 at Lotan

After the end of the spring mirgration, things started to quiet down here on Lotan. In late May and and then in June, we had an influx of Rufous Bush Robins that have been staying here for the entire summer. There are at least a dozen here that you can see everywhere. The number of Hoopoes has declined in the summer, which means that there are now about half a dozen here. The resident birds are here in large numbers, like the Blackstartand the Spanish Sparrow. The Yellow-vented Bulbul, it goes without saying, is here too, as is the House Sparrow. We did notice a marked decline in feral pigeons, Collared Doves, and Laughing Doves. There was a report of a White Stork here on Lotan. We did have a few days with a few migratory Barn Swallows late in the afternoon hunting for some insects. Overhead raptor migration has not started yet, and will only be sometime in September and October.
More updates will be forthcoming as the migratory season intensifies.
Happy birding,
David Schoneveld