It has been quite a week of birding here in the Lotan area. Some of the highlights first: A Cyprus Wheatear was sighted on one of the compost piles at the Yotvata circular fields (thank you Thomas Krumenacker), in addition, there was a Citrine Wagtail at the Constructed Wetlands in Lotan. This particular area is turning out to be a great bird magnet. We have the Green Sandpiper there along with the Common Sandpiper. In addition there are a few Water Pipits, Bluethroats (both the Svevica and the Cyanecula subspecies). In addition there still are some Stonechats about, as well as the first Northern Wheatears, two Isabelline Wheatears, White Wagtails in large numbers.
The Chiffchaffs have come in as well as the first Lesser Whitethroats, but they will become much more numerous in the coming weeks. Barn Swallows, House Martins, two Red-rumped Swallows, Common Swifts and Pallid Swifts are about. Apart from the Common Swifts, the others are not yet in great numbers. I was out with a group of birders for a day of birding, and without really having to try very hard, we saw close to forty species of birds. At Km 19 we saw one lone White Pelican in the large pond, hundreds of Shelducks, well over fifty Pintails, one Shelduck Ruddy flying overhead, over 40 Great Cormorants, a Little Egret, several Grey Herons, and of course the obligatory Collared Dove and the Laughing Dove. They are so common around that area because of the cattle quarantine station. At Km 20 we saw of course the Greater Flamingoes in the salt ponds, but also saw a few Avocets, a large number of Black-winged Stilts, Little Ringed Plovers with the distinctive yellow eye, Kentish Plovers, Black-headed Gulls, Little Stints. I looked for the seven Spoonbills I had seen few days earlier, but no luck this time.
From there we went to the Yotvata Sewage works. There was relatively little activity, but we did see and hear the Graceful Prinia, the Palestine Sunbird (an especially iridescent male), the Little Green Bee-eater, some more Green Sandpipers that flew away, making their characteristic sound. Beyond the pools of the sewage works there is another lake that has formed from the run-off. After looking for a short time, we found the Squacco Heron hiding among the reeds. It did fly off, displaying its magnificent white wings, but kept returning to the reeds. We all had good views of it.
Back on Lotan, we went out birding in the residential area of the kibbutz. We saw here both the House and the Spanish Sparrows in the trees. There were three Hoopoes, who did not want to be photographed easily. The three Arabian Babblers that have made Lotan home were out and about too, calling out to each other whenever they saw a cat in the vicinity. We went further to look around the swimming pool (still closed for maintenance) and saw a Rock Thrush. It was displaying well on some of the poles, but did not let us get too close. We did see the first feldegg subspecies of the Yellow Wagtail.
